Turnul Gros (The Thick Tower), Sibiu

The Thick Tower stands as a formidable structure with a semi-circular U-shaped design, projecting approximately 25 meters beyond the outer wall. Constructed around 1540 by Markus Pempfflinger, the royal judge of Sibiu, this tower formed an integral part of the city's fortifications, featuring brick walls with stone foundations and a platform historically designated for cannons.

Internally, the Thick Tower housed blockhouses equipped with firing apertures, and archaeological findings revealed two brick ducts, one serving drainage from the external ditch and the other facilitating communication among defending soldiers. In 1787, under the initiative of Martin Hochmeister, mayor of Sibiu and pioneer of the first Romanian bookstore, the tower incorporated the Thalia Hall. This hall, with rococo styling, hosted the inaugural Romanian theatre and, following a fire in 1826, underwent reconstruction in a Viennese architectural manner.

Throughout its history, the Thalia Hall welcomed Romanian theatre troupes led by luminaries such as Mihail Pascaly, Tardini-Vlădicescu, and Matei Millo. Renowned figures like composer George Enescu also graced its stage. Despite enduring a destructive fire in 1949, the theatre persisted until 1990. Subsequently, between 1990 and 2004, the Sibiu County Council meticulously reconstructed the Thalia Hall, repurposing it to house the State Philharmonic of Sibiu, thereby preserving its legacy as an iconic cultural venue.