Alba Iulia Tourism,Romania
One
of the most spectacular such fortresses is Alba Carolina – the largest citadel
in Romania, located in the city of Alba Iulia. The Alba Carolina fortress was
built between 1714 and 1738 and it is considered to be the most representative
of Vauban type in Europe. Alba Carolina Citadel is the crowning attraction of
Alba Iulia. Within this star-shaped citadel are museums, churches and the
Unification Hall that sealed the union of Transylvania with Romania in 1918.
Traveling to Romania with the best Romania Travel Agent will make your tour
more enjoyable and memorable.
About
Citadel of Alba Iulia
·
The fortress was designed by the Italian architect
Giovanni Morando Visconti, who worked under the supervision of the general
Stefan de Steinville and was later completed under General Weiss. Between the
18th and 19th centuries the fortress served as the military headquarters of
Transylvania and also as a general armament repository.
·
The perimeter of the outside walls is about
12 km. The fortification has seven bastions (Eugene of Savoia, St. Stefan, The
Trinity, St. Michael, St. Carol, St. Capistrano and St. Elisabeth) that make it
into a star-shaped, Vauban-style fortress. The largest bastion is the Trinity.
On the whole, the fortress stands out as the most important baroque
architectural ensemble in Romania and Europe.
·
Str Mihai Viteazul runs up from the lower
town to the first gate of the fortress, adorned with sculptures inspired by
Greek mythology. From here, a stone road leads to the third gate of the
fortress, dominated by a horseback statue of Carol VI of Austria.
·
If you’re short on time, focus on the
dazzling Coronation Cathedral and National Union Museum. Ideally, spend a full
day strolling museums, posing at grand gateways, and idling in cafes. The
citadel is free, but the museums carry entry charges.
·
A nearby 22.5m-high granite column, the
Uprising Memorial, was erected in 1937 to commemorate these events. It also
offers a superb panorama over the surrounding hills.
·
Just before you enter the third gate, a
footpath leads 500m south to out-of-sight Michael the Brave Church. The wooden
church, brought to Alba Iulia in 1992 from Maramureş, stands on the site of a
former Metropolitan cathedral built by Mihai Viteazul in 1597 and destroyed by
the Habsburgs in 1714.
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