Franciscan Church

About

The Franciscan Church in Brașov, Romania, is situated in the old town of Brașov at 7 Sf. Ioan street. It was built in Gothic style and underwent numerous changes during the Renaissance and later in the Baroque period. The church has been in the current form since 1711, hence the dominant Baroque style. It is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.

History: There is no official document to state the exact date when the church was built but it is believed that it was erected around 1450. The church was founded by the nuns of the Order of Saint Clare, or the Clarisses, and the first written record dates from 1486. In 1543, as in the case of many other monasteries in Transylvania, the Lutherans expelled the order from town, and the whole church as well as the monastery was emptied and used as a granary until 1644 when it was restored to its initial status and was used as a Lutheran place of worship. Along with the Austrian Royal Army, representatives of the Jesuit and Franciscan order made their entry to Brașov in 1686. In 1716 the Jesuit monks moved in but an extensive fire destroyed much of the edifice. In 1724 two generals in the Austrian army, Königsegg and Tige, contributed to...