Cisnădie ( Romanian pronunciation: [t͡ʃisnəˈdi.e] ; German : Heltau ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect : De Hielt ; Hungarian : Nagydisznód ) is a town in Sibiu County , Transylvania , central Romania , approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Sibiu ( German : Hermannstadt ). It comprises the main town of Cisnădie and one village, Cisnădioara ( German : Michelsberg ; Hungarian : Kisdisznód ).
16-604: Located along the Cisnădie River , at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains , the town is known for its Transylvanian Saxon heritage, as well as for the communist-era carpet factories. Cisnădie was mentioned for the first time in a document from the year 1204 under the name "Rivetel". In the 12th century Saxon colonists settled here and in 1323 the German name Heltau is mentioned. The town flourished, particularly
32-496: A gothicization process. The altar inside the Lutheran church , which forms the centre of this complex, is a wing altar/triptych from 1520, realised by the school of Veit Stoss Jr. The complex is very well preserved and besides being a medieval architectural place of interest, it offers a variety of theme exhibitions: Cisnădioara ( German : Michelsberg ; Hungarian : Kisdisznód ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect: Mächelsbärch )
48-423: A 100 m (330 ft) high hill, surrounded by circular fortifications, with a defensive turret above the entrance. Some of the original walls have been preserved to this day. The layout of the church, composed of a small basilica with three naves , as well as the decoration of the carved western entrance portal , dating from 1260, attest to the strong influence of Rhineland architecture. Another church in
64-403: A church without transepts, to the chancel . When a church contains side aisles , as in a basilica -type building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle. In a broader, more colloquial sense, the nave includes all areas available for the lay worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts. Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for
80-467: Is 46 km (18 sq mi). The reach upstream of Cisnădioara is sometimes called Pârâul Argintului . This article related to a river in Sibiu County is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Nave The nave ( / n eɪ v / ) is the central part of a church , stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts , or in
96-513: Is a village located 2 km (1.2 mi) west of Cisnădie. Initially, it was listed as one of the ten possessions of the Cistercian abbey at Cârța . The fortified church, dedicated to Saint Michael and built entirely of stone, was first referred to in a document dated 20 November 1223, which mentioned its donation to the abbey. The oldest Romanesque style church in Romania, it stands atop
112-759: Is from navis , the Latin word for ship , an early Christian symbol of the Church as a whole, with a possible connection to the " Ship of St. Peter " or the Ark of Noah . The term may also have been suggested by the keel shape of the vaulting of a church. In many Nordic and Baltic countries a model ship is commonly found hanging in the nave of a church, and in some languages the same word means both 'nave' and 'ship', as for instance Danish skib , Swedish skepp , Dutch schip or Spanish nave . The earliest churches were built when builders were familiar with
128-473: Is the section set apart for the laity, while the chancel is reserved for the clergy. In medieval churches the nave was separated from the chancel by the rood screen ; these, being elaborately decorated, were notable features in European churches from the 14th to the mid-16th century. Medieval naves were divided into bays, the repetition of form giving an effect of great length; and the vertical element of
144-404: The choir and clergy . The nave extends from the entry—which may have a separate vestibule (the narthex )—to the chancel and may be flanked by lower side-aisles separated from the nave by an arcade . If the aisles are high and of a width comparable to the central nave, the structure is sometimes said to have three naves. It provides the central approach to the high altar . The term nave
160-413: The 15th century, after the 1493 Turkish invasion, to protect the local population of Saxons against repeated Ottoman raids. The fortification process included the construction of fortified towers over the two side entrances and the choir, the building of a double structure of defence walls, a moat and several defensive towers along the walls. Simultaneously to the fortification work the church itself suffered
176-465: The 2000s onwards, the economic situation has been ameliorating. According to the 2011 census , there was a total population of 13,410 people living in the town. Of these, 97.1% were ethnic Romanians , 1.5% ethnic Germans (more specifically Transylvanian Saxons ), 0.7% Hungarians , and 0.3% Romani . At the 2021 census, Cisnădie had 22,277 inhabitants, of which 83.5% were Romanians and 14.8% of unknown ethnicity. The town's current local council has
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#1732797189000192-475: The fire nor various political agitations throughout the passing of time. In 1806, under Emperor Franz of Austria , Cisnădie/Heltau renewed its market rights, thus enabling it to prosper. In 1945, large parts of the German population were deported to the Soviet Union . In 1948, all factories were nationalized by the communist regime . After its downfall in 1989 , most of the factories collapsed. Since
208-525: The following multi-party political composition, based on the results of the votes cast at the 2024 Romanian local elections . In Cisnădie, there is the SC Pralin SRL, the chocolate factory of Florin Bălan. The most important architectural sight of Cisnădie is the fortified complex located in the town centre. Originally built in the 12th century as a Romanesque basilica, the church was fortified during
224-512: The form of the Roman basilica , a public building for business transactions. It had a wide central area, with aisles separated by columns, and with windows near the ceiling. Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is an early church which had this form. It was built in the 4th century on the orders of Roman emperor Constantine I , and replaced in the 16th century. The nave, the main body of the building,
240-459: The guilds of blacksmiths and wool weavers ( weaving remained the traditional occupation of the town population until the 20th century, when large textile factories were built). Cisnădie shared most of Transylvania's eventful history. The town suffered several raids, starting with the 1241 raid of the Mongols and continuing with Ottoman attacks. The plague did not spare the town, neither did
256-580: The valley, dedicated to Saint Mary , was first mentioned in 1428 as a Gothic style church, but it was rebuilt in the 18th century in the Baroque style. Cisn%C4%83die (river) The Cisnădie ( German : Silberbach , Hungarian : Kisdisznód ) is a right tributary of the river Cibin in Romania . It discharges into the Cibin near Mohu . Its length is 18 km (11 mi) and its basin size
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