Haţeg, located in the south-west corner of Transilvania, near the old Roman capital of Dacia, holds a big density of highly valued historical monuments. Haţeg's fortress is one of them, found in the most northern point of the depression, between Râul Mare and Strei's riverbank.
The fortress lays right there, on a 490 metres hill, which marks the depression's entrance near the Subcetate village. The access is gained through the top of the hills coming from the direction of the Haţeg city. Once at Subcetate, a rough path leads the way towards the fortress.
That's how Adrian Andrei Rusu describes Haţeg's fortress in his work called "Subcetate". It was once a history and archaeologic monograph, published in "Sargetia".
Haţeg's royal fortress was designed to be a military, surveillance, political, control and signalling fortification. It was the symbol of the Hungarian royal family power over a Romanian area. Unfortunately, only a part of the donjon still stands until this day. It has almost 11 metres, being separated in 3 or 4 levels in its old days.
A reason to go hiking for
The path towards the fortress starts at the “Zimbrul” halt, located right at Haţeg’s entrance, through the woods. A small part of it can be traversed by car, after which you’ll have to go on foot. The trail is 3 kilometres long with lots of steep paths. Lots of locals do not know where the fortress is or how to get to it. However, over the last few years, the fortress started to be more noticeable because of the cross that is yearly organized, named The Royal Haţeg Fortress Cross.
A donjon tower with a defence canal
The 13th-century tower was a donjon fortification with a defence canal taking the form of a horseshoe. The western side was not fortified as it leads to a 200 metres chasm. The fortress was certified in 1317, by a Haţeg castellan.
According to historians, the donjon was 3 meters thick. It was built from stone and bricks used from old Roman antique buildings. The chalk was used by melting pieces of marble while the sand and gravel were brought from the riverbanks in the area. The digging between 1978 and 1982 revealed a 5-metre-diameter stone cistern, the charred traces of a few wooden constructions, the trace of glass or an oven, next to which a river stone pavement was built. Ceramic shards, wild animal bones, arrowheads, horseshoes, saddle stairs, nails and locks complete the variety of things found here.
Surveillance and control point
Built at 490 metres high, the donjon had a view to everything in the area, including the old Roman road. In certain days, Hunedoara could also be seen from here. According to historians, the economic role of the fortress was to recover taxes and collect gold found in the rivers in the nearby area. It is also said that the fortress was used as a place to lock criminals up.
In 1420, a Turkish army attacks the fortress and conquers it, destroying it as well. If you ever get to visit it, you will enjoy a walk through the hills of Haţeg as well as the great view that it offers.
The fortress was given the royal status because it was built by one of the Hungarian kings. It also sheltered royal troops and thus showing the Hungarian power over the neighbouring feudal structures.
In 1902, Téglás Gábor would establish the fortress' membership to the Cândeştilor din Râu de Mori patrimony. According to historian Adrian Andrei Rusu (www.cetati.medievistica.ro) the archaeological researches started in 1978 brought up the medieval ceramic.
Excavations were executed between 1980 and 1982, with the support of the County Museum of History in Deva. The archaeological research has shown that the habitation was sporadic but varied. Archaeologists have found traces of the Coţofeni culture and the Hallst era. There were also discovered many Dacian fragments along with Roman objects
Foto Geoparcul Internațional U N E S C O Țara Hațegului
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