Citadel Rupea: Soul and Divinity
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Saturday, June 15th 2013, Citadel Rupea, Braşov county, was inaugurated with great pomp, after having entered a process of rehabilitation and extension of the tourist infrastructure, with EU non-reimbursable funds. The drummer form Sighisoara announced everybody that "a great celebration will take place here". The inaugural ribbon was cut, the guests were welcomed with bread and salt, the inhabitants from Rupea danced wearing festive costumes, and a young "medieval woman" invited the public to enter the Citadel. The walls glowed as in the old days and the Citadel emanated light, rebuilt as a queen, ready to reach the souls of the people.
An inner retreat of man
Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant said about this historical jewel: "The Citadel, the Borough is almost universally the symbol of man?s inner retreat, of the bottom of the heart, the symbol of the place where privileged communication is done between the man?s soul and Divinity ". Now, these truths were felt by all those who entered the Citadel, a great contribution having the presence of mime characters ? human statues, dressed in specific costumes, who did not even blink when tourists approached. The inner yard has become small, each tourist trying to record the moment. From the top of the citadel, the public?s view looked over the town at the bottom of the old times rock, the same which gave the name of the Citadel, but also to town Rupea (reps means rock).
Cohalm Citadel
Citadel Rupea is also known as Citadel of Cohalm, a historical monument given back to the community in 1420, as initially it was a royal castrum. It has towers, bulwarks and guard roads and it was used both for fortification purposes, and as a refuge for the population of the villages in the surroundings. It resisted in front of the repeated sieges. The steps of the tourist, once he/she reaches here, can visit the towers, the chapel with religious character, the little houses, the fountain with the equipment for taking water out, the military store room and the Gate of the Middle Citadel. The entire assembly of Transylvanian military architecture, located on the hill of Cohalm, where the roads connected Transylvania, Moldavia and Tara Romaneasca crossed, remains a unique jewel glowing on the ancient rock.
Fees
"This project is a great achievement not only for town Rupea, but for the entire area. By rehabilitating the Citadel, the old towers, the access roads and by building parking areas for cars and buses, the investment will attract very many tourists and it will be reintroduced in the tourist circuit. The entrance fee is 10 lei/adult, 5 lei/child and 8 lei/person for groups. It is open for the public between 10 ? 8 p.m," declared Mr. Flavius Dumitrescu, the Mayor of town Rupea.
