The grouchy rooster from Sanpetru
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It is known that in Sanpetru commune, Brasov county, there were some Thracian settlements, as evidenced by the analysis performed on ceramic fragments and coins found buried in the Gorgan?s Hill, later called "Leimpesch", or "Lempes". It was named like that later, by the Transylvanian Saxon population who came here in the 13th century. The memory of the locality has been preserving legends that became true evidence until nowadays: the legend of the "Saving Hairpin", telling the story of a young woman who pulled out her hairpin and killed the Turkish commander taking over the citadel; the legend of "Ruscuta" (spring Adonis) and the one about "Laleaua pestrita" (checkered tulip), talking about tears turned into flowers, and the legend of the "Rock on the Lempes", about a man turned to stone.
Hannes and the rooster
A less known legend, mentioned in the Legends of Tara Barsei, put together by means of a project of the Metropolitan Agency for Sustainable Development Brasov, tells the story of a stone on Lempes and a grouchy rooster. They say that, back in the ancient times, a man called Hannes used to live in a poor hovel at the edge of the village, who was famous for his powers outside the territory of Tara Barsei, too. Hannes had a grouchy and dangerous rooster, which attacked people in their faces, causing them serious injuries. This was the reason for which he decided to butcher it, but at that moment, the animal was faster, jumped, and took Hannes? eyes out.
Turning to stone
The legend also says that the man got blind and started to wander around those places until he got on the Lempes Hill. Hannes huddled down in the grass and never moved again. It is also said that this way he was turned to stone. The locals say that if a rooster crows in the middle of the night, then Hannes rolls over once in his grave.
The hill, a natural reserve
Nowadays, the Lempes Hill is famous for its natural reserve hosting the two protected plants, singular in Europe: Ruscuta de Primavara (spring Adonis) and Laleaua Pestrita (checkered tulip), and it is one of the most representative witnesses of tectonic erosion in the Brasov depression. It looks like a long crest, having the highest edge called Varful Cetatii (citadel?s peak) at 704 meters altitude. All these, alongside with the legends, turn Sanpetru commune into an attractive tourist destination.
