4. The Grand Square – history and markings

Once you leave the Tourist Information Center, you are the heart of the city – the Grand Square, a space morphed by each century according to the historical period. The square was made in the 13th century, after Sibiu gained the right to organize fairs. They were held around a water well called “the stork”. After the city received the right to pronounce capital punishments, public convictions and executions took place here (until the eighteenth century). In the same square, the locals dug grain silos, as a precaution in the event of a siege. Their entrances are highlighted by 5 circles covered with black marble. Nearby, you might notice a pentagon in the pavement, drawn with red stones, marking the place where the statue of Nepomuk once stood (from 1734 to 1948). He was the Catholic saint of the city. A few steps further, a commemorative plaque pays tribute to the heroes of the 1989 revolution. Not far away, other red stones form a circle, a remainder of the first water pomp. From 1984 to 2004, the statue of Gheorghe Lazăr dominated the square. Today, a reinvented version of the statue stands near the Council Tower, looking at the Grand Square. About 100 m to the west, another brick circle marks the location of the column of infamy and Roland's statue, placed there between 1550 and 1783. The knight of justice, with his sword raised to the sky, was a symbol of the authority and legislative autonomy of the city.

Imagine the hundreds of generations grinding the stones of the Grand Square, on foot, by carriage, bus, tram or car. Here, they had the opportunity to watch a beheading, or celebrate important moments in the life of the city.
Today's square reflects the history and culture of the city, being a space defined by its inhabitants, and all those who embrace it.

🤔 Did you know?

🔍 The square has a maximum length of 142 m and a width of 93.

🔍 In the 18th century, there was a "madmen's cage", to imprison those who disturbed the streets at night.

🔍 Today, the statue of Ioan Nepomuk is sheltered in the courtyard of the Roman Catholic parish in the Grand Square. You can see it if you follow the second entrance of the church.

🔍 You can watch online what is happening in the Grand Square, via webcams available in the Sibiu City App.