Pitești

Coordinates: 44°51′38″N 24°52′4″E / 44.86056°N 24.86778°E / 44.86056; 24.86778
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the village in Leova District, Moldova, see Beștemac.
Pitești
Municipality


From top, left to right: Town Hall, St. George Church, I.C. Brătianu High School, Heroes' Gate
Coat of arms
Location in Argeș County
Location in Argeș County
Pitești is located in Romania
Pitești
Pitești
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 44°51′38″N 24°52′4″E / 44.86056°N 24.86778°E / 44.86056; 24.86778
CountryRomania
CountyArgeș
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2024) Cristian Gentea[1] (PSD)
Area
40.7 km2 (15.7 sq mi)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[2]
141,275
 • Density3,500/km2 (9,000/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Vehicle reg.AG
Websiteprimariapitesti.ro

Pitești (Romanian pronunciation:

A1 freeway connecting the city directly to the national capital Bucharest, being an important railway junction, with a classification yard in nearby Bălilești. The city houses the Arpechim oil refinery, and is a marketing center for the automotive industry, in particular, Automobile Dacia
.

Inhabited since

Wallachian Princes until the 18th century. From the 19th century and until the interwar period, it was an important political center for the National Liberal Party and the main residence of the Brătianu family of politicians. During the early stages of the communist regime, it was one of the main sites of political repression, with the Pitești Prison becoming home to an experiment in brainwashing
techniques.

History

Early history

The earliest traces of human settlements in this area relate to the

Slavs, which, in his opinion, was the origin of Târgul din Deal ("The Market on the Hill"), a separate locality.[6]

The first recorded mention of Pitești itself was on May 20, 1386, when

Armenian community.[9]

At the time, the locality was only extending on the left bank of the Argeș, and gradually expanded over the river, reaching the hill slopes to the west[3] (in the 19th century, it completely absorbed Târgul din Deal).[6] While Pitești was commonly designated as a high-ranking town, a village of Pitești was still mentioned as late as 1528, which led some historians to conclude that the village and urban area coexisted within the same boundaries.[7]

Early Modern period

Pitești, Câmpulung and Curtea de Argeș on the Constantin Cantacuzino map of 1718

Although princely quarters have not been uncovered, among the rulers to issue documents from Pitești were

Vlad Înecatul (1530–1532), Vlad Vintilă de la Slatina (1532–1535), Michael the Brave (1593–1601), Simion Movilă (1601–1602), Matei Basarab (1632–1654) and Constantin Șerban (1654–1658).[7] In addition, Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714), who owned large sections of vineyard in the area, is reported to have spent several seasons in the town.[7]

Under Vlad Vintilă, who allied himself with the

Aloisio Gritti (governor of Ottoman Hungary) and his Wallachian boyar partisans camped in the Pitești neighborhood of Războieni, where they were attacked and defeated by the Prince.[7] In 1600–1601, troops of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, led by Jan Zamoyski, were stationed in Pitești during their expedition against Michael the Brave (see Moldavian Magnate Wars).[7][10] Around that time, fighting occurred in and around the town as the new prince Radu Șerban clashed with the Ottomans and their Crimean Khanate allies.[10]

Constantin Șerban financed the building of the

Claes Rålamb.[10] It was during Brâncoveanu's rule that the city was home to Stolnic Constantin Cantacuzino, who was exchanging letters with English statesman William, Baron Paget.[7] A tower and other princely houses, built by Brâncoveanu outside the town, gradually deteriorated over the 18th and 19th centuries (the last standing structure was lost in the 20th century).[7] In 1689, Habsburg troops led by Louis William of Baden occupied the city as part of the Great Turkish War (they were repelled later that year).[10]

18th and early 19th centuries

Pitești in 1793, etching by Luigi Mayer

In November 1714, as a direct result of Swedish defeats in the

Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739.[10]

In 1780, Tuscan numismatist Domenico Sestini passed through the Argeș region, and described the town as having 250 houses and 7 churches.[10] In 1804, the citizens requested to have an upper school opened (to offer lectures in Greek, the educational language of the time); their request was denied by Prince Constantine Ypsilantis.[11] During the 1790s, Pitești was visited by Luigi Mayer, a German pupil of Giovanni Battista Piranesi, who left etchings of the region (including the very first one of Pitești);[10] they were published in London in 1810, with text by a T. Bowyer, whose caption for Pitești read "nothing more wild or romantic can be conceived".[12]

The town was an important location for events relating to the last stage of the

Alexander Ypsilantis.[13]

Late 19th and early 20th century

Postcard of Saint Nicholas Church, early 20th century
Coat of arms of Pitești during the interwar period

The city was developed further after the

1859 unification of the Danubian Principalities and the 1881 creation of the Romanian Kingdom. Around that time, and down to the late interwar, the city became a National Liberal center, largely due to the Brătianu family of politicians residing in nearby Ștefănești.[14] Their manor, Florica, housed most major reunions of the National Liberal leaders.[14] For a short period in 1882, Pitești was home to dramatist Ion Luca Caragiale, leading some to propose that it was the unnamed National Liberal-dominated city depicted in Caragiale's famous play O scrisoare pierdută.[15]

By 1872, a national railway connection with the capital Bucharest and Târgoviște was built, at the same time as one linking Bucharest with Ploiești through Chitila.[16] Overseen by the German financier Bethel Henry Strousberg, this was the second project of its kind in Romania (after the Bucharest-Giurgiu rail link of 1869).[16] The Pitești Town Hall was completed in 1886, and currently houses an art gallery.[3] The Argeș County Prefecture, designed by Dimitrie Maimarolu, was erected in 1898–1899 on the site previously occupied by an Orthodox hermitage; it is the present-day site of the County Museum of History and Natural Sciences.[3] Both buildings are eclectic in style, and feature frescoes painted by Iosif Materna.[3]

Photo of Pitești c. 1893

Pitești experienced urbanization and economic development with several changes in landscape and a number of regional firsts. In 1868–1869, Pitești was the first city in Romania to have a recorded

Seventh-day Adventist Church in Romania was established only after 1918).[17] By 1906, Pitești was home to a thriving cooperative bank, Banca Populară Pitești, which was also the first-ever financial institution in the Argeș County.[18] In 1907, factory manager Edmond Landauer performed the very first Tayloristic experiments in Romania, at Pitești Weaving Mill.[19]

From late autumn 1916 to 1918, during the

Olt River, before Mackensen was able to occupy Bucharest and the entire southern Romania.[20] During the post-war existence of Greater Romania, Pitești became a regional cultural center, notably hosting the 1928–1929 series of the magazine Kalende (published in cooperation by literary critics Vladimir Streinu, Șerban Cioculescu, Pompiliu Constantinescu, and Tudor Șoimaru).[21]

World War II and communism

Tower blocks in Pitești, photographed in 1970, shortly after their completion

Pitești was affected in various ways by World War II and its

Holocaust in Romania).[23] The city was sporadically bombed by the Allies: on July 4, 1944, it was struck by a section of the US Fifteenth Air Force (see Bombing of Romania in World War II).[24]

In the 1950s, while serving as capital of

Pitești prison). The experiment was carried out by the Securitate secret police and overseen by Alexandru Nicolschi; its goal was to psychologically destroy the capacity for outside attachment and outside loyalty, creating the brainwashed New Man prototype of Leninism.[25] The program was canceled after some five years. At a trial held in 1953–1954, twenty-two inmate-participants were sentenced, with sixteen being condemned to death for their role in the experiment.[26] In 1957, a new trial convicted certain members of the prison staff, who received light sentences; they were later pardoned.[27]

In parallel, Pitești underwent numerous changes in landscape, including the completion of the

Ion Brătianu, standing in front of Saint Nicholas Church, was removed and melted, and the church itself was demolished in 1962.[14]

Geography

The city is part of the historical region of Wallachia, situated in its north and in the westernmost part of its Muntenian subregion. It lies on the right bank of the Argeș, where the river meets its tributary, Râul Doamnei.

Pitești is situated 280 metres (918.64

above sea level, on terraces formed by the Argeș, and belongs to the southernmost section of the Getic Plateau (an area of foothills leading up to the Southern Carpathians).[28] The Plateau is at its narrowest in the Pitești area, where it only reaches 30 km (19 miles) in width, as opposed to the 70–80 km (43–50 miles) average.[29] The city has access to a piedmont plain, known as Câmpia Piteștilor ("Pitești Plain") and characterized by water-meadows.[30] To the west, it abuts the Trivale Forest
, which has been partly set up as a leisure park.

Pitești is adjacent to two reservoirs on the Argeș, in its Prundu area and in nearby Bascov (the Budeasa Dam).[31] It is situated downstream from Lake Vidraru and upstream from the reservoir in Bălilești.[31]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, the city lies within the humid continental climate (Dfb) category. Average annual temperatures range between 9 °C and 10 °C. The average January temperature is -2.4 °C, while the average July temperature is 20.8 °C.[32]

Climate data for Pitești
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 4
(39) 		7
(45) 		12
(54) 		17
(63) 		23
(73) 		26
(79) 		29
(84) 		28
(82) 		23
(73) 		18
(64) 		10
(50) 		5
(41) 		17
(62)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4
(25) 		−3
(27) 		1
(34) 		6
(43) 		11
(52) 		14
(57) 		16
(61) 		16
(61) 		11
(52) 		7
(45) 		1
(34) 		−3
(27) 		6
(43)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 26.5
(1.04) 		13.3
(0.52) 		30.9
(1.22) 		40.1
(1.58) 		67.6
(2.66) 		65.1
(2.56) 		60.0
(2.36) 		66.0
(2.60) 		46.9
(1.85) 		38.8
(1.53) 		29.8
(1.17) 		29.3
(1.15) 		514.3
(20.24)
Source: [33]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18352,755—    
18597,229+162.4%
189915,669+116.8%
193019,532+24.7%
194126,551+35.9%
194829,007+9.3%
195638,330+32.1%
196660,113+56.8%
1977123,735+105.8%
1992179,337+44.9%
2002168,458−6.1%
2011155,383−7.8%
2021141,275−9.1%
Source: [34][35][36]

As of 2021 census data, 141,275 inhabitants live within the city limits,[37] a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2011 census.

Romania's

Armenians and, grouped together, Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.[40][41]

The population of Pitești grew between the 1830s and the 1990s, with the most sustained period of growth occurring after the 1950s, when industrial development created jobs and attracted residents from nearby settlements. The population peaked at an estimated 187,000 in 1997, then stagnated until 2001, and has gradually decreased since that time. The drop is particularly noticeable among the male population: this segment not only has a higher mortality and lower life expectancy, but also, due to de-industrialization, emigrated in search of work in significant numbers.[42]

Economy

Pitești is one of the most industrialized cities in Romania. It is the center of the automotive industry in the country: the

Ministry of the Environment withdrew Arpechim's permit, but Petrom contested the decision in court.[43] The plant is scheduled to gradually reduce its activity over a period of several years, pending eventual closure.[43]

The city is surrounded by hills rich in wineries and plum orchards. The latter give one of the finest Romanian țuicas: țuica de Pitești. The Ștefănești winery, situated on the opposite bank of the Argeș River, is one of the best known in Romania.

Culture

Greci Church

Theatre

Pitești is home to a County Theater; established in 1948, it was named in honor of playwright

puppet theater (created in 1949), the Estrada section for open-air performances (1958), and a folklore section (1970).[44] The Theater's Studio 125 was established in May 1975 by director Liviu Ciulei.[44]

The first written record of a theatrical performance in the city dates to 1848, when Constantin Halepliu set up a troupe. Following that year's revolution, several actors, Halepliu included, were arrested, and the theatre closed until 1856. A Communal Theatre was built in 1914–1916. Since 1948, the local acting ensemble has performed both in other Romanian cities and abroad, including in Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Italy and Spain.[44]

Education

Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of Pitești

The city houses two universities: the state-run University of Pitești and the private Constantin Brâncoveanu University (founded 1991, with branches in Brăila and Râmnicu Vâlcea). There are 17 secondary education institutions, including two main high schools—the Ion Brătianu National College (founded 1866) and the Zinca Golescu National College. There are also 20 primary schools, 23 kindergartens and 10 nursery schools.[45]

A public library, named after intellectual figure Dinicu Golescu, was planned in 1869 by Paraschiva Stephu, a female member of the upper class, who drew up a will leaving 200 Austrian ducats for the purpose of creating a library. The institution became operational in 1880, and a large part of the volumes were bequeathed by historian George Ionescu-Gion immediately following his death in 1904. His donation included over a thousand books in Romanian, French and Italian.[46][47] The library moved into its current headquarters in the city center in 2003.[47]

Festivals

Each year during springtime, Pitești is host to a festival and fair known as Simfonia lalelelor (the "Tulip Symphony"). Tulips were introduced locally in 1972–1973, when around 3,000 bulbs brought from Arad and Oradea were planted in its central area, along with other flowers.[48] Pitești consequently acquired a reputation as a tulip-growing area, and the flower-themed festival was first organized by the local authorities in 1978.[48] Typically held in the cultural centre building (Casa Cărții), the festival also includes folk music performances, international scientific conferences, an art exhibit and youth sport competitions.[49]

Sport

The major

BCM U Pitești, as well as a women's volleyball
team, Argeș Volei Pitești.

Pitești is home to an

canoe racing also trains at the Budeasa Dam sports base, and the location is also used for recreational fishing. A tennis
challenger tournament (Turneul challenger feminin Pitești) takes place each year, on grounds in Bascov.

Gallery

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Romania

Pitești is twinned with:[53]

Notes

  1. ^ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h (in Romanian) "Istoria Orașului" Archived 2013-01-13 at archive.today, at Muzee din regiunile României Archived October 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine; retrieved July 17, 2007
  4. ^ Giurescu, p.33
  5. ^ (in Romanian) Dragoș Măndescu, Castrul roman de la Albota - un monument ignorat la marginea Piteștilor, at the Pitești Cultural Center; retrieved July 17, 2007
  6. ^ a b Giurescu, p.47
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j (in Romanian) Gerard Călin, Reședința domnească temporară de la Pitești, at the Pitești Cultural Center; retrieved July 17, 2007
  8. ^ Andrei Oțetea, The History of the Romanian People, Editura Științifică, Bucharest, 1970, p.446
  9. ^ (in Romanian) "Armeni - Scurt istoric", at Divers Archived 2018-04-21 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved July 17, 2007
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h (in Romanian) Mariu Păduraru, Orașul Pitești văzut de călători străini, at the Pitești Cultural Center; retrieved July 17, 2007
  11. ISBN 1-84511-066-8
  12. ISBN 0-7190-6639-5
  13. The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist
    , Vol. 91, 1851, p.33 D2
  14. ^ a b c d e (in Romanian) Mircea Crăciun, Relicve din perioada dictaturii comuniste în județul Argeș, at the Memoria Digital Library; retrieved July 17, 2007
  15. OCLC 6890267
  16. ^ a b Giurescu, p.155
  17. ISBN 0-8223-1241-7
  18. ISBN 978-973-8369-21-4
  19. ^ Tudor Ciumara, "Contributions to the History of Management Consulting in Communist Romania", in Procedia Economics and Finance, 8/2014, p.176
  20. ^ Pamfil Șeicaru, La Roumanie dans la Grande guerre, Éditions Minard, Paris, 1968, p.332-334
  21. ^ (in Romanian) Al. Săndulescu, "Mâncătorul de cărți" Archived 2012-02-26 at the Wayback Machine, in România Literară, Nr. 11/2008
  22. ^ Nicolae Ciobanu, "Armand Călinescu: Jertfă pentru liniștea și independența țării. «Omul de oțel» împotriva Gărzii de Fier", in Dosarele Istoriei, 6/IV (1999), p.60
  23. ISBN 1-4039-9341-6
  24. ISBN 0-8283-2029-2
  25. ^ Cioroianu, p.317
  26. ^ Cioroianu, p.318
  27. ^ (in Romanian) Teodor Wexler, "Procesul sioniștilor", in Memoria; retrieved July 17, 2007
  28. ^ Monografia geografică, p.100, 191, 238, 239-241
  29. ^ Monografia geografică, p.239-240
  30. ^ Monografia geografică, p.191
  31. ^
    Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development
    , p.64/105-65/105; retrieved July 19, 2007
  32. ^ a b Geographic location Archived 2015-06-27 at the Wayback Machine at Pitești City Hall; retrieved July 21, 2015
  33. ^ Pitești Monthly Climate Average (2000-2012) at World Weather Online; retrieved July 21, 2015
  34. ^ (in Romanian) Population as of 20 October 2011[permanent dead link], INSSE; retrieved July 5, 2013
  35. ^ Ilie Bădălan, "Municipiul Pitești — centru industrial în plină dezvoltare", in Revista de statistică, vol. 22/1973, p.53 (data for 1835–1941)
  36. ^ (in Romanian) "Population at the 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 and 2002 Censuses by Municipalities and Towns", INSSE; retrieved August 7, 2015 (data for 1948–2002)
  37. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (in Romanian). INSSE. 31 May 2023.
  38. ^ (in Romanian) Populația stabilă după etnie - județe, municipii, orașe, comune Archived 2016-01-18 at the Wayback Machine, INSSE; retrieved August 15, 2015
  39. ^ (in Romanian) Populația stabilă după religie - județe, municipii, orașe, comune Archived 2013-09-21 at the Wayback Machine, INSSE; retrieved August 15, 2015
  40. ^ (in Romanian) Populația statornică în 1930, p. 16, Institutul Central de Statistică; retrieved August 15, 2015
  41. ^ (in Romanian) Populația statornică în 1930, p. 17, Institutul Central de Statistică; retrieved August 15, 2015
  42. ^ "Growth Trends of the Demographic Structures in the City of Pitești" (PDF). Romanian Review of Regional Studies. VII: 91–98. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  43. ^
    România Liberă
    , June 13, 2007
  44. ^ a b c (in Romanian) Teatrul Alexandru Davila at the Argeș County Council Archived 2008-02-06 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved July 17, 2007
  45. ^ General Schools, High Schools, Universities at Pitești City Hall; retrieved November 21, 2008
  46. ^ (in Romanian) Biblioteca Județeană Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine at the Argeș County Council Archived 2008-02-06 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved July 17, 2007
  47. ^ a b (in Romanian) Biblioteca Județeană Argeș "Dinicu Golescu” at the National Library of Romania; retrieved July 21, 2015
  48. ^ a b (in Romanian) "Istoria lalelelor", at the Simfonia lalelelor official site; retrieved March 8, 2008
  49. ^ Tulip Symphony at Pitești City Hall; retrieved July 21, 2015
  50. ^ (in Romanian) Amir Kiarash, "FC Argeș, clubul care i-a lansat pe Dobrin, Mutu și Dică, a intrat în insolvență. Povestea tristă a decăderii", in Adevărul, June 14, 2013; retrieved November 21, 2013
  51. ^ (in Romanian) Cristina Stancu, "FC Argeş revine Municipiului Piteşti", in Adevărul, June 17, 2017; retrieved June 25, 2017
  52. ^ (in Romanian) Sporting Pitești (official site)
  53. ^ "Orașe înfrățite" (in Romanian). Pitești. Archived from the original on 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2021-10-01.

References

  • Monografia geografică a Republicii Populare Romîne, Vol. I: "Geografia fizică",
    Editura Academiei RPR
    , Bucharest, 1960
  • ISBN 973-669-175-6
  • OCLC 1279610

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pitești.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pitești&oldid=1182405689"