Thematic Route: Cultural Heritage

Name of the Touristic Attraction: Gradeț Fortress

Location: in Godeanu Commune, Mehedinți County, at 29 km away Drobeta Turnu Severin. Godeanu Commune can be reached going on the road passing through Schitul Topolniţei, DC7, then on DC6B. Grădeţ Fortress is located on Grădeţ Hill, at the confluence of the Stilbiţa stream with Topolnita, in the north-west part of Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Nearby is the Clicevat stream.

Legend / Story / Impressions / Recommendations:  The history of the fortress is still uncertain, but the archaeologists have determined that the fortress dates back in the 13th century and functioned until the 14th century. It is believed that the fortress was built due to a aboriginal potentate, and later destroyed by the Mongol invasion of 1241. One of the legends relates to Luca’s name, the first Leader of Severin (Romanian „Ban de Severin”), which is said to have built the fortress around the year 1233. Another hypothesis states that the fortress was built at the end of the 14th century, but the only written source is a document dating back to 1430, of Severin Leader, which mentions the fortification as decommissioned. The fortress was built as an irregular polygon, stretching over an area of about 1,000 square meters. The walls had a thickness of more than 2 meters and were built of boulders of shale, connected between them with mortar. The irregular shape of the boulders from which the city was built, as well as their neglected arangement, denotes the fact that the fortification was built in a hurry due to stringent defense needs. The gate on the south is surrounded by thick walls about 3 m, some of which meanwhile, have been destroyed. The fortress originally had two defense towers. The one on the north side of the fortification had two floors and was half-circular. The other was located right in the middle of the fortress and was built of stone blocks. The history of the Grădeţ Fortress is surrounded in mystery. Even with no exact dates to testify when exactly it was built, this fortification and its ruins are proof of some forms of medieval civilization of European type.

Information and Contact:

The fortress is located on the administrative territory of Godeanu Commune:

City-Hall: phone: +40252 388 540, website: http://www.comunagodeanu.ro

Route close to other Thematic Route:

In the commune you can also visit:

1. „St. Demetrius” Church, historical monument, in Godeanu Commune
2. The wooden church „St Voivodes” , in Godeanu Commune
3. The wooden house „Elena Groescu”, in comuna Godeanu
4. „St. Nicholas” Church, in Godeanu Commune
5. „St. Dimitrios” Church, in Păunești Village

In the area you cand also visit:

1. Prosac Cave
2. Schitul Topolniței Monastery

Other useful information:

Accommodation:

„Vila Cerbul” Pension, phone: +4 0726 415 587

GPS Coordinates: lat, long: 44.7567791, 22.6271405, elevation: 278 m