FORTIFIED CHURCH OF DÂRJIU

Fifteen kilometers south-west of Odorheiu Secuiesc, the small village of Dârjiu(Székelyderzs in Hungarian) is home to a beautiful fortified church, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1999. It's one of the few examples of a Saxon-style fortified church in Sicily. The complex has benefited from an extensive renovation program. Once you've collected your keys from the reverend, you'll be taken on a tour of the surrounding walls and storage areas... The bastions were long used as a larder by the villagers, who came here to stock up on meat, sausages and smoked bacon. Hence its nickname "the fortress of bacon". Every Wednesday, the enclosure was opened to allow villagers to come and stock up. Inside the Gothic church, built in the early ^15th century and remodeled in late Gothic style at the end of the ^16th century, you'll admire beautiful ^15th-century frescoes and attractive wooden furniture painted with traditional motifs on a light blue background. You'll also see a brick bearing the Sicilian runic script, dated between 1274 and 1431. Today, the church is dedicated to Unitarian (Protestant) worship.

Guided tours are offered in July and August. Every Wednesday, it's also possible to take part in the "bacon ceremony", followed by a traditional meal held inside a bastion. Call a few days in advance to make your reservation.