Mary’s Tower (Turnul Mariei) is a medieval defensive tower on the southeastern side of the fortified enclosure around Saint Margaret’s Church in Mediaș. Built in the 15th century, it is one of the most distinctive surviving towers of the inner church fortress because part of the structure was also used as a chapel.
The tower stands above a cellar and is connected to the church by an arch on its eastern side. Inside, the ground-floor room is covered by a cross vault and preserves defensive features including an arrow slit and a trapdoor leading down into the cellar. A heavy door with several bolts protected the entrance.
Its religious role is still visible in the wall paintings preserved inside. Biblical frescoes survive on the vault and walls, including figures of apostles and angels, dating mainly from the late medieval and early modern periods. These paintings distinguish Mary’s Tower from the other defensive towers around the church complex.
The tower was later connected with several other uses and local stories, including periods when its cellar is said to have served for detention or punishment. Whatever its later functions, the surviving chapel and frescoes remain the clearest evidence of its unusual dual role within the fortified enclosure.
