[EN] Merghindeal. In the old documents the settlement is called Maria’s Valley (Marienthal); legend has it that Maria was a young woman who set up the village together with a group of Saxon colonists.
As soon as they got here, around the year 1260, the Saxons built a three nave basilica with a belfry and a tribune facing the central nave for the chief of town. However, to defend themselves from the constant attacks of the Turks, in 1500 they fortified the church by adding a precinct wall and some defence towers. Under the church floor there is a well which was used to supply water to the locals withdrawn inside the church during the invasions. At first the baroque altar had seven sculpted statues; only one of them is left today, the one representing Jesus Christ. In the tower there are three bells, the biggest seemingly built in the 15th century and bearing an inscription with capital letters.
[RO] Merghindeal (în dialectul săsesc Märjeln, în germană Mergenthal, Märgeln, Marienthal, în trad. "Valea Mariei", colocvial Mergeln, în maghiară Morgonda) este un sat în judeţul Sibiu, Transilvania.
Biserica a fost construită în a doua jumătate a secolului al 13-lea. Clopotniţa bisericii este izolată de corpul bazilical, ea fiind localizată în turnul masiv situat în partea de vest a lăcaşului de cult. Privind monumentul din partea dinspre sud, aspectul exterior se prezintă sub forma unei bazilici, în partea de nord având aspectul schimbat din cauza modificărilor la care a fost supusa construcţia.
În nava colaterală sudică, pe peretele de est se poate citi incripția:
„Anno 1600 ist dieses Gotteshaus von Michael Waida verwustet. Anno 1773 eine vollige neue Verbesserung. Glucklich collendet und anno 1803 Stockatiert woeden."
For visiting - Contact:
The keys are with Mr. Marius Subţirel, address: Merghindeal, nr. 218