The local authorities in the city of Medias, in Sibiu County, have only nine months to rehabilitate the city’s 500-year old medieval fortress. Otherwise, they will lose the European financing for the project.

The project, worth some RON 26 million (EUR 5.8 million), will get EUR 4 million non-refundable financing, but only if the work is finished this year. Otherwise, the city hall will have to finance the whole project, according to Mediafax.

The file for European financing was submitted four years ago but was approved only last summer.

The investment will cover the rehabilitation of 2,000 meters of defense walls, two towers, and a bastion.

Despite its bad shape, the fortress remains popular among tourists. It attracted 60,000 visitors last year alone.

Hungary’s King Matei Corvin ordered the building of the fortress. The towers and fortifications have resisted until today, but most of them are in a bad shape.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com