Transformations of Mediaeval Churches in the Baroque Era in Székely Land, in the Historic Seats of Ciuc, Gheorgheni and Odorhei

The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the transformations of mediaeval churches in the Baroque era in the historic seats of Ciuc, Gheorgheni and Odorhei. The paper relies mostly on the recent findings of archaeology, dendrochronology, building archaeology and art history analyses. These studies were completed with observations in the field, photo documentation and surveying. The examination of the 49 churches revealed that in each case later interventions had occurred. The transformations were carried out starting with the second half of the 18th century until the end of the 19th century, and the introduced architectural elements and ornamental motifs show the influence of late-Baroque and Classicist architecture. Small-scale transformations implied the replacement of the furnishing and the adding of porticoes, while the most significant interventions involved complete reconstructions.