The picturesque fortified churches of Transylvania are quite known and their towers and fortifications are all over the internet and social media. But lately I’m very much drawn by details. Last weekend I happily report that I have added a new finding to my collection of sundials found on the fortified churches.
The sundials show the time by the shadow of a pointer cast by the sun on to a plate marked with the hours of the day.
Cincșor (Kleinschenk in German, Kissink in Hungarian)
Only the plate of a sundial is preserved on the fortification wall of the Evangelic Church in Cincșor. The ensemble was restored recently and the remains of the sundial were secured. It cannot tell the hour anymore, but surly looks great in the sundown!
Dipșa (Dürrbach in German, Dipse in Hungarian)
The former Evangelic church, nowadays Orthodox is famous for displaying a saw on the buttress. It is said that the animal discovered the treasure burried and lost by the ancestors of those who later built the church with that treasure. The animal recived an honoured seat. As the sundial laying next to it, on the neighboring buttress.
Reghin (Sächsisch Reen in German, Szászrégen in Hungarian)
The city Evangelic church in the small, but lovely town of Reghin has been repaired last year. Has many little and bigger things to be discovered and among those is the sundial, painted on the southern buttress in 1630 (the year appears above). The electrical conductors above are pretty new, don’t get fooled by their ancient appearance.
If I see any other sundials, rest assured, I will add them here. In the meanwhile, hunt them by yourself or just enjoy reading the book that has them all (almost): Sundials from Transylvania, Banat, Crișana and Maramureș. It’s the only publication on the topic that I know, so go for it.