A MEDIEVAL HIDING PLACE IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF GHIMBAV (JUD. BRAȘOV)
During the dendrochronological research of the roof structure of the Evangelical Church in Vidombák, we discovered a wall niche in the northern wall of the nave. The niche, nearly 2 meters long and 40–60 cm high, was once lined with wooden planks and had a vaulted top. The reused shingles remaining in the vault date back to the 14th century, and the planks were made from trees felled around 1400. However, based on the beams used during construction, the nave wall itself was likely built in 1474. It is presumed that the church’s valuables were stored in this niche, which could probably be accessed from a gallery in the nave by removing a stone. Notably, the shingles built into this niche are the oldest preserved and precisely dated shingles in Transylvania/Romania!
