In Romania, if you go from Brasov to Sibiu, on E68, after passing the town Arpasu de Jos, go right to Cârţa and go further five more km, to visit a beautiful Cistercian monastery, dating (according to some sources) since 1202-1205.
The exact date, but also the monastery’s founder, remains somehow in the tenements of history. It should be mentioned that at the end of the 13th century, under the vast influence of the monastery was founded the village of Cârţa (initially called Cârţa Săsească), populated with Saxons. It seems that “responsible” for the erection of the monastery in Cârţa were Cistercian monks from France (order opposite the Benedictine faction), who gave it a cross shape. The Cistercians were humble monks living in poverty and chastity and had a lot of qualities, among them being the ability to build outstanding architectural works for those times. In February 1474, King Matei Corvin would close the monastery, which became a ruin after the Ottoman invasion and after the decline of the Cistercian order.
The monastery was initially built of wood, after which, over the years, the stone constructions appeared: the small chapel, the massive walls, and the main body of the settlement. After the Mongolian invasion in 1241, a new architect gave the monastery mature gothic forms. The church and the eastern wing were built by the end of the century, continuing with the southern wing.
When visiting, ask for the key of Cârța Monastery
Visiting the monastery is a delight of the soul, especially if you are lucky to do it on a beautiful summer day. If you do not find the gate open, do not despair: go to number 110 and ask for the key, which you will receive in exchange for an entry ticket costing 3 lei. The family in charge of the monastery will serve you with pleasure and will provide all the information you ask for. Most of the sanctuary is in ruins: they kept the church (it was restored), a symbolic tower at the entrance, and some walls.
Currently, the monastery belongs to the evangelical parish in Cârţa. A very well-told and beautiful story about Cistercian monks and the establishment of the monastery, you find here.
In Cârţa, the current priest and the previous one honestly say strange things happen. Now the priest, Michael Reger, even said in an interview: “I can’t say that if I don’t understand certain things, they don’t exist!”, and the predecessor told his replacement that he saw with his own eyes how in the ground floor rooms and cellars, sometimes the chairs move, the walls tremble, although there are massive walls made almost a millennium ago. The former priest was convinced that there are ghosts here, and the current priest does not contradict him, knowing that you can find human bones at every step in the monastery’s courtyard if you dig. (source: mysteriousromania.com)
