Brașov Council Square (Piața Sfatului)

Panorama of the square.

Square at night

The square is around number 1 in this map of 17th-century Brașov.

The square in 1910.

The Brașov Council Square (Piața Sfatului in Romanian, former Marktplatz in German) obtained its right to hold markets in 1520, but it has been the place for annual markets since 1364, being visited by merchants from the country and abroad. The houses surrounding the square speak of a rich history. A pillory, in the middle of the square, was used as a means for public humiliation, punishment and scorn. Witches were also punished here, but the head of the shoemaker guild, Stefan Stenert, who opposed the entry of the Austrian army into Brașov, was also beheaded here in 1688. Till 1892 there were two wells in the square. The most important building in the square is the Council House, which was built in 1420 and is located in the middle of the square.

The Old Town, including the Black Church and main square or Council Square (Piața Sfatului), features medieval buildings in different architectural styles. Around the main square you can find the picturesque pedestrian-only Republicii street, the Black Church, former Council House, indoor and outdoor terraces and restaurants, the Orthodox Cathedral, Mureșan's House, the Hirscher House, the Strada Sforii and more. On Tâmpa Hill, located on the southern side of the city, there was a citadel called Brassovia, and the remains can be seen there today, along with the Weavers tower and the cable car station going up to the top of Mount Tâmpa.

A local tradition holds that the children that the Pied Piper of Hamelin (Germany) sent underground appeared near this Brașov square.^[1]

In communist times, the Council Square was named "Piața 23 August" (23 August Square).

References

1. The Rough Guide to Romania, Tim Burford, Norm Longley, Thomas Brown, Rough Guides, October 2004, ISBN 1-84353-326-X, page 146