Mediaeval Church and opening of late Middle Ages
Submitted by on Fri, 10/16/2009 at 1:23pm.
This article is connected with my previous article.
There is in territory of Romania – where are living Hungarian population – in a little village in Székelyderzs (Darjiu in Romanian) a fortified Church from the early Middle Ages. Today the parish priest of church requested help to save the inner frescos of church in the Hungarian television Duna. This is the story of old Mediaeval Church:
The village is home to a 13th century fortified Unitarian Church, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The church is registered among the historic monuments of Harghita county (1992) as one of the most significant monuments of Udvarhelyszék. It is the oldest fortified church of this region and the one most frequently mentioned in the art history literature. They started the construction of the church in Romanic style. Then it was transformed in Gothic style. The fortifications (with five bastions and towers) were built during the 16th century. The church tower is the oldest part of them. Five bastions and a bell-tower belong to it. Its mediaeval church surrounded by a high stone-wall still stands today. As a church fortress it has preserved some very peculiar architectural forms in a good condition. Saxon influence in style can also be mentioned with it. The architectural complex of Darjiu is one of the most beautiful Gothic monument of the former Tinutul Odorheiului, and it is one of the most significant values of our art history at the same time. The inner frescos illustrating the legend of king St. László (the 8th Hungarian King from 1077 to 1095) were painted in 1419. The style suggests the transition from Gothic to Romanticism. The old chapel built in Roman style (13-14th century) was enlarged and rebuilt in late Gothic style in the second half of the 15th century when it actually got its present form. The 5 m high castle wall was built after 1521. Four of the bastions stand on the corners and the fifth one rises at the middle of the western wall. The fortress was probably finished by the 1630s'.
You'll see that villagers keep their grains in the fortress even today. The same with the ham, bacon, lard and smoked pork products, which are kept in the bastions. As concerns the grains, they can take them home every morning but the pork products only once a week.
Here is a fresco fom the Church:
We have hope of renovation of these wonderful frescos. But to renovate an opening of late Middle Ages today - is a grandiose thing. My friend who in chess.com had won the Marian Cozma Memorial Tournament renovated one. We call this opening as Ponziani Opening after Domenico Lorenzo Ponziani (1719-1796) who published his work (The Incomparable Game of Chess) in 1769 and analyzed also this opening. This game was the last game in the final of Tuornament and the Hungarian chessplayer (pseudonym is Bantu_negro) gained 100 percent result. The second renovation appears in this game: