Petercsák Tivadar - Berecz Mátyás (szerk.): Magyarország védelme - Európa védelme - Studia Agriensia 24. (Eger, 2006)
MAGYARORSZÁG VÉDELME -EURÓPA VÉDELME BALASSI BÁLINT ÉS BOCSKAI ISTVÁN KORÁBAN - TÜDŐS S. KINGA: Székelyföld - Egy különleges határvédelmi rendszer. A templomvárak a 16. századtól a 18. századig terjedő időszakban
Kinga S. Tüdős THE SZEKLER REGION - A SPECIAL BORDER DEFENCE SYSTEM Fortified Churches from the 16th Century to the 18th Century The fortification of the church building for defensive purposes is not restricted to the architecture of Transylvania. Fortified churches can be found elsewhere in Europe in the early Middle Ages, particularly in those regions at risk from attack. This was the case in the southern and south-eastern parts of France, and on France’s north-western borders. One can also find church fortifications in both Saxony and Thuringia during the 10th and 11th centuries. At the turn of the millennium the monks of the monastery at St Gallen built earthworks, referred to as castellum fortissimum, at the approach of the Magyars. Numerous churches in Saxony (Ebersdorf, Lanterbach) display traits shared by fortified churches in Transylvania. Fortified churches were also built subsequently in Slavonia and Croatia (Djeske-Diex, Goricica, Kneza, Graffenstein, Repnje, Iham etc.). Similar fortification systems were also used on the north-western border of Transylvania around the churches of the agricultural towns of Hosszúmező (now Cîmpulung la Tisa, Romania) and Técső (now Tjacev, Ukraine) in the neighbouring county of Huszt. The methods used in fortifying churches were present in Transylvania well before the 15th century. We know that during the 11th century, Ladislas I (St) (1077-1095) had a church (tower chapel) built at the centre of the fortress in Várad (now Oradea, Romania) protected by a stone wall with a tower built into it. As one reads in Rogerius’s Carman miserabile, when the Tatars left for Arad (now Romania) and Csanád, they also left the Cistercian foundation at Egres (now Igriç, Romania) untouched, where some soldiers and a fair number of noble women had found sanctuary in what amounted to a fortress. At this time the defensive wall surrounding the three aisled basilica of the church of St Michael in Kisdisznód / Michelsberg (now Cisnädioara, Romania) (first mentioned in 1223) was also complete. One can also name Firtos (now Firtuç, Romania) Castle in Udvarszék County, and the walled 335
