Alvinc

Alvinc (Vințu de Jos, Vinț, Unterwinz or Winzendorf, in Saxon: Wints vor Wänts) is located in Transylvania, Romania. It is famous for its fortified church and for the ruined Martinuzzi Palace, where Prior György (Fráter György) was murdered in 1551. It is situated 14 km southwest of Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia), on the left bank of the Maros River.

It was first mentioned in 1205 and founded by Saxon settlers. It became an important strategic place in the 13th century because the salt was transported through Alvinc. The Franciscans built their church in 1300. The settlement became an oppidum in 1370 and had the right to hold markets. It is a civitas in 1430, together with Borberek.

There were 182 landholders in 1488 with a full length of the land. The Ottomans were raiding the area in 1438 and 1442 and as a result of this many Saxons died. There was a major plague as well. Hungarian settlers took shelter in Alvinc during this time, along with southern Slavic Catholic folks. The place was owned by Radu de la Afumați, Voivode of Wallachia between 1526-1529.

Alvinc changed several owners during the Dual Kingship of Hungary. Lord Balassa Imre, Majláth István, and their friends were preparing their plot in Alvinc in 1539 which was soon revealed. Prior György got Alvinc in 1546 and he was murdered there on 17 December 1551 by the assassins of King Ferdinand I. (Note, I am intentionally using Eastern name order for the Hungarians.) You can read more about his life on my page:

https://www.hungarianottomanwars.com/essays/frater-gyorgy-utisinovic-martinuzzi-gyorgy-1482-1551/

The Wallachians (Romanians) came there at the end of the 16th century. They lived in a separate part of the settlement that was called Oláhvinc (1657). The last Saxon priest left Alvinc in 1590. Alvinc was the place where the Moldavian Voivode Aaron the Tyrant (Romanian: Aron Tiranul) was killed in 1597. Prince Bethlen Gábor had Hutterites (Anabaptists) settled there between 1621-23. The Crimean Tatars destroyed it in 1658. Later, Catholic Bulgarians arrived in 1690 there. 

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 Here are more pictures of Alvinc: