Alba Iulia Fortress
Historic fortress in Alba Iulia, Romania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Alba Carolina Citadel (Romanian: Cetatea Alba Carolina, Hungarian: Gyulafehérvári vár) is a star fortess located in the center of Alba Iulia, Romania.[4][5][6][7][8] Its construction commenced on 4 November 1715, during the Habsburg rule in Transylvania, and was completed in 1738. 20,000 serfs were involved in its construction, which is estimated to have cost around 3 million florins. The citadel was built on the site of two other fortifications: the legionary fortress of Legio XIII Gemina (known as Apulum), as well as the medieval Belgrad citadel.[9]
| Alba Carolina Citadel | |
|---|---|
Cetatea Alba Carolina | |
| Alba Iulia in Romania | |
Aerial shot of the fortress taken in 2007 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Fortress |
Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Restored[1][2][3] |
| Location | |
  Alba Carolina Citadel Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates | 46.06751°N 23.57124°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1715–1738 |
| Architect | Giovanno Morando Visconti |
Restoration
The shape of the citadel, an iconic element of Vauban architecture, influenced the design of Alba Iulia's city logo when the city adopted city branding in 2014.[8] The city received 47.5 million lei in 2009 for the restoration and conservation of the citadel.[10]
Name
The citadel is named after Charles VI, known as Carol VI in Romanian, who was the Holy Roman Emperor at the time of the citadel's construction.
