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((Short description|Church built to serve a defensive role in times of war))
((more citations needed|date=June 2020))

A '''fortified church''' is a church that is built to serve a defensive role in times of war. Such [[church (building)|churches]] were specially designed to incorporate military features, such as thick walls, [[battlement]]s, and [[embrasure]]s. Others, such as the [[Ávila Cathedral]] were incorporated into the town wall. Monastic communities, such as [[Solovki Monastery]], are often surrounded by a wall, and some churches, such as [[Fortified Church of St. Arbogast|St. Arbogast]] in [[Muttenz]], [[Switzerland]], have an outer wall as well. Churches with additional external defences such as [[curtain wall (fortification)|curtain walls]] and [[Fortified tower|wall towers]] are often referred to more specifically as [[fortress church]]es or ''Kirchenburgen'' (literally "church castles").

Most fortified churches may be found in parts of Europe ((clarify span|In times were there was much hand-to-hand warfare,|date=June 2020)) for example in the [[Dordogne]] region of [[France]], fought over by [[France]] and [[England]] in medieval times, and in [[Transylvania]], during the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] invasions.((citation needed|date=June 2020)) Fortified churches were also built in places controlled by [[colonial empire]]s, such as one in the Philippines at the scene of the [[siege of Baler]].((citation needed|date=June 2020))

==Belarus==
Although many fortified churches in various styles existed in the lands of [[Belarus]], only a handful survived until the present. The most famous include Christian Orthodox churches in [[Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Muravanka|Muravanka]], and [[Church of St. Michael, Synkavichy|Synkavichy]], as well as Catholic fortified churches in [[Church of Saint John the Baptist, Kamai|Kamai]] and Ishkold'. In addition to Christian churches Belarus also has the ruins of several [[Fortress synagogue|fortified synagogues]], of which the Chief Synagogue in [[Bykhaw]] is most notable.<ref>((in lang|ru)) [http://globus.tut.by/type_tn_oboron.htm List of fortified churches in Belarus]</ref>

==France==
[[File:Notre Dame de la Mer 01.jpg|thumb|[[Church of the Saintes Maries de la Mer]]]]
((expand section|date=January 2021))
About 65<ref>((cite book |language = fr | title = Les Églises fortifiées de la Thiérache'' - Guide de découvertes ((!)) Sites de Mémoire, balades et circuits - Coll. ''Guide Pays côté Histoire | publisher = Chamina | year = 2006 | isbn=2-84466-110-6))</ref> fortified churches are found in the [[Thiérache]] region of northern France, near the Belgian border. They were built here because it was a major land passage on the border between [[Champagne (province)|Champagne]] and [[Picardy]].<ref>((Cite web |title=Architecture in France: the churches of the north east |url=https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/Practical/Property/the-history-of-the-architecture-of-french-fortified-churches |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=www.connexionfrance.com))</ref> As a result, the area was frequently under attack.

==Germany==
Several fortified churches have been preserved, especially in the German states of [[Baden-Württemberg]], [[Bayern|Bavaria]] and [[Hessen|Hesse]]. Examples are the churches of Kleinbreitenbach in [[Plaue]], [[Kößlarn]], [[Grafengehaig]], [[Großrückerswalde]], [[Großhartmannsdorf|Mittelsaida]], [[Erlangen|Büchenbach/Erlangen]], [[Erlangen|Kriegenbrunn/Erlangen]], [[Künzelsau|Morsbach/Künzelsau]], [[Arnstadt|Espendfeld/Arnstadt]], [[Finkenbach-Gersweiler]], ''St. Wolfgang'' in [[Rothenburg ob der Tauber|Rothenburg]], and the fortified church of [[Wenkbach]].

==Ireland==

Several fortified churches survive from the medieval period, including [[Hospital Church]] ([[Knights Hospitaller]]), [[Taghmon Church]], [[Old St. Mary's Church, Clonmel]] and [[St Finian's Church, Newcastle]].

==Poland==
A rare surviving example of a fortress church used for defensive purposes is the [[St. Andrew's Church, Kraków|Church of St. Andrew]] in [[Kraków]], one of the oldest and best preserved [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] buildings in [[Poland]]. Located at ul. Grodzka street, it was built by a medieval [[Polish people|Polish]] statesman [[Voivode|Palatine]] [[Sieciech]] in 1079–1098. St. Andrew was the only [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] church in Kraków to withstand [[First Mongol invasion of Poland|the Mongol attack]] of 1241.

==Portugal==
Some medieval fortified churches, monasteries, and cathedrals survive in Portugal. These buildings were built either in [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] or [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] styles. Romanesque examples are the [[Lisbon Cathedral]] and the [[Old Cathedral of Coimbra]]. Gothic examples are the Church of Leça do Balio and the [[Guarda Cathedral]].

==Romania==
((see also|List of fortified churches in Transylvania))
The southeastern [[Transylvania]] region in [[Romania]] has among the highest numbers of existing fortified churches from the 13th to 16th centuries.<ref name=unesco>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/596 Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania.] UNESCO World Heritage Centre 1992-2010</ref> More than 150 villages in the area count various types of fortified churches, seven of them being included in the UNESCO [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage]] under the name of ''[[Fortified churches in Transylvania|Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania]]''.

== Russia ==
Medieval limestone churches of Russia sometimes resembled towers and could be used for defensive purposes.<ref>((Cite web|url=http://rusarch.ru/zagraevsky33.htm|title = РусАрх - Заграевский С.В. К вопросу о древнерусских оборонных монастырях и храмах))</ref> At least three churches in the Moscow and Tver regions have been described as purpose-built defensive structures: namely, [[Kamenskoye Church]], [[Gorodishche Church]], and [[Gorodnya Church]].<ref>[[Sergey Zagrayevsky|Заграевский С.В.]] Зодчество Северо-Восточной Руси конца XIII–первой трети XIV века. М., 2003. С. 51.</ref>

== Slovenia ==
During the [[Ottoman-Habsburg Wars]] from the late 15th to the late 17th century, the [[Slovene Lands]] were subjected to constant [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] raids, which reached their peak in the late 15th and early 16th century. During that period, around 300 village churches were fortified in the territory of present-day [[Slovenia]], with another 50 in the neighboring area of southern [[Carinthia]].<ref>Drago Bajt & Marko Vidic, eds., ''Slovenski zgodovinski atlas'' (Ljubljana, 2011), p. 95</ref>

They were known as ''tabors'' (which in modern [[Slovene language|Slovene]] means "camp"). A dozen of such churches remain today, the most famous of which are the [[Holy Trinity Church (Hrastovlje)|Holy Trinity Church in Hrastovlje]], [[Mount Saint Mary]] near [[Ljubljana]], and [[Podbrezje]] in [[Upper Carniola]].

In some cases, entire villages were fortified. Remaining examples are [[Šmartno, Brda|Šmartno]] in the [[Gorizia Hills]], and [[Štanjel]].

== Ukraine ==
In Ukraine fortified churches were mostly constructed in a time period between the late 14th and the late 17th century in the [[Western Ukraine|western]] and [[Central Ukraine|central]] parts of modern Ukraine, most notably [[Galicia (Eastern Europe)|Galicia]]<ref>((Cite web|url=http://irbis-nbuv.gov.ua/cgi-bin/irbis_nbuv/cgiirbis_64.exe?C21COM=2&I21DBN=UJRN&P21DBN=UJRN&IMAGE_FILE_DOWNLOAD=1&Image_file_name=PDF/VNULPARX_2015_836_27.pdf|title=ОСОБЛИВОСТІ АРХІТЕКТУРНО-ПРОСТОРОВОГО ВИРІШЕННЯ ОБОРОННИХ ХРАМІВ ГАЛИЧИНИ|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|language=|accessdate=|archive-date=29 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010730/http://irbis-nbuv.gov.ua/cgi-bin/irbis_nbuv/cgiirbis_64.exe?C21COM=2&I21DBN=UJRN&P21DBN=UJRN&IMAGE_FILE_DOWNLOAD=1&Image_file_name=PDF%2FVNULPARX_2015_836_27.pdf))</ref> and [[Dnieper Ukraine]].<ref>((Cite web|title=Колекція найгарніших церков України ((!)) Андрій Бондаренко - подорожі Україною і світом|url=http://andy-travel.com.ua/kolekciya-naygarnishih-cerkov-ukrayini|website=andy-travel.com.ua|accessdate=2019-01-28|archive-date=29 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010557/http://andy-travel.com.ua/kolekciya-naygarnishih-cerkov-ukrayini))</ref> Some of this churches were constructed atop of existing fortifications and were extensively modified in later years, sometimes loosing their sturdy appearance.

[[File:Church of the Protection of the Theotokos, Sutkivci.jpg|thumb|240px|Church of the [[Intercession of the Theotokos|Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos]] in the village of Sutkivci]]

==United Kingdom==
[[File: Yett at St Cuthbert's Church Great Salkeld.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Yett]] or iron-barred door at St Cuthbert's Church in [[Great Salkeld]], Cumbria, guarding access to the tower.]]
There are several medieval fortified churches near the [[Anglo-Scottish border]], where defence was an important consideration until the 17th century, when England and Scotland were united in [[personal union]] under King [[James VI and I]]. [[All Saints' Church, Boltongate]] in [[Cumbria]] is a fortified church with a  fireproof stone-vaulted roof. Also in Cumbria, [[St Michael's Church, Burgh by Sands]] has a defensive tower, and originally had two. The west tower retains its [[yett]], a door made of interlocking iron bars to repel attackers. An even more formidable yett can be seen at St Cuthbert's Church, [[Great Salkeld]], where the ground floor of the tower is tunnel-vaulted, and supports a fireplace above, enabling the tower to be habitable as a place of refuge. The tower of St John the Baptist's Church in [[Newton Arlosh]] is also tunnel-vaulted with very small windows, and has no outer doorway to the churchyard. Entry was inside at first-floor level.

Defensive towers can also be found on the [[England–Wales border]], for instance St Michael's Church, in [[Garway]], Herefordshire.<ref>[http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pardos/Resources/Herefs4.jpg Resources, www.users.globalnet.co.uk]</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed heights=140px>
File:St. Arbogast 2.jpg|Fortified church in [[Muttenz]], [[Switzerland]]
File:Hrastovlie-Cerkev.jpg|[[Holy Trinity Church (Hrastovlje)|Holy Trinity Church]] in [[Hrastovlje]], [[Slovenia]]
File:Fort eglise rudelle.jpg|Castle-church of [[Rudelle]], [[France]]
File:Krakow kosciol 20071229 1246.jpg|[[St. Andrew's Church, Kraków|St. Andrew's Church]], [[Kraków]], [[Poland]]
File:Boltongate Church - geograph.org.uk - 65430.jpg|[[All Saints Church, Boltongate]], England, with defensive [[parapet]]
File:St angel eglise.jpg|Fortified church in [[Saint-Angel, Corrèze]], France.
File:Prejmer Fortified Church I.jpg|[[Prejmer fortified church]], [[Romania]]
File:Biertan church with protecting walls.jpg|[[Biertan fortified church]], Romania
File:Mosna Fortified Church - side view.jpg|[[Moșna, Sibiu|Moşna]] fortified church, Romania
File:Dealu Frumos Fortified Church I.jpg|[[Merghindeal|Dealu Frumos]] fortified church, Romania
File:Østerlars Church, Bornholm.jpg|[[Østerlars Church]] in [[Bornholm]], [[Denmark]]
File:Solna kyrka 2012.jpg|[[Solna Church]] close to [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]]
File:Munso kyrka 02.JPG|[[Munsö Church]], [[Sweden]]
File:Grafengehaig Kirche 3.JPG|Fortified Church of [[Grafengehaig]], [[Bavaria]]
File:Eglise_fortifiee_Prejmer_cour.jpg|Courtyard of the fortified church of [[Prejmer]], Romania
File:Murovanka_Church_1.jpg|[[Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Muravanka|Fortified church in Muravanka]], Belarus
File:Сынковичи_Церковь_Святого_Михаила_02.jpg|[[Church of St. Michael, Synkavichy|Fortified church in Synkovichi]], Belarus
File:Mosteiro Leca Balio (Matosinhos).jpg|Fortified church of Leça do Balio, [[Portugal]]
File:Se de Lisboa Frente.JPG|Fortified [[Lisbon Cathedral]], Portugal
File:Coimbra Old Cathedral - Sé Velha de Coimbra.jpg|Fortified [[Old Cathedral of Coimbra]], Portugal
File:Morsbach Wehrkirche St. Alban und St. Wendelin 01.jpg|The fortified church of St. Alban and St. Wendelin, Germany
File:Kirche Kleinbreitenbach.JPG|Fortified church in Kleinbreitenbach, Germany
File:Flor da Rosa.jpg|Flor da Rosa fortified church, Portugal
File:Baler, Aurora - Saint Louis Church.jpg|Fortified church of St. Louis in [[Baler, Aurora|Baler]], [[Philippines]].
File:St. Munnas Church Taghmon County Westmeath.JPG|[[Taghmon Church]], Ireland
File:Northwestthaddes.jpg|[[Monastery of Saint Thaddeus]], Iran
File:Tranebjerg kirkeC3Turm.jpg|Tranebjerg church, fortified church tower, Denmark
</gallery>

==See also==
((Commons category|Fortified churches))
* [[Saint Catherine's Monastery]]
* [[Tangyud Monastery]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130223011637/http://www.videoguide.ro/en/tourist-attractions/churches/ Video Fortified churches in Transylvania]

==Notes and references==
((Reflist))

((Fortifications))
((Authority control))

[[Category:Fortified church buildings| ]]
[[Category:Types of church buildings]]

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