With a population of just over 2,000, Saschiz is one of the seven villages list by UNESCO as Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania. While there are over 150 villages in Romania with fortified churches. What sets these seven apart is that they “are characterized by a specific land-use system, settlement pattern and organization of the family farmstead that have been preserved since the late Middle Ages." The church was built in three years beginning in 1493. While the wall that protected the church compound is no longer standing, the impressive main tower is well preserved. Cetatea ţărănească (peasants’ castle) sits on the heights west of the village. It was built in the XIVth century by the inhabitants of Saschiz and six nearby communities to protect them during invasions. The fortified church compound in time became the main refuge due to its location.