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Ciacova ( hu, Csák; german: Tschakowa; sr, Чаково, Čakovo; tr, Çakova) is a
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Timiș County Timiș () is a county ('' județ'') of western Romania on the border with Hungary and Serbia, in the historical region of Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the westernmost and the largest county in Romania in terms of land area. T ...
,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. It administers four villages: Cebza, Macedonia, Obad and Petroman. When it was declared a town in 2004, the villages of Gad and Ghilad, which it administered up to that point, were split off to form
Ghilad Ghilad ( hu, Gilád; german: Gilad or ''Kilatt'') is a communes of Romania, commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Gad ( hu, Gád; sr, Гад, Gad) and Ghilad. These were part of the commune of Ciacova until 2004, whe ...
commune.


Name

In both Romanian and Hungarian vocabularies, there are the names ''ceacău'' (in
Romanian 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, traditional ...
), ''csákó'' (in Hungarian) and ''csák'' (in Old Hungarian): * ''ceacău'', meaning " tall and hard military cap made of leather or felt"; it was used until the end of World War II by hunting and targeting troops, then only by police troops. It is therefore possible that Ciacova got its name from this word and meant a locality around a defense post. * ''csák'', meaning "peak". Accepting this translation, the Ciacova Fortress is explained as a "peak of defense" against any enemy intervention from the east or southeast. Some local historians claim that the name comes from a Dacian word, ending in "-ava" and therefore ''Ciacava''. However, no documents or other evidence can be found to support this thesis. In 1808 claims that the name ''Ciacova'' comes from the Romanian language, but does not provide evidence in support of this statement.


Geography

Ciacova is located in the Timiș Plain, on Timișul Mort River, about 28 km southwest of
Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...
.


Relief

The relief is flat, with a slight inclination to the southwest in the divagation area of Banat rivers to the
Tisa The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders. The Tisza be ...
. The Timiș Plain is an accumulation plain originally connected to the
Pannonian Plain The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only the ...
, formed in the
Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...
by the waters that clogged the Pannonian Lake. This lake was formed by the sinking of a part of the
Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Ural Mountains, Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The ...
in the
Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...
. There is only slight dishevelment in the plain. There are small depressions (
cenote A cenote ( or ; ) is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater. The regional term is specifically associated with the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where cenotes were commonly used for ...
s), remnants of lakes, ponds or swamps that existed here until the 18th century when the Austro-Hungarian Empire executed a vast plan of drainage and damming. Today, the remains of these ponds can be seen in the field in the form of slightly deepened circles that are whiter than the black plowed land; these are the so-called
salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...
es. In the Ciacova area, the surface of the various forms of microrelief is occupied 85% by field, 2.5% by
cenote A cenote ( or ; ) is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater. The regional term is specifically associated with the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where cenotes were commonly used for ...
s, 3% by valleys, 2% by terraces, 1% by riverbed sands, 0.8% by dry lakes, 0.5% by floodplain and 5.2% by roads, streets and ditches.


Hydrography

Hydrologically, the territory of Ciacova belongs to the reception basin of Timiș. More precisely, Ciacova is located on the left bank of Timișul Mort. Timișul Mort ("Dead Timiș") is the old and natural valley of the Timiș River in the
puszta The Hungarian Puszta () is a temperate grassland biome of the Alföld or Great Hungarian Plain. It is an exclave of the Eurasian Steppe, and lies mainly around the River Tisza in the eastern part of Hungary, as well as in the western part of t ...
area of Banat. It "died" in the 18th century with the drainage of the Banat swamps, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire artificially created the current anthropic valley of the Timiș by Cebza, Macedonia, etc. Timișul Mort is today a swampy area with small waterholes, ponds full of helophyte plants, rushes, reeds, duckweeds, etc.


Climate

From a climatological point of view, Ciacova is part of the
Tisa The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders. The Tisza be ...
climate, i.e., a moderate
continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...
with slight influences of the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
and
oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...
climates, with relatively mild winters and hot but not excessively dry summers. The average annual temperature is 11.1 °C, and the frequency of warm years is higher than that of cool years, due to the fact that Ciacova is south of the annual isotherm of 11 °C. The warmest month is July. The coldest month is January with an average multiannual temperature of –2.6 °C. The winds are determined by the development of baric systems that cross the Banat Plain. These baric systems are: the
Azores High The Azores High also known as North Atlantic (Subtropical) High/Anticyclone or the Bermuda-Azores High, is a large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure typically found south of the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, at the Hor ...
, the (winter)
Siberian High The Siberian High (also Siberian Anticyclone; russian: Азиатский антициклон (''Aziatsky antitsiklon'')) is a massive collection of cold dry air that accumulates in the northeastern part of Eurasia from September until April. It ...
, the
Icelandic Low The Icelandic Low is a semi-permanent centre of low atmospheric pressure found between Iceland and southern Greenland and extending in the Northern Hemisphere winter into the Barents Sea. In the summer, it weakens and splits into two centres, one ...
and the Mediterranean Low. In Ciacova, the dominant winds are the southwest ones. Due to the cyclonic activity and the humid air invasions from the west, the southwest and the northwest, in Banat the precipitations are more abundant than in the
Wallachian Plain The Romanian Plain ( ro, Câmpia Română) is located in southern Romania and the easternmost tip of Serbia, where it is known as the Wallachian Plain ( sr, Vlaška nizija/Влашка низија). Part of the historical region of Wallachia, it ...
. In the Ciacova area the average annual precipitation amount is 588 mm. The season with the richest rainfall is summer, then spring, autumn and winter. Heavy rains during the summer are due to cyclones and humid air masses coming from the Atlantic, to which is added the thermal convection that develops large
cumulonimbus cloud Cumulonimbus (from Latin ''cumulus'', "heaped" and ''nimbus'', "rainstorm") is a dense, towering vertical cloud, typically forming from water vapor condensing in the lower troposphere that builds upward carried by powerful buoyant air currents. ...
s from which heavy rains fall. The average number of snowy days is 20 annually. The first snow falls around 29 November, and the last around 14 March (106 days).


Flora

Ciacova is located in the
forest-steppe A forest steppe is a temperate-climate ecotone and habitat type composed of grassland interspersed with areas of woodland or forest. Locations Forest steppe primarily occurs in a belt of forest steppes across northern Eurasia from the eastern ...
area. Here are plants that belong to the Eurasian, Central European, continental, Mediterranean and Balkan floristic elements. The natural vegetation has been largely changed due to human intervention, being replaced by agricultural crops. In the 18th century, mentioned the existence of ''
Quercus An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...
'' forests in this area, with the predominance of
sessile oak ''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Cornish oak, Irish Oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an unofficial embl ...
. Today these forests have been cleared. However, a small patch of forest can still be seen in the village of Macedonia, near the Timiș River. The species here include: ''
Quercus robur ''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus ...
'', ''
Ulmus glabra ''Ulmus glabra'' Hudson, the wych elm or Scots elm, has the widest range of the European elm species, from Ireland eastwards to the Urals, and from the Arctic Circle south to the mountains of the Peloponnese and Sicily, where the species reaches i ...
'', ''
Fraxinus excelsior ''Fraxinus excelsior'', known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Albor ...
'', ''
Acer campestre ''Acer campestre'', known as the field maple, is a flowering plant species in the family Sapindaceae. It is native to much of continental Europe, Britain, southwest Asia from Turkey to the Caucasus, and north Africa in the Atlas Mountains. It has ...
'', '' Carpinus betulus'', etc. The
undergrowth Undergrowth usually refers to the vegetation in the lower part of a forest, which can obstruct passage through the forest. The height of undergrowth is usually considered to be 0.3 – 3 m (1 – 9 ft.). Undergrowth can also refer to all ...
in the forest has as representatives: ''
Crataegus monogyna ''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and West Asia, but has been introduced in ...
'', ''
Corylus avellana ''Corylus avellana'', the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia. It is an important component of the hedgerows that were the traditional field boundaries in lowland En ...
'', ''
Prunus spinosa ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, ...
'', ''
Cornus sanguinea ''Cornus sanguinea'', the common dogwood or bloody dogwood, is a species of dogwood native to most of Europe and western Asia, from England and central Scotland east to the Caspian Sea. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant. Description It ...
'', ''
Euonymus europaeus ''Euonymus europaeus'', the spindle, European spindle, or common spindle, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Celastraceae, native plant, native to much of Europe, where it inhabits the edges of forest, hedges and gent ...
'', ''
Ligustrum vulgare ''Ligustrum vulgare'' (wild privet, also sometimes known as common privet or European privet) is a species of ''Ligustrum'' native to central and southern Europe, north Africa and southwestern Asia, from Ireland and southwestern Sweden south to M ...
'', hanging plants (''
Hedera helix ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...
'', ''
Clematis vitalba ''Clematis vitalba'' (also known as old man's beard and traveller's joy) is a shrub of the family Ranunculaceae. Description ''Clematis vitalba'' is a climbing shrub with branched, grooved stems, deciduous leaves, and scented greeny-white flo ...
''), etc.
Gramineae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...
predominate in the grassy layer: ''
Poa pratensis ''Poa pratensis'', commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass (or blue grass), smooth meadow-grass, or common meadow-grass, is a perennial species of grass native to practically all of Europe, North Asia and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Altho ...
'', ''
Festuca pratensis ''Festuca pratensis'', the meadow fescue, is a perennial species of grass, which is often used as an ornamental grass in gardens, and is also an important forage crop. It grows in meadows, roadsides, old pastures, and riversides on moist, rich ...
'', ''
Dactylis glomerata ''Dactylis Glomerata'' is the sixth studio album by Swedish doom metal band Candlemass, released in 1998. This was their first album released since their split in 1994. The album was originally destined to be the second release by Candlemass ...
'', etc. Along the Timiș and Timișul Mort there are remains of riverside coppices, but in the meadows there are species of ''
Salix alba ''Salix alba'', the white willow, is a species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia.Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland''. BSBI Handbook No. 4. .Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain an ...
'', ''
Salix × fragilis ''Salix'' × ''fragilis'', with the common names crack willow and brittle willow, is a hybrid species of willow native to Europe and Western Asia. It is native to riparian habitats, usually found growing beside rivers and streams, and in marsh ...
'', rarely ''
Salix purpurea ''Salix purpurea'', the purple willow purpleosier willow or purple osier, is a species of willow native to most of Europe and western Asia north to the British Isles, Poland, and the Baltic States.Flora Europaea''Salix purpurea''/ref>Meikle, R. D ...
'', ''
Rosa canina ''Rosa canina'', commonly known as the dog rose, is a variable climbing, wild rose species native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. Description The dog rose is a deciduous shrub normally ranging in height from , though sometimes it ...
'' and ''
Robinia pseudoacacia ''Robinia pseudoacacia'', commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the tribe Robinieae of the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to a few small areas of the United States, ...
''. The grassy vegetation in the meadow consists of forage plants: ''
Agrostis gigantea ''Agrostis gigantea'', known by its common names black bent and redtop, is a perennial grass of the '' Agrostis'' genus. It is native to Europe, but in the cooler areas of North America was widely used as a pasture grass until the 1940s. Althoug ...
'', ''
Lolium perenne ''Lolium perenne'', common name perennial ryegrass, English ryegrass, winter ryegrass, or ray grass, is a grass from the family Poaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, but is widely cultivated and naturalised around the world. ...
'', etc. High humidity develops mesophilic and hydrophilic species: ''
Juncus effusus ''Juncus effusus'', with the common names common rush or soft rush, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant species in the rush family Juncaceae. In North America, the common name soft rush also refers to '' Juncus interior''. Distribution ' ...
'', ''
Carex acuta ''Carex acuta'', the acute sedge, slender tufted-sedge, or slim sedge, can be found growing on the margins of rivers and lakes in the Palaearctic terrestrial ecoregions in beds of wet, alkaline or slightly acid depressions with mineral soil. ...
'', ''
Cyperus fuscus ''Cyperus fuscus'' is a species of Cyperus, sedge known by the common name brown galingale, or brown flatsedge. This plant is native to much of Europe, Asia and North Africa from England, Portugal and Morocco east to China and Thailand. It is an ...
'', etc. In ponds predominate: ''
Phragmites australis ''Phragmites australis'', known as the common reed, is a species of plant. It is a broadly distributed wetland grass that can grow up to tall. Description ''Phragmites australis'' commonly forms extensive stands (known as reed beds), which may ...
'', ''
Typha angustifolia ''Typha angustifolia'' L. (also lesser bulrush, narrowleaf cattail or lesser reedmace) is a perennial herbaceous plant of genus ''Typha''. This cattail is an "obligate wetland" species that is commonly found in the northern hemisphere in brackis ...
'', ''
Iris pseudacorus ''Iris pseudacorus'', the yellow flag, yellow iris, or water flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. Its specific epithet ''pseudacorus'' means "false acorus", re ...
'', etc. In the meadows, isolated specimens of ''
Prunus spinosa ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, ...
'' and ''
Rosa canina ''Rosa canina'', commonly known as the dog rose, is a variable climbing, wild rose species native to Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia. Description The dog rose is a deciduous shrub normally ranging in height from , though sometimes it ...
'' can be found. The pastures in the meadow are of good quality, providing the green mass for the animals.


Fauna

Among the mammals, rodents predominate:
hamster Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in seven genera.Fox, Sue. 2006. ''Hamsters''. T.F.H. Publications Inc. They have become established as popular small pets. The b ...
,
mole rat Mole-rat or mole rat can refer to several groups of burrowing Old World rodents: * Bathyergidae, a family of about 20 hystricognath species in six genera from Africa also called blesmols. *'' Heterocephalus glaber'', the naked mole-rat. * Spalacid ...
,
hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...
,
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
,
ground squirrel Ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents (Sciuridae), which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known ...
, then
polecat Polecat is a common name for several mustelid species in the order Carnivora and subfamilies Ictonychinae and Mustelinae. Polecats do not form a single taxonomic rank (i.e. clade). The name is applied to several species with broad similarities t ...
,
fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
,
badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united b ...
and
wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
(in Macedonia Forest). Among the raptors are:
buzzard Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey. ''Buteo'' species * Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'') * Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') * Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') * Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') * Eastern ...
,
northern goshawk The northern goshawk (; ''Accipiter gentilis'') is a species of medium-large bird of prey, raptor in the Family (biology), family Accipitridae, a family which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harrier (bird) ...
, etc. There are many species of
galliformes Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are often ...
,
passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...
s and
ciconiiformes Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...
. In the field can be found crawlers like
lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s, and in the waters batrachians such as green frog and
moor frog The moor frog (''Rana arvalis'') is a slim, reddish-brown, semiaquatic amphibian native to Europe and Asia. Moor frogs are known for their ability to freeze solid and survive thawing. The frog makes use of various cryoprotectants i.e. antifreeze ...
. In the dead arms of Timiș, on Timișul Mort and in Timiș there are fish:
carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
,
pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...
,
rudd ''Scardinius'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae commonly called rudds. Locally, the name "rudd" without any further qualifiers is also used for individual species, particularly the common rudd (''S. erythrophthalmus''). Th ...
,
Prussian carp The Prussian carp, silver Prussian carp or Gibel carp (''Carassius gibelio''), is a member of the family Cyprinidae, which includes many other fish, such as the common carp, goldfish, and the smaller minnows. It is a medium-sized cyprinid, and d ...
, etc.


History

Ciacova first appears in
written history Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world his ...
in 1220, when Count Bebich named a certain ''Chak'' in his will. The old name is of Hungarian origin and comes from the Csák family. The history of the locality is related to this family, which had extensive estates in the counties of
Csanád Csanád, also Chanadinus, or Cenad, was the first head ''(comes)'' of Csanád County in the Kingdom of Hungary in the first decades of the 11th century. Csanád defeated and killed Ajtony who had ruled over the region now known as Banat (in Rom ...
, Arad, Temes and Zaránd. Some representatives of the family played an important role in the medieval history of Hungary, such as
Ugrin Csák Ugrin (III) from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli (III.) Ugrin, hr, Ugrin Čak, sr, Угрин Чак; died in 1311) was a prominent Hungarian baron and oligarch in the early 14th century. He was born into an ancient Hungarian clan. He ac ...
, who was metropolitan of
Esztergom Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Danu ...
and prefect of Csanád. The invasion of the Tatars shattered the links of the settlement with the Csák family, and after its destruction, King
Béla IV Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''whit ...
gave it to the Pechenegs and Cumans. In 1285, as a result of the Cuman revolution, Ciacova was liberated again and returned to Miklós Csák. It is very probable that the settlement was re-established at that time, because in the papal tithe records of 1332–1333, Ciacova already had the status of a rural commune. After 1389, when the battle of Kosovo Polje took place on 28 June, the Serbs were defeated by the Turks, and thousands of Serb families fled across the Danube and settled in southern Hungary and Banat; this is how the first Serbs appeared in Ciacova. They formed a separate settlement near the existing town, named ''Tót-Csák'' in Hungarian or ''Csakova'' in Serbian. ''Tót'' means "Slovak" in Hungarian, but ''Tótorság'' means
Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja ...
, as most settlers were Serbs from
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
area. Between 1392–1395, a fortress was built here, surrounded by a network of canals, making it difficult to conquer. In 1395, brothers Miklós and György Csáky gave the fortress to King
Sigismund of Luxembourg Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was a monarch as King of Hungary and Croatia (''jure uxoris'') from 1387, King of Germany from 1410, King of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his death in 1 ...
in exchange for property in Transylvania. Miklós even became voivode of Transylvania, and his son Ulászló baptized
Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several mi ...
, the future king of Hungary. On 18 September 1551, Ciacova is conquered by the Turks. The defenders of the fortress were prepared to withstand a long siege, but, according to one hypothesis, the Serbs, who had long been at enmity with the Hungarian chatelaines, betrayed the secrets of the fortress to the Turks. It is true that in this way they prevented the destruction of the fortress and the locality. The Turks built a veritable Turkish quarter in the town, superimposed approximately today by the Fortress' Square, on the land abandoned after the retreat of the Hungarians, south of the fortress. The Ciacova Fortress had a minor strategic importance for the Turks, being located "25 days on horseback" from Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. For this reason, the fortress was left to ruin. In 1698–1699 Hamin Pasha brings settlers from Transylvania to Banat, and therefore to Ciacova. Following the
Treaty of Karlowitz The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in Karlowitz, Military Frontier of Archduchy of Austria (present-day Sremski Karlovci, Serbia), on 26 January 1699, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the ...
on 26 January 1699, under the command of Count Wolf of
Oettingen Oettingen in Bayern ( Swabian: ''Eadi'') is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated northwest of Donauwörth, and northeast of Nördlingen. Geography The town is located on the river Wörnitz, a tributar ...
, the Ciacova Fortress was destroyed, leaving only the ''
culă A ''culă'' (plural: ''cule''; from Turkish language, Turkish ''kule'' "tower, turret") is a semi-fortified building found in the Oltenia region of Romania with a number of examples located in the historical province of Muntenia. They were original ...
'' (defense tower). The conquest of Banat by the Habsburgs brought a new direction for the development of the small market town. After 1722, the town was heavily colonized by Germans (Swabians) but also Austrians, Czechs, Slovaks, Luxembourgers, Croats, etc. The first Catholic church was built in 1733. But because Ciacova was repeatedly attacked by the Turks, many settlers left here. Colonization continued and in 1768 Ciacova adopted
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
as its official language. After 1787, 126 Slovak families were colonized, forming for a long time a large ethnic community and from which the present-day Slovak Street is preserved. At first Ciacova had been run by two separate town halls; in 1820 the German and Serbian town halls were reunited, and since 1823 Ciacova has had the status of a plain town (''oppidum''). In 1807, the Ciacova-based Religious Fund was established, which aimed to colonize Hungarians in the
Győr Győr ( , ; german: Raab, links=no; names of European cities in different languages: E-H#G, names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia, Western Transdanubia ...
,
Moson Moson (German language, German: Wieselburg, Slovak language, Slovak: Mošon) was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary, situated mostly on the right (south) side of the Danube river. Its t ...
and
Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...
areas. But the Hungarians did not become as numerous as the Romanians and Germans. The latter left the town en masse until 1992. Throughout its history, Ciacova has been a seat of district, ''
plasă ''Plasă'' (, plural ''plăși'' ) was a territorial division unit of Romania, ranking below county ('' județ'') and above commune. It was headed by a '' Pretor'', appointed by the county Prefect. The institution headed by the Pretor was called ...
'', ''
raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...
'' and plain town. According to ''Law no. 83/2004'', starting with April 2004, Ciacova received the status of town.


Demographics

Ciacova had a population of 5,348 inhabitants at the 2011 census, up 0.9% from the 2002 census. Most inhabitants are
Romanians The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Culture of Romania, Romanian culture and Cultural heritage, ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they l ...
(79.77%), larger minorities being represented by
Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and  ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
(6.23%),
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
(4.28%),
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
(1.65%) and
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
(1.23%). For 6.23% of the population, ethnicity is unknown. By religion, most inhabitants are
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
(76.8%), but there are also minorities of
Roman Catholic 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 lette ...
s (9.78%) and
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement
s (4.97%). For 6.21% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.


Economy

The economy has the characteristics of a small industrial-agricultural plain town. The light, textile and food industries are present here. Milling, fruit growing and animal husbandry are also developed.


Twin towns

Ciacova is twinned with: *
Masi Torello Masi Torello ( Ferrarese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ferrara in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northeast of Bologna and about east of Ferrara. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,355 and an ...
*
Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière (; oc, Sent Pardon la Ribiera) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It forms part of the Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin. Etymology The Occitan is derived f ...


Notable people

*
Dositej Obradović Dositej Obradović ( sr-Cyrl, Доситеј Обрадовић; 17 February 1739 – 7 April 1811) was a Serbian writer, biographer, diarist, philosopher, pedagogue, educational reformer, linguist, polyglot and the first minister of education ...
(1742–1811), writer *
Dimitrije Tirol Dimitrije P. Tirol (Serbian: Димитрије П. Тирол; Csák, Habsburg monarchy, 30 May 1793 – Timișoara, Habsburg Monarchy, 30 March 1857) is a Serbian writer, linguist, geographer, and painter who lived and worked in Austro-Hungary a ...
, (1793–1857), writer, grammarian, geographer and painter *
Branko Tanazević Branko Tanazević (Бранко Таназевић) ( Čakovo, Banat, 1876 - Belgrade, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1945) was one of the most famous Serbian architects of the Art Nouveau and Serbo-Byzantine Revival, also known as the Serbian national s ...
(1876–1945), architect * Zeno Coste (1907–1985), singer * Spiridon Jovanović * Stefan Popović (bishop) (c. 1775-1849) * Emilijan Čarnić (1914-1995) * Milan Petrović (professor) (1879-1952) * (1913–2008), politician


References

{{Authority control Populated places in Timiș County Localities in Romanian Banat Towns in Romania Place names of Slavic origin in Romania