The Câlnic Citadel began around 1270 as a residence for a Graf (Chyl de Kelling, whose family gave the village its German name), one of the last such to be built in Transylvania. The strong parallelepiped structure, with a ground floor and three floors for living space, came to be known as the Siegfried tower. Subsequent, frequent Ottoman attacks led the keep to be fortified with a defensive level and surrounded by a massive wall. The oval precinct around the keep was fitted with a guard tower to the south and a gate tower to the north. The structure was surrounded by a water-filled moat, with access only by drawbridge.
In 1430 the noble owners sold the citadel to the local Transylvanian Saxon community, who extended it by building a second fortification wall and a tower in the southern part, using the structure for refuge during Ottoman raids. Within were built storerooms and living quarters for withstanding sieges; these have not survived. In the 16th century two levels were added so that defenders could fire guns outside the wall precincts, the moat was filled and the drawbridge replaced by a gatehouse fitted with a portcullis. The Ottomans destroyed the village in 1658, but failed to take the citadel.
Câlnic Citadel is part of the UNESCO WHS site Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania, about which I wrote here.
About the stamp
The stamp belongs to the series The Constitution of Romania, Guarantor of the Romanian Citizens’ Rights, about which I wrote here.
References
Câlnic Citadel - Wikipedia
Citadel Câlnic, Mărginimea Sibiului - Direct Booking
Sender: Eugen Mihai
Sent From Bucharest (Romania), on 26.08.2019
Photo: Eugen Pescaru
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