Deva Fortress

Deva Fortress – one of the most important medieval fortresses in Transylvania

Deva Fortress is considered one of the most important medieval fortifications in Transylvania. Over the centuries, it has been ruled by rulers, princes, counts and duchies. It has been given away, sold and even bombarded. Each ruler left his mark – an extra defence wall, a new room, a grand ballroom or even a whole extra floor. They wanted it to serve not just as a defensive structure or occasional meeting place, but also as a luxurious residence.

Today, its ruins are visible from a distance, thanks to its strategic position on a hill overlooking the Mures Valley and the main artery linking Romania with central and western Europe. The fortress was built in the 13th century, but traces of habitation go back much further, with finds dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The first documentary mention of Deva dates back to 1269.

Legends about fairies and golden-haired maidens – inevitably sisters – who ruled the most beautiful places in Hunedoara county also surround Deva Citadel. But these tales belong to a distant past, told by grandparents to their grandchildren on winter nights by the fireside.

Tangible evidence of settlement on the hill dates back to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Later, the Dacians certainly had defensive fortifications here, along with a vantage point offering panoramic views over the Mures Valley, part of the Streiului Valley and the Waldensian Forest.

The Roman conquerors recognised its potential and reinforced the hilltop fortifications. This came as no surprise, as the trade route linking the empire – known as the ‘salt road’ – ran right through the foothills. The Mures basin flourished economically during this period.

Waves of migrating peoples destroying everything in their path pushed the inhabitants to safer places, and the fate of Deva remained unknown – until the second half of the 13th century. In 1269, the fortress of Deva appears in a donation document issued by the young king Stephen, son of Béla IV, who grants it to a Wallachian count for his valour in the battle beneath the walls. Later, in 1444, Ioan Hunyadi took possession of Deva Citadel and its riches: 56 villages and gold mines. During his time, the city of Deva at the foot of the hill was mentioned for the first time in written documents. The reign of the Corvin family over the fortress and its domain ended in 1504.

From then on, Deva Fortress played a key role in the history of Transylvania. Transylvanian rulers and princes lived here or were guests for short stays.

In the second half of the 17th century, Prince Gabriel Bethlen built a bastion inside the fortress which served as a prison and torture chamber. At its base, he built a Renaissance-style residential palace: the Magna Curia Palace.

On 2 May 1773, Joseph, the future Habsburg emperor, visited Deva Fortress during his travels through Transylvania. Ten years later he returned as sovereign to assess the situation and gauge the mood of the locals.

A year later, in 1784, the uprising led by Horea, Cloșca and Crișan broke out and Deva Citadel became a refuge for nobles who were leaving their estates in fear of the rebelling peasants and miners. Fierce battles took place between the imperial garrison and the insurgents.

Around 1817, Emperor Francis I and his wife, impressed by the beauty of the fortress during their visit to Transylvania, ordered its restoration. The work lasted 12 years and was carried out at great expense and with many sacrifices on the part of the locals.

But on the morning of 13 August 1849, a massive explosion in the gunpowder magazine destroyed a large part of the fortress. Along with parts of the walls, the revolutionary soldiers guarding it perished.

Since then, the fortress has become a magnet for locals and travellers who ascend the hill on foot – either on the old road or local trails – or, for a fee, by cable car (a single-cable lift unique in this part of Europe).

Deva Citadel is currently undergoing extensive restoration as part of an EU-funded project due to be completed in early 2015.