Mediaș

Mediaș lies on the Târnava Mare in the heart of the Transylvanian Saxon lands. German settlers established a town whose merchants and craftsmen gathered around the church of St Margaret, on a height above the river valley. Its tall tower and enclosing walls made the church both a landmark and a refuge for the community.

Ottoman raids in 1437 and 1438 damaged the district and prompted a sustained effort to strengthen its defences. An earthwork and wooden palisade surrounded the town in 1477, and King Matthias ordered all inhabitants to contribute to further fortification work in 1486. The Gothic church was completed around 1488. Its altarpiece and the works added to its tower reflect the resources devoted to the religious and defensive centre of Mediaș.