Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Râmnicu Vâlcea

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Country
  
Romania

Status
  
County capital

Time zone
  
EET (UTC+2)

Area
  
89.52 km²

County
  
Vâlcea

Elevation
  
250 m (820 ft)

Postal code
  
240xxx

Population
  
110,527 (2012)

Râmnicu Vâlcea httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Weather
  
11°C, Wind S at 6 km/h, 66% Humidity

Points of interest
  
Cozia Monastery, Grădina Zoologică, Casa Memorială „Anton Pa, Zăvoi, Parcul Mircea cel Bătrân

Interact r mnicu v lcea one of romania s most beautiful cities


Râmnicu Vâlcea (also spelled Rîmnicu Vîlcea, [ˈrɨmniku ˈvɨlt͡ʃe̯a]) (population: 92,573) is the capital city of Vâlcea County, Romania (in the historical province of Oltenia).

Contents

Map of R%C3%A2mnicu V%C3%A2lcea, Romania

Geography and climate

Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania. Set at the foothills of the Southern Carpathians, the city is located at about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the Cozia Mountains and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the Făgăraş and Lotrului Mountains. The southern limit of Râmnicu Vâlcea is formed by the Getic Plateau and the Oltului Valley.

The Olt River crosses the town of Râmnicu Vâlcea as well as the E81 road of European interest and one of the main national railway routes.

The climate 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.

History

The area has been inhabited since Dacian and Roman times, and was the site of a castrum. A new fortress was built on the location during the Middle Ages. Râmnicu Vâlcea was first attested during the rule of Prince 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. Cetăţuia, the actual fortress, served as the residence of Oltenian Bans and, from 1504, of the Orthodox bishops of the Râmnic Diocese; in 1543, Prince Radu de la Afumaţi was killed in Cetăţuia by a boyar conspiracy.

During the rules of Matei Basarab and Constantin Brâncoveanu, it became an important cultural center. It was here where the first paper mill and printing press in Romania were built (see Anthim the Iberian). The city was heavily damaged during the Habsburg takeover of Oltenia between 1718 and 1739, and its purpose was again reduced to that of a fortress.

During the Wallachian Revolution, on 29 July 1848, Deşteaptă-te, române! (the national anthem of Romania), with lyrics written by Andrei Mureşanu 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 city, in an attempt to face the anti-revolutionary forces of Imperial Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

In the 1980s, the city was completely rebuilt in a style combining Socialist realism with local vernacular architecture.

The city was the center and peak point of the path of total darkness of the Solar eclipse of 11 August 1999.

Politics

The mayor of Râmnicu Vâlcea is Mircia Gutău of the Ecologist Party of Romania, following the 2016 local election. The previous mayor, Emilian Frâncu, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in March 2014 for corruption-related offenses. The Râmnicu Vâlcea Municipal Council, elected at the June 2012 local government elections, is made up of 22 councillors, with the following party composition:

Oltchim S.A.

Oltchim S.A. Ramnicu Valcea was one of the largest chemical companies in Romania. It provided chemical products since 1966, it was an exporter on Chlorosodics, Polyether Polyols and Propylene Oxide markets in Eastern and Central Europe, and it was the second largest PVC producer in the area.

In 2009 and 2010, the company lowered production and laid off employees because of the financial crisis and it became one of the first companies to receive aid from the government.

In 2012, the company was declared bankrupt.

Cybercrime

Râmnicu Vâlcea has gained notoriety as a global centre of cybercrime, including but not limited to EBay and Craigslist scammers who steal thousands of dollars per transaction from foreign buyers, generating millions of dollars in revenue. Wealthy profiteers provide revenue for a strong luxury car industry.

Sports

Râmnicu Vâlcea is home to CS Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea is a women handball club which competes in the Liga Naţională and the Women's Champions League.

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 city.

Natives

  • Ionuț Alexandru Budișteanu
  • Ion Emanuel Florescu
  • Victoraş Iacob
  • Gabriel Liiceanu
  • Nicolae Manolescu
  • Marian-Jean Marinescu
  • Alexandru Papadopol
  • Dem Rădulescu
  • Raul Rusescu
  • References

    Râmnicu Vâlcea Wikipedia