Aerial photos of Transylvanian fortified churches on display at King Charles III’s house in Viscri

The King’s House in the famous Romanian village of Viscri, Brașov county, hosts a series of aerial photographs by Ionuț Macri titled “Flyover. 180 Saxon Fortified Churches in Transylvania.” The 180 photos will be on display until the end of October.

The project began during a research trip Macri took with illustrator and author Radu Oltean for his book Fortresses, Castles, and Other Fortifications in Romania.

“It was then that I realized the potential of this type of photography. When you’re standing next to a fortified church, at its base, you don’t see much, and you can only guess what it’s like, but as the drone gets higher, the picture starts to bloom and allows you to see it for real,” said Ionuț Macri.

Among the 180 photographs on display, visitors will recognize emblematic fortified churches such as those from Biertan, Viscri, and Hărman, but will also have the chance to discover lesser-known and nearly forgotten monuments like those from Măgheruș, Ormeniș or Seliștat.

Macri’s project continues with the ambition to capture all the fortified churches in Saxon and Szekler villages in Transylvania.

“What does ‘all’ mean? The answers vary, and I am still researching to find the closest one to the truth. I only know that the Saxons founded or colonized over 500 villages in Transylvania, of which more than 200 were fortified, while the Szekler villages have around 30 such monuments,” the photographer explained.

Many of the fortified churches in Transylvania are now in ruins due to neglect, as the communities that used to maintain them have vanished, while others are at risk of collapsing if not restored soon, the organizers noted. However, some churches have already been restored, and a few are currently undergoing renovations.

As part of this photographic endeavor, visitors to King Charles III’s house in Viscri can also learn about The Ambulance for Monuments initiative, launched in 2016 to save many endangered heritage buildings in Romania. Through a network of local organizations, emergency interventions are carried out by volunteers - experts, students, and craftsmen - with the support of the communities and local authorities. Each regional team uses a fully equipped mobile kit ready for rapid intervention.

The project has been consistently supported by The King’s Foundation (formerly The Prince’s Foundation), an organization founded and chaired by His Majesty King Charles III.

Since opening to the public in the summer of 2022, The King’s House has welcomed over 72,000 Romanian and foreign visitors. Most of the profit generated is being reinvested into the local community.