Valea Viilor fortified church
| Valea Viilor Fortified Church Biserica fortificată din Valea Viilor |
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Valea Viilor, Romania |
| Geographic coordinates | 46°05′00″N 24°16′37″E / 46.083200°N 24.277055°ECoordinates: 46°05′00″N 24°16′37″E / 46.083200°N 24.277055°E |
| Affiliation | Lutheran |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Fortified church |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Groundbreaking | 14th century |
| Completed | 16th century |
| Official name: Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iv |
| Designated | 1993 (17th session) 1999 (23rd session – Extension) |
| Reference no. | 596 |
| State Party | Romania |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Type | architectural |
| Reference no. | LMI Code: SB-II-a-A-12582 (RAN Code: 145970.01) |
The Valea Viilor fortified church (Romanian: Biserica fortificată din Valea Viilor; German: Kirchenburg von Wurmloch) is a Lutheran fortified church in Valea Viilor (Wurmloch), Sibiu County, in the Transylvania region of Romania. It was built by the ethnic German Transylvanian Saxon community at a time when the area belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary. Initially Roman Catholic, it became Lutheran following the Reformation. Together with the surrounding village, the church forms part of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There is evidence to suggest that an earlier Romanesque church existed in the village, as remnants could formerly be seen beneath the floor of the sacristy. This building is believed to have been 10 m long, less than half the length of the present church. The latter, in Gothic style and dedicated to Saint Peter, was begun in the 14th century. The small nave has a vaulted ceiling with a complex network of ribs, which rest on seven pairs of poles attached to the walls. The choir has a ceiling of the same type. Built in 1528, the pulpit was produced in a period of transition from Gothic to Renaissance.
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