Stephen’s Tower in Baia Mare: a medieval tower that survived its church
Stephen’s Tower (Turnul Ștefan) is a neo-Gothic bell tower on Citadel Square in Baia Mare, in Maramureș, Romania. Begun in the 15th century as part of Saint Stephen’s church, it is now the symbol of the city and a lookout over the old town, worth a stop on any walk through the centre.
Stephen’s Tower is all that is left of a great medieval church: lightning, fires and finally gunpowder in 1847 removed the nave, yet the tower still dominates Baia Mare’s old centre.
The history of Stephen’s Tower
The tower was built as the bell tower of the church of Saint Stephen. The church is first documented in 1347 and was dedicated in 1387, and it was a notable building: some 50 metres long and 19 metres wide, it was the only double-naved church of medieval north-western Transylvania. The bell tower was added from 1446, on the south-west side. It was begun under John Hunyadi to commemorate his 1442 victory over the Ottomans near the Ialomița River, and it was completed in 1468 under his son Matthias Corvinus.
The following centuries were hard on the building. In the mid-16th century lightning partly destroyed the tower and the church, and the tower was rebuilt in 1559–1561. In 1588 the church passed from Roman Catholic to Reformed hands. A thorough restoration followed in 1619, when the tower received a tall pointed roof in the form of a square-based pyramid, and in 1628 mechanical clocks showing the moon were fitted. A fire in 1647 devastated both church and tower, and another fire in the 18th century caused serious damage again; after it the tower was rebuilt with a raised gallery and a Baroque onion-dome roof.
In the 19th century the church was in ruins and repairs were judged too costly, so the authorities had its remaining walls demolished with gunpowder in 1847. The site became a park in 1856, and only the bell tower stood on. It too was destroyed by fire, in 1869, and was rebuilt in 1898–1899 in the neo-Gothic style that it keeps today. Archaeological excavations later allowed the form and size of the vanished church to be reconstructed, and its outline was marked in the paving of the square when the centre was renovated.
The modern history of the tower is one of repairs and reopening. A storm damaged the old slate roof in 2007, and the city replaced it with a copper roof, finished the following year at a cost of about 200,000 euros. A further rehabilitation was carried out between 2011 and 2015, since when visitors have been allowed to climb 165 steps to the gallery that firefighters once used to watch the town and spot fires. The big bell, cast in Arad in 1561, weighs over two tonnes but was fitted in the tower only in 1925; a second bell from 1869 is too cracked to be rung and is kept as an ornament.
Curiosities about Stephen’s Tower
- The tower was started to celebrate a battle: it commemorates John Hunyadi’s 1442 victory over the Ottomans near the Ialomița River.
- The vanished church was the only double-naved church of medieval north-western Transylvania, about 50 metres long, and its outline is now marked in the paving of the square.
- Lightning struck the tower and church again and again, in the 16th century and again in the 18th, which explains why the tower has been rebuilt so many times.
- The main bell was cast in Arad in 1561 and weighs over two tonnes, yet it was not fitted in the tower until 1925.
- A bell dating from 1869 hangs a little higher but is too cracked to ring; it is kept for decoration.
- In the late 1990s the tower hosted a poetry event called “Poezia din turn” (Poetry from the Tower), and painters of the Baia Mare school depicted its silhouette in many works.
Tours near Stephen’s Tower
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Stephen’s Tower: what to see
- The tower stands on Citadel Square in the old town, and the plan of the vanished church is marked in the pavement around it, so you can see how large the building once was.
- The entrance is by the south door; a stone spiral staircase leads to the first level and wooden stairs continue to the gallery, 165 steps in all.
- From the gallery, once used by firefighters as a lookout, there is a panorama over the whole city.
- The clock, the copper roof and the neo-Gothic top of the tower are best seen from the square below.
- The wooden churches of Maramureș at Desești (about 24 km), Budești Josani (28 km), Rogoz (33 km) and Săpânța-Peri Monastery (37 km) are the nearest other places on this site. Check the current opening hours before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Stephen’s Tower is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Stephen’s Tower
Questions
Where is Stephen’s Tower?
It stands on Citadel Square in the old centre of Baia Mare, Maramureș County, between Crișan and 1 Mai streets and next to Libertății Square.
When was Stephen’s Tower built?
The bell tower was begun in 1446 and completed in 1468, under Matthias Corvinus. After fires it was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style in 1898–1899, the form it has today.
What happened to the church that went with the tower?
Repeated lightning strikes and fires ruined the church, and repairs were judged too costly, so its remaining walls were demolished with gunpowder in 1847. Only the tower was left standing.
Can you climb Stephen’s Tower?
Yes, the tower is open to visitors, and a staircase of 165 steps leads up to the gallery with views of Baia Mare. Check the current opening hours before you go.
Why was Stephen’s Tower built?
It was begun on John Hunyadi’s initiative to mark his 1442 victory over the Ottomans near the Ialomița River, as the bell tower of the church of Saint Stephen.
What else is there to see near Stephen’s Tower?
The nearest other sites on this page’s list are the wooden churches of Desești (about 24 km), Budești Josani (28 km) and Rogoz (33 km), and Săpânța-Peri Monastery (37 km).
Also nearby
Saint Parascheva Wooden Church, Desești
Maramureș · painted wooden church, UNESCO site
24 km away
Budești Josani Church
Maramureș · UNESCO wooden church with a 26 m tower
28 km away
Church of the Holy Archangels, Rogoz
Rogoz · UNESCO wooden church with 1785 murals
33 km away
Săpânța-Peri Monastery
Maramureș · 78 m wooden church by the Tisza
37 km away