Dârjiu

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Dârjiu Székelyderzs
Location of Dârjiu
Coordinates: 46°12′N 25°12′E / 46.2, 25.2
Country	Romania
County	Harghita County
Status	Commune
Government
- Mayor	Ernő Pál (Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania)
Population (2002)
- Total	1,177
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)

13th Century UNESCO World Heritage fortified Unitarian Church, and some geese

The interior

Dârjiu or Székelyderzs (Romanian: Dârjiu; Hungarian: Székelyderzs) is a commune in Harghita County, Romania comprising of 2 villages:

• Dârjiu/Székelyderzs
• Mujna/Székelymuzsna

[edit] Demographics

The commune has an absolute Székely (Hungarian) majority. According to the 2002 census it has a population of 1,177 of which 98.3% or 1,157 are Hungarian.

[edit] History and sights of interest

The village is home to a 13th century fortified Unitarian Church, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Unitarism is has been an official religion in Transylvania since the 1583 Medgyes parliament. The First bishop was Ferenc Dávid, a local Saxon.

The first ruler of independent Transylvania was the Unitarian Zsigmond János / John II Sigismund Zápolya, son of the Hungarian king János Szapolyai (1526-1541) / John Zápolya.

Between 80,000 and 100,000 Unitarians live in Transylvania, mostly between Sighişoara (Segesvár) and Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely), more or less around Dârjiu (Székelyderzs). Further east, Hungarians are Roman Catholic, with Calvinist enclaves (e.g. in Háromszék, while Csík is solidly Roman Catholic).

The murals show the Ladislaus I of Hungary legend (Cumans broke into Hungary; Duke Ladislaus, along with his cousin King Salamon I (Solomon of Hungary), rode against them and freed a girl believed to be daughter of an aristocrat from a Cuman, but she did not support this act).

Further murals in the region are to be found at Unitarian churches in Mugeni, Crăciunel, and smaller ones in Rugăneşti and Cristuru Secuiesc. Saxon murals are most significant in Mălâncrav.

Unitarian church	Façade of the Unitarian church	Murals on the László/Ladislaus legend	Murals on the László/Ladislaus legend
Fight of the King with the Cuman	Death of the Cuman

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Romania Painted churches of northern Moldavia · Dacian Fortresses of the Orăştie Mountains · Danube Delta · Monastery of Horezu · Sighişoara · Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania · Wooden Churches of Maramureş

v • d • e Rural municipalities of Harghita County (alphabetical order by commune) Atid • Avrămeşti • Bilbor • Brădeşti • Căpâlniţa • Cârţa • Ciceu • Ciucsângeorgiu • Ciumani • Corbu • Corund • Cozmeni • Dăneşti • Dârjiu • Dealu • Ditrău • Feliceni • Frumoasa • Gălăutaş • Joseni • Lăzarea • Leliceni • Lueta • Lunca de Jos • Lunca de Sus • Lupeni • Mădăraş • Mărtiniş • Mereşti • Mihăileni • Mugeni • Ocland • Păuleni-Ciuc • Plăieşii de Jos • Porumbenii • Praid • Racu • Remetea • Săcel • Sâncrăieni • Sândominic • Sânmartin • Sânsimion • Sântimbru • Sărmaş • Satu Mare • Secuieni • Siculeni • Şimoneşti • Subcetate • Suseni • Tomeşti • Tulgheş • Tuşnad • Ulieş • Vărşag • Voşlăbeni • Zetea