The first reliable mention of the settlement dates from 1275, in a document of King Ladislaus IV of Hungary, when the village ("Villa Kulusvar") was granted to the Bishop of Transylvania. On August 19, 1316, during the rule of the new king, Charles I of Hungary, Cluj was granted the status of a city (Latin: "civitas"), as a reward for the Saxons' contribution to the defeat of the rebellious Transylvanian voivode, Ladislaus Kán. In memory of this event, the Saint Michael Church started to be built.