Turnul cetății medievale Apața

The Water Fortress or the Black Fortress from Apața was built between 1342 and 1351 in order to defend the Bârsa Country against invasions, initially being subordinate to the Bran fortress. Starting with the year 1500, it became subordinate, from a fiscal and military point of view, to the city of Brașov.

Surrounded by a lake fed from the Olt River, the fortress was a refuge in difficult times for the inhabitants of the neighboring settlements and was repeatedly besieged, but could not be conquered.

The defense tower, preserved to this day, was surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Olt River and, on one side, by marshy land. Throughout its history, the fortress has withstood sieges, offering shelter to the inhabitants in times of hardship. On the tower of the fortress there is an inscription in Latin dated 1638, which mentions names of people, confirming the existence of a school at that time. Above the inscription, there is a fresco.

In 1804, the Brașov city council decided to build a "mansion" in Apața and sent craftsmen to demolish the fortress tower, intending to use the resulting material for the new construction. However, the locals objected and drove the craftsmen away, thus saving the tower.

Source: Brașovul memorial - Ștefan Petraru, Constantin Catrina (Ed. Sport-Turism 1976), pag. 85