 |  |
  |
 The fortified church at Viscri was built at the site of a smaller chapel in the early 12th century. Over time, the church was expanded and fortified to protect the village against attacks from outsiders. The towers and church courtyard surrounded by two layers of walls provided room for storage of provisions for the village families. At the threat of attack, the alarm was sounded and villagers had a limited amount of time to gather a couple of their most important valuables and then run to the church for protection. The spread of Lutheranism during the Reformation saw the Saxons converting to the new religion, and in due course whitewashing over many of the murals and removing altars and icons of the previous religion. Despite this, many fine examples of altars, carvings and other relics have survived not only in Viscri but at the numerous fortified churches throughout the region. The fortified church at Biertan is an excellent example of a larger church. Services are still held at Viscri (whose German name is Weisskirch) twice a month, with services being led by an itinerant Lutheran pastor who settled in the region from Germany. |