Sfântu Gheorghe

Sfântu Gheorghe: fortified church

Sfântu Gheorghe, also spelled Sfîntu Gheorghe, Hungarian Sepsiszentgyörgy, town, capital of Covasna județ (county), east-central Romania, on the Olt River. Occupied in the Middle Ages by Szekler settlers brought in to guard the eastern frontier of Transylvania, the town has a strong Hungarian tradition. The regional museum contains examples of local architecture, woodwork, and craftsmanship from that period. The museum also contains Dacian silver coins and other materials from a Daco-Roman settlement over which the town was built, as well as artifacts from a Neolithic settlement found at nearby Ariușd. The town’s fortified church is typical of the former frontier region of Transylvania. The modern town has some light manufacturing. Pop. (2007 est.) 61,704.