Legends of Ilidia Citadel
In Banat, where ancient mentions of the Măidan, Ilidia, Milcoveni and Vrăniuţ settlements were found, archaeological remains were discovered that revolutionized the understanding of the historical events of the area. Ever since the prehistory of the Caraş County and especially in the transition to the Bronze Age, through the last period of the Stone Age in which the Oravița habitat was marked by a settlement, cultural elements from the Vinca culture came to light.
The ruins of Ilidia
The ancient settlements of the area also presented fortifications, fortified fortresses, surveillance and control towers, and rarely a strategic keep. The land was mentioned in the evolution area of the Cabiri cult. On these lands there are still the ruins of what was once an ancient building of great historical value.
Between 1870-1880, on the hill that separated Ilidia and Socolari in the modern era, traces of a fortified stone settlement could be seen. Although its exact origin is not known, based on archaeological discoveries and information from sources that support the Dacian and then Daco-Roman continuity in the mining settlements in the Carășan region, it can be concluded that it is a construction that belonged to those ancient times.
Between 1870-1880, on the hill that separated Ilidia and Socolari in the modern era, traces of a fortified stone settlement could be seen. Although its exact origin is not known, based on archaeological discoveries and information from sources that support the Dacian and then Daco-Roman continuity in the mining settlements in the Carășan region, it can be concluded that it is a construction that belonged to those ancient times.
The legends of the place are always abundant in stories that for surely have a bit of true history in them but also in myths that would hold the secret of golden treasures. There are a multitude of interesting legends about the Ilidia fortress that have been preserved in various collections, from the brothers Albert and Arthur Schott to Lazăr Şăineanu and George Cătană, but among the most interesting ones, you can find those that have a little truth in them.
The Legend of "The trickery of Maria Theresa"
The Legend of "The trickery of Maria Theresa" was translated by Bogdan Mihai Dascăcal and extracted from the volume "Alexander Tietz si Banatul Montan", coordinated by Erwin Josef Ţigla and published in 1998, at Timpul Publishing House in Reşita.
During the war, according to legend, Empress Maria Theresa was forced to stay inside the fortress because of the Turks who wanted to capture it. Since the Turkish army was much more numerous than the soldiers in the fortress, Maria Terezia came up with an ingenious idea to escape. She ordered all the horses to be shod backwards and so, she left the fortress in the middle of the night with her soldiers. Then he ordered a big fire to be made and let the dense smoke rise above the walls. At dawn, when the Turks saw the tracks of the horses that seemed to be coming up from the valley towards the fortress and the smoke, they thought that the empress had received reinforcements, and that inside in the fortress, they were preparing for a feast for a large army. The Turks gave up and left.
During the war, according to legend, Empress Maria Theresa was forced to stay inside the fortress because of the Turks who wanted to capture it. Since the Turkish army was much more numerous than the soldiers in the fortress, Maria Terezia came up with an ingenious idea to escape. She ordered all the horses to be shod backwards and so, she left the fortress in the middle of the night with her soldiers. Then he ordered a big fire to be made and let the dense smoke rise above the walls. At dawn, when the Turks saw the tracks of the horses that seemed to be coming up from the valley towards the fortress and the smoke, they thought that the empress had received reinforcements, and that inside in the fortress, they were preparing for a feast for a large army. The Turks gave up and left.
The tunnel underneath the hill
Another legend, from the time of the Turkish rule, talks about a tunnel at the foot of the hill which, under the mountain, would be connected to the Danube. As the people say, the tunnel would have been close to a hermitage of orthodox monks near the settlement at the foot of the fortress. Their of their religion that was tolerated by the Turks, the parishioners were not disturbed for a long time.
The governor of Belgrade fell in love with a woman from the harem of the pasha of Ilidia and organized her abduction from the fortress on the hill. The woman was a local, and when she found out about the kidnapping plan, she sent word to a monk friend from the hermitage. The kidnappers took the girl, but she convinced them to make a short stop at the hermitage where the monks, helped by the people of the village, rescued her. The woman fled through the secret tunnel and reached the Danube, near the village of Coronini.
The governor of Belgrade fell in love with a woman from the harem of the pasha of Ilidia and organized her abduction from the fortress on the hill. The woman was a local, and when she found out about the kidnapping plan, she sent word to a monk friend from the hermitage. The kidnappers took the girl, but she convinced them to make a short stop at the hermitage where the monks, helped by the people of the village, rescued her. The woman fled through the secret tunnel and reached the Danube, near the village of Coronini.
