Bell

Bell (Romanian: Buia, Hungarian: Bólya / Alsóbólya / Felsőbólya / Nagybólya, Saxon: Bäll / Bell) is a village in Sibiu County, in Transylvania, Romania. It lies in the Kaltbach Valley, surrounded by broad uplands and forests.

In the second half of the 13th century, the Transylvanian Saxons arrived and settled the area. They were serfs for a long time, as the village was leased to feudal lords. Bell was known not only for agriculture and livestock farming but also for viticulture. Today the inhabitants are engaged exclusively in livestock farming and arable farming.

Several noble families owned this small settlement in succession. One of the most important was the Bolyai family, a Hungarian noble house of German origin with ancestral seat in Kerpen an der Erft, which was highly significant for the history of Transylvania. They built the well-known Bolyai Castle in Bell. At the beginning of the 16th century the castle and the village were donated to Wallachian Prince Michael the Brave by Sigismund Báthory as a token of their alliance. Today the castle is a ruin. In some places sections of the outer wall can still be seen.

At the end of the 17th century the commune joined the jurisdiction of the free Saxon royal lands.

On a hilltop stands the Evangelical church from the 15th century, dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The bell tower was built on the eastern side and, due to the sloping terrain, the church is oriented towards the south. All structural elements of the complex were adapted to the hillside setting.

Inside the church, curious visitors will find late-Gothic choir stalls, a Renaissance altar from 1561 that was repainted in the 19th century by Johann Binder, and a masonry pulpit. The altar is divided by four pilasters into three panels depicting the Crucified Christ, Mary, and John. (Source: M. Rill)

Author: Zîmța Andreea
Date: 12.04.2018

For photos from Bell, please click: Photos from Bell