Râmnicu Vâlcea (also spelled ''Rîmnicu Vîlcea'' or, in the past, ''Rîmnic-Vâlcea'', ) (population: 92,573 as per the

2011 Romanian census The 2011 Romanian census was a census held in Romania between 20 and 31 October 2011. It was performed by some 120,000 census takers in around 101,000 statistic sectors throughout the country established by the National Institute of Statistics (IN ...

) is the county capital ( ro, Reședință de județ) and also the largest town of

Vâlcea County Vâlcea County (also spelt ''Vîlcea''; ) is a county (județ) of Romania. Located in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia (which are separated by the Olt River), it is also part of the wider Wallachia region. Its capital city is Râ ...

, central-southern Romania (in the historical province of

Oltenia Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...

Geography and climate

Centru, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania - panoramio (2)

Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania and is the county capital of Vâlcea County. Set at the foothills of the

Southern Carpathians The Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps; ro, Carpații Meridionali ; hu, Déli-Kárpátok) are a group of mountain ranges located in southern Romania. They cover the part of the Carpathian Mountains located between the Pr ...

, the town is located at about from the

Cozia Mountains Cozia may refer to several places in Romania: *Cozia Monastery, Vâlcea County * Cozia Mountains, Vâlcea County *Cozia National Park, Vâlcea County * Cozia, a village in Cornereva Commune, Caraș-Severin County * Cozia, a village in Cârjiți Co ...

and about from the Făgăraș and Lotrului Mountains. The southern limit of the city is formed by the

Getic Plateau The Getae ( ) or Gets ( ; grc, Γέται, singular ) were a Thracian-related tribe that once inhabited the regions to either side of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria and southern Romania. Both the singular form ''Get'' ...

( ro, Platoul Getic) and the Olt River valley. The E81 road (a road of European interest) and one of the main national railway routes cross the town. According to

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

, the climate of the town is defined as Dfa (humid continental with warm summers) bordering Cfa (humid subtropical). Precipitation amount is higher in the summer, although not high enough in order to be a "Dwa" type climate. The table below highlights climate data for Râmnicu Vâlcea between 1981 and 2010, detailing the average high temperature, the average low temperature, the average precipitation (in mm/inches) as well as the average precipitation days throughout all of the months of one year.

History

RO VL Ramnicu Valcea independence monument

The area has been inhabited since

Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It ...

n and

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

times, and was the site of a

castrum In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a po ...

(known as ''Buridava'' or ''Burridava'', previously a Dacian town). A new fortress was built on the location during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. Râmnicu Vâlcea was first attested during the rule of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

Mircea cel Bătrân, as "the princely town of Râmnic" (4 September 1388), and confirmed as the seat of a Vâlcea County during the same period (8 January 1392). The town seal dates to 1505. ''Cetățuia'', the actual fortress, served as the residence of Oltenian Bans and, from 1504, of the Orthodox

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

s of the Râmnic Diocese; in 1529, Prince

Radu of Afumați Radu of Afumați (? – 2 January 1529) was Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between January 1522 and January 1529 (with intermittences in the first year, because he lost the throne between April–June and August–October 1522). He began his rei ...

was killed in ''Cetățuia'' by a

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, Russia, Wallachia and Moldavia, and later Romania, Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. Boyars were ...

conspiracy. During the rules of Matei Basarab and Constantin Brâncoveanu, it became an important cultural center. It was here where the first

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

and

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in which the ...

in Romania were built (''see Anthim the Iberian''). The town was heavily damaged during the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

's takeover of Oltenia which lasted between 1718 and 1739, and its purpose was again reduced to that of a fortress. During the Wallachian Revolution, on 29 July 1848, ''

Deșteaptă-te, române! "" ("Awaken Thee, Romanian!"; ) is the national anthem of Romania and former national anthem of Moldova. The lyrics were composed by Andrei Mureșanu (1816–1863), and the music was popular (it was chosen for the poem by Gheorghe Ucenescu, as ...

'' (the current

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...

of Romania), with lyrics written by

Andrei Mureșanu Andrei Mureșanu (; November 16, 1816 in Bistrița – October 12, 1863 in Brașov) was a Romanian poet and revolutionary of Transylvania. Born in a family of a small business owner in the countryside, he studied philosophy and theology ...

and music composed by Anton Pann (whose memorial house lies in the center of the town), was sung for the first time in Râmnicu Vâlcea. Gheorghe Magheru gathered his military force in Râureni, now part of the town, in an attempt to face the anti-revolutionary forces of

Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. The ...

and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

. In the 1980s, the town was completely rebuilt in a style combining

socialist realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is ch ...

with local vernacular

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

(of Brâncovenesc style). The town was the center and peak point of the path of total darkness of the

Solar eclipse of 11 August 1999 Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

. Around 2005, the town gained notoriety as a centre of

cybercrime A cybercrime is a crime that involves a computer or a computer network.Moore, R. (2005) "Cyber crime: Investigating High-Technology Computer Crime," Cleveland, Mississippi: Anderson Publishing. The computer may have been used in committing t ...

Politics

The mayor of Râmnicu Vâlcea is Mircia Gutău of the Romanian Ecologist Party (PER), following the 2020 Romanian local elections. The Râmnicu Vâlcea Municipal Council, elected at the 2020 local elections, consists of 23 councillors, with the following party composition:

Sports

Râmnicu Vâlcea is home to SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, which is a women's handball club that competes traditionally in the EHF Champions League. At football, the town was previously known for its now dissolved local football club

Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea was a football club based in Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea County, Romania. It was founded in 1946 and dissolved in 2004. It won one Romanian Cup, in 1973. History In 1946 ''Vâlceana'' appeared in the Third Division. I ...

which won one

Romanian cup Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania ** Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...

in 1973. It briefly participated in the

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tourn ...

/European Cup Winners' Cup during one season (namely in 1973–1974) for just one round (more specifically the first one) against Northern Irish side

Glentoran F.C. Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882. History Early history In 1914, Glentoran won the Vienna Cup, becoming the first United Kingdom team to win a European t ...

which subsequently went on to the quarter-finals.

Villages

The city administers thirteen villages: Aranghel, Căzănești, Copăcelu, Dealu Malului, Fețeni, Goranu, Lespezi, Poenari, Priba, Râureni, Săliștea, Stolniceni, and Troian. Goranu, Fețeni, Lespezi, and Săliștea were a separate commune, ''Goranu'', until 1996, when they were merged into the town.

Natives

* (1898–1978), singer * (1896–1968), chemist * Radu Berceanu (born 1953), engineer and politician * (born 1957), visual artist * Dan Burghelea (born 1943), mathematician * Florin Cîțu (born 1972), politician who served as Prime Minister *

Bogdan-Daniel Deac Bogdan-Daniel Deac (born 8 October 2001) is a Romanian chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he earned his grandmaster title at the age of 14 years, 7 months and 27 days. Chess career Born in 2001, Deac earned his international master title in 2 ...

(born 2001), chess grandmaster * Doru Dudiță (born 1977), footballer * Ion Emanuel Florescu (1819–1893), general who served as Chief of the General Staff and Prime Minister *

Gheorghe I. Lahovary Gheorghe I. Lahovary (–) was a Wallachian-born Romanian engineer and writer. Born in Râmnicu Vâlcea, he studied in Bucharest. In 1855 he was sent by his parents to study in Germany. After attending the University of Berlin and Heidelber ...

(1838–1909), engineer and writer * Gabriel Liiceanu (born 1942), philosopher * Nicolae Manolescu (born 1939), literary critic * Marian-Jean Marinescu (born 1952), politician * Maria Marinela Mazilu (born 1991), skeleton racer *

Horia Moculescu Horia Moculescu (born 18 March 1937 in Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania) is a self-taught Romanian pianist, composer, and producer. After finishing high school in Turda, he studied at the Mining Institute in Petroșani Petroșani (; Hungarian: ''Petr ...

(born 1937), pianist and composer * (born 1941), literary critic *

Mihail Oromolu Mihail Oromolu (February 6, 1875 – March 29, 1945) was a Romanian magistrate and politician. Born in Râmnicu Vâlcea, he attended Saint Sava National College in Bucharest, followed by the University of Bucharest. He received a law degree from ...

(1875–1945), magistrate and politician * (born 1950), politician *

Alexandru Papadopol Alexandru Papadopol (; born 5 April 1975, in Râmnicu Vâlcea) is a Romanian actor. At the beginning of the year 2000 he appeared in the films ''Marfa şi banii'' (''Goods and Money'' or '' Stuff and Dough'') and ''Occident'', after which he app ...

(born 1975), actor *

Dem Rădulescu Dem Rădulescu (; 21 September 1931 – 17 September 2000) was a Romanian theatre, film and television actor, and academic. He was also a professor at the Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest. Personal life Rădule ...

(1931–2000), theatre, film, and television actor, and academic * Dorel Zugrăvescu (1930–2019), geophysicist

Gallery

File:La ville de Ramnic Valtcha.jpg, Râmnicu Vâlcea at the turn of the 20th century File:Primaria Ramnicu Valcea.jpg, Râmnicu Vâlcea town hall at the beginning of the 20th century File:Primăria municipiului Râmnicu Vâlcea. Monument de arhitectură.jpg, Râmnicu Vâlcea town hall in September 2020 File:Ramnicu Valcea.jpg, Revolution Square File:Colegiul „Alexandru Lahovari” antebelic (1) 02.jpg,

Alexandru Lahovari National College Alexandru Lahovari National College ( ro, Colegiul Național Alexandru Lahovari) is a high school located at 19 General Praporgescu Street, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania. History The school opened as a gymnasium in September 1891. Initially offering j ...

(then secondary school) at the beginning of the 20th century File:Colegiul Lahovari VL-II-m-B-09608.jpg, Alexandru Lahovari National College File:2019 Ansamblu de locuințe „Str. Vasile Olănescu” Rm.VL 07.jpg, Historical house on Vasile Olănescu Street File:2019 Ansamblu urban „Str. Gabriel Stoianovici” 03.jpg, Historical house on Gabriel Stoianovici Street File:2019 Casa memorială „Anton Pann” 05.jpg, Anton Pann memorial house File:2019 Casa N. Balotescu Rm.VL 11.jpg, Nicolae Balotescu memorial house File:2019 Ansamblu urban „Str. Tudor Vladimirescu” Rm.VL 03.jpg, Historical house on Tudor Vladimirescu Street File:2019 Casa Tetoianu Rm.VL 05.jpg, Constantin Tetoianu historical house

References

External links

Râmnicu Vâlcea City Hall official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramnicu Valcea Cities in Romania Populated places in Vâlcea County Capitals of Romanian counties Localities in Oltenia