Șcheii Brașovului - The Historic Quarter

Șcheii Brașovului is the oldest inhabited neighbourhood in Brașov, with a documented history spanning more than six centuries. It lies at the foot of Muntele Tâmpa, in the south-western part of the city. During the medieval period, the quarter was populated predominantly by Orthodox Romanians, who were not permitted to live within the walls of the Saxon citadel. The heart of the neighbourhood is Piața Unirii, around which the main historic landmarks are concentrated. The Church of Saint Nicolae, whose construction in stone is attested from 1495, is one of the most important monuments of Orthodox religious architecture in Transilvania, rebuilt in its current form in the 18th century. In its courtyard stands the First Romanian School, erected in 1495 with the support of Vlad Călugărul, ruler of Țara Românească — a building in which instruction in the Romanian language began in 1530, and where deacon Coresi printed no fewer than 17 books in Romanian and Church Slavonic between 1559 and 1581, including the Catechism, the Cazania, and the Psalter. It was also here that the first Romanian grammar was written in 1757 by Dimitrie Eustatievici. The Muzeul Prima Școală Românească currently houses approximately 4,000 old books, over 30,000 historical documents, princely charters, and Coresian printed works. The neighbourhood retains a coherent urban structure, with 18th- and 19th-century houses, some of which are listed historical monuments. The merchants of Șchei played a major commercial role, establishing trading networks with Moldova, Muntenia, and the Levant.