Forkesch Tower in Mediaş

The Forkesch Tower in Mediaş

Located in the city of Mediaş, the Forkesch Tower is part of a vast category of towers which, in the past, were designed to identify the pillars and avoid any targeted attack on the locality. Being more of a defensive origin element, the Forkesch Tower still bears the name of the Aurar's Tower. A long time ago, this was an extremely important part of the fortification system of Mediaş, along with the other two towers that were doing their job at high rates.

Historical Significance

Looking into history, the Forkesch Tower in Mediaş was erected in the years 1494 and completed in 1534. As a strategic construct, it was positioned in the southern part of the old town. From a compositional point of view, the fortification is made from a fairly persistent combination, as even to this day the tower remained massive, almost untouched.

Unique Features

However, there are a number of elements that have in the past individualised it, but today they are no longer found inside it. Of them, we remember the famous watch that every hour ensures that every inhabitant of Mediaş knows the passage of time through a gong that beats hourly. Starting with the year 1880, it disappears, the construction remaining without a central piece of its entire structure.

Recent Events

Important to mention in this category is that a year ago, respectively in June of 2016, the Forkesch Tower in Mediaş was struck by lightning, along with a settlement in the village of Porumbacu de Sus. Following the incident, the tower was quite aggravated, as the upper (Coamele) and a number of tiles were no longer found on the roof, but on the ground, broken. Thus, the fortification was quite badly struck, and the municipality of Mediaş would quickly rehabilitate the Forkesch Tower.

Rehabilitation Efforts

To achieve this, the city has allocated 6 million euros, money received on the basis of a project in which they entered and rehabilitated over 7,000 square meters consisting of fortification walls and a number of four medieval towers. In addition to Forkesch, the other walls that benefited from this treatment were:

• The wall of the blacksmiths
• Pietruite Street
• The Archicunoshield Tower of Roarilor

Conclusion

Thanks to this treatment, today the Forkesch Tower can still be appreciated, admired and extremely well received, as any danger is well envisaged and assured that it will affect the life of any person who comes and visits, in good faith, the tower. Thus, on the next vacation, you will be able to enjoy a stop at the Forkesch Tower!