At a conference held in Segesvár/Sighișoara/Schäßburg on April 17, one day before the International Day for Monuments and Sites Ștefan Balici, director general of the National Institute of Heritage of Romania promised the reconstruction of the fortified walls of the city.
Balici said in international tender will be announced for the restoration and that RON 562,127 (EUR 118,000) had been set aside for planning and feasibility studies. He warned, however, that due to the time needed for completing said plans and studies, actual reconstruction may only begin two years from now.
Founded in the mid-12th century by Saxons brought in by Hungarian King Géza II to shore up the country’s defenses against the the Tatar and Turk threat, Segesvár has a well-preserved medieval walled city, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The wall has been in dire need of repairs for more than 15 years and last year a six-meter portion of the wall collapsed. The medieval city’s six guild bastions and its clock tower are also in urgent need of repair.
Title image: The fortified wall of Segesvár (imperialtransilvania.com)
