Hosman fortified church, close to Sibiu and Biertan

Approching Hosman, you will see the fortified church’s tower, overwatched by the distant Fagaras mountains.

Hosman is a little picturesque village, with a typically Saxon architecture, located about 30 Km from Sibiu (around 45 minutes by car).

It contains a fortified church of XIV^th century very well conserved, that is part of Transylvania’s ‘‘road of fortified churches’’.

At the beginning of the XVI^th century, the double enclosure was surrounding a Roman church, whose very eloquent stylistic elements place the monument by the end of XIII^th century. Enemies attacks have forced its fortification two centuries later when two rows of defensive walls, towers and bastions were adds. Despite that, the town fell in the hands of Vlad Tepes army which, in 1456, set fire to Hosman. Proof is the stone cannons projectiles inlayed in the enclosure wall.

The enclosure around the church has been built during the XV^th century, during the construction of a double stone wall, with two towers on the external wall and four towers on the interior wall. The gate tower connects the two enclosures and keeps the wooden harrow, above which we can read the 1402 year.

In 1903, when the rubble of 1meter tall that were remaining from the demolition have been removed, the ancient hexagonal bricks paving, often encountered in Transylvania’s ancients Roman basilicas has been discovered.

The church distinguished by the iconographic theme of the whole decoration. From the entrance, the portal’s external, that represented fabulous animals and fantastic characters who have their corresponding in the portal of the church Saint-Etienne de Vienne, that caught our attention. This resemblance is not purely fortuitous ; we say that comrades of Vienne took part in the church‘s construction.

The scenes paints inside the church are inviting us to a real trip in the fantasy’s world, but they give us as well a live lesson : zoomorphic, biblic or fantastic characters, surpernatural being and dramatic scenes attract our attention on the eternal fight between good, evil and mind, between divine and evil.

Your visit to Hosman will be for sure a breath of fresh air compared to the congested towns of Romania.

Hosman is also the occasion to discover craftmen from the network ‘‘Hârtibaciu cu Drag’’, all the craftmen who make and sell products and typical food of the region.

You can learn more on them by  clicking here >>

Other possible visits close to Fagaras :

Discover as well the mediaval city of Sibiu, located about 1 hour by car from Fagaras. Click here