Monastery of Cârţa

the monastery of Cârţa is an old monastery cistercian being located in the area of Ţara Făgăraşului, in Transylvania southernmost, Romania, currently converted into church Lutheran pertaining to the local community of Saxons of Transylvania. It is located on left bank of L Olt, between the cities of Sibiu and Făgăraş, near the villages of Cârţa (in German: Kerz , in Hungarian: Kerc ) and of Cârţişoara (in German: Kleinkerz ). The monastery was founded in 1205-1206 by the king André II of Hungary, and was abandoned the February 27th 1474 per order of the king Matthias Ier of Hungary. The monastery cistercian had an important role in the policy, the economy and the cultural history of the medieval Transylvania, it introduced and helped with the development of the Gothic architecture in the area.

History of the Monastery

The exact date of the foundation of the Monastery of Cârţa (Latin: monasterium beatae Mariae virginis in Candelis de Kerch ) remains dubious. A found document with Constancy, dating from the April 17th 1418, promulgated by Sigismond Ier of the Holy roman Empire noting vaguely that the monastery was founded, built, and that rights and preferences were granted to him by its predecessors. The statute of royal establishment is also mentioned in the act of dissolution of the monastery dating from the February 27th 1474, and was promulgated ex auctoritate juris patronatus regii by Matthias Ier of Hungary. The documents cistercians of XIIIe in XVe century produced and analyzed by Ludwig Janauschek mention year 1202-1203 like that of foundation of the monastery.

The best approximation of the date of foundation of the monastery comes from a document of the royal chancellery of Hungary going back to 1223. This document establishes that the territory on which the monastery is built - delimited in north by the Olt and by its affluents: the Arpaşu in the east, the Cârţişoara in the west as well as the Mounts Făgăraş in north - was granted by King André II of Hungary, for the blessing of its heart, via the Voïvode of Transylvania Benedict (pro remedio animae nostre per fidelem ac dilectum nostrum Benedictum tunc temporis vaivodam assignari facientes). It is certain that Benedict was Voïvode of Transylvania between 1202 and 1206 as well as 1208 to 1209. That means that the exact date of foundation must range between 1202 and 1209. In addition to this document, the general chapter of the order cistercian tonic at 1206, makes it possible to specify the date of foundation. This last mentions the presence of monks cistercians of Transylvania, most probably of the monastery of Cârţa (abbas ultra Sylvas in Hungaria, filius abbatis of Egris), within the abbey of Cîteaux, the mother abbey of the order cistercian, in Burgundy.

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