Mehadia ( hu, Mehádia; german: Mehadia; tr, Mehadiye) is a small market town and
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in
Caraș-Severin County
Caraș-Severin () is a county ( județ) of Romania on the border with Serbia. The majority of its territory lies within the historical region of Banat, with a few northeastern villages considered part of Transylvania. The county seat is Reșița ...
,
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of 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 lies on the
European route E70
European route E70 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from A Coruña in Spain in the west to the Georgian city of Poti in the east.
Itinerary
The E 70 routes through ten European countries, and includes one sea-crossing, ...
, in the
Cerna River valley. The town is located on the site of the ancient
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 letter ...
colony Ad Mediam and was noted for its Hercules baths.
It had a population of 2,492 in 1900, and of 4,118 in 2011. The commune is prone to major recurring flooding. The 1838 floods destroyed some 2,000 houses in the valley and the 1841 floods in Mehadia were also devastating.
It experienced major flooding more recently in May 2005.
The commune is composed of four villages: Globurău (''Golbor''), Mehadia, Plugova (''Ekés''), and Valea Bolvașnița (''Bolvásvölgy'').
Etymology
The Romanian historian,
Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol
Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol (; March 23, 1847, Iaşi – February 27, 1920, Bucharest) was a Romanian historian, philosopher, professor, economist, sociologist, and author. Among his many major accomplishments, he is the Romanian historian cred ...
, stated that the name of the town had been derived from the ancient Roman name ''Ad Mediam''. Linguist Cicerone Poghirc proposed that the Romans had adopted a hypotethical (non-attested) native ''*Mehedia'' or ''*Mehadia'' form. Most linguists agree that the Romanians adopted the medieval
Hungarian name of the town which was first recorded as ''Michald'' in 1323.
History
During Roman period, Mehadia was the known by the name "Ad Medium"; the ruins of a fortress and other Roman
antiquaries testify this fact. The Hercules baths also are of Roman vintage known in that period as Thermae Herculis or Ponies Herculis. Subsequent to the fall of the Roman Empire, the place was deserted till it was restored in recent times (after 1735) and the springs are most visited (June to September are the best months for visiting the baths). The Roman road from the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
to
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 thus r ...
was close to this village.
Recent archaeological excavations have further substantiated the Roman period rule in the region. Many inscriptions dedicated to Hercules which testify the Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
reign of the Romans are seen at the baths.
During the continent floods of 1910, Mehadia suffered serious loss to farms and property and several hundred people died; 600 houses were destroyed.
Geography
Mehadia is located in southwestern Romania in the Cerna
Cerna may refer to:
Populated places
* Cerna, Croatia, Vukovar-Syrmia County, Croatia
* Černá (Žďár nad Sázavou District), Czech Republic
* Černá, Semily District, Czech Republic
* Cerna, Tulcea, Romania
* A village in Vaideeni Commune ...
valley at an elevation of . It is located along European route E70
European route E70 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from A Coruña in Spain in the west to the Georgian city of Poti in the east.
Itinerary
The E 70 routes through ten European countries, and includes one sea-crossing, ...
, south of the village of Plugova
Mehadia ( hu, Mehádia; german: Mehadia; tr, Mehadiye) is a small market town and commune in Caraș-Severin County, Banat, Romania. It lies on the European route E70, in the Cerna River valley. The town is located on the site of the ancient R ...
and north of Topleț
Topleț ( hu, Toplec) is a Commune in Romania, commune in Caraș-Severin County, western Romania with a population of 2923 people. It is composed of two villages, Bârza (''Börza'') and Topleț.
Natives
* Ioan Talpeș
References
{{DEFAUL ...
. Beyond Topleț to the south is Orșova
Orșova (; german: Orschowa, hu, Orsova, sr, Оршава/Oršava, bg, Орсово, pl, Orszawa, cs, Oršava, tr, Adakale) is a port city on the Danube river in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is one of four localities in the ...
, which was for many years the residence of a Pasha
Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, gener ...
and contained a prominent Turkish fortress. The town of Băile Herculane
Băile Herculane ( la, Aqua Herculis; german: Herkulesbad; hu, Herkulesfürdő; cz, Herkulovy Lázně, tr, Lazarethane) is a spa town in Romanian Banat, in Caraș-Severin County, situated in the valley of the Cerna River, between the Mehedin ...
lies nearby to the east. Different parts of the river valley in the commune have different names such as the Shupanek valley and Coramnic. To the northeast of the main town is an elongated lake named Lacul Prisaca
Lake Prisaca ( ro, Lacul Prisaca) is an elongated lake in the Cerna River in Caraș-Severin County, southwestern Romania. It is located about 6 kilometres north of Băile Herculane and northeast of Mehadia
Mehadia ( hu, Mehádia; german: Meha ...
. A suspension bridge crosses the river near Mehadia in an area which is said to smell strongly of sulphur
Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...
. The road to Mehadia passes through a broad forested scenic valley and crosses a Roman Aqueduct. The aqueduct has only 11 arches remaining in an otherwise well preserved state. They are made of large field stones and red bricks placed over a four layered field stones.
Geologically, the Plugova Fault exists between the Vârciorova
The Vârciorova is a right tributary of the river Bistra in Romania. It discharges into the Bistra in Obreja
Obreja ( hu, Obrézsa) is a commune in Caraș-Severin County, western Romania with a population of 3249. It is composed of four villa ...
and Bolvașnița valleys on the eastern boundary of the river basin and the Belibuc Fault also lies in the Plugova vicinity.
;Wild life
Wild life found in the vicinity of Mehadia are mainly wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
and bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
s. In the mild climate of Mehadia, fig trees grow in profusion.
Culture
The famous baths of Mehadia were known to the Romans as "The Baths of Hercules". It is a celebrated place for its mineral springs, which are located in a narrow rocky gorge. The springs rise in Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
in the Cerna valley, about a mile from the Mehadia town. Originally, 22 hot springs existed. However, now only nine springs are known of which the popular one is Hercules spring, which emanates from fissures. The temperature of the water, on an average, remains in the range of 70 to 145 0 F. The nine different springs in use have varying degree of chemical content with the usual sulphurated hydrogen gas, lime sulphate, soda and lime, nitrogen gas, carbonic acid gas. However, the Hercules bath does not contain sulphurated hydrogen. The temperature is controlled through a cooling apparatus. Eye treatment is also arranged with the spring water, apart from the therapeutic healing powers for scrofula, joint pains, chronic rheumatism, gout, indolent skin diseases, complicated mercurial afflictions, hysteria, hypochondria ad many other “opprobria medica”. The spring waters which are rich in hydrogen in particular, are popular for cures of cutaneous disorders, paralysis and apoplexy. The yield of these springs have been estimated as of water even during the dry season. The water temperature of some of the springs reported in a 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
**Ge ...
publication in degrees on the Réaumur scale
__NOTOC__
The Réaumur scale (; °Ré, °Re, °r), also known as the "octogesimal division", is a temperature scale for which the melting and boiling points of water are defined as 0 and 80 degrees respectively. The scale is named for René An ...
(°C = °Ré × 1.25) are: The Kalkabad 30 °Ré, the Rauber bad or Hercules Spring 35.5 °Ré, the Old Gliederbad 30.5 °Ré; the Augenbader 42 °Ré the new Giledarbad 20 °Ré; the Spring Brunnon 47.5 °Ré; The Schindel or Ledwige bad 36.5 °Ré; the Schwitzhloch 30 v; the Fiedrabad 30.5 °Ré; and Franciscilbad 25 °Ré.
There are ruins of a Praetorium
The Latin term (also and ) originally identified the tent of a general within a Roman castrum (encampment), and derived from the title praetor, which identified a Roman magistrate.Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, 2 ed., ...
and civilian settlement about northwest of Mehadia and about south of Plugova on the left side of the E 70 at .
The Koramnik part of the commune historically contained a gypsy encampment along the river bank. Traditionally the locals grew peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...
es and Muscat grape
The Muscat family of grapes includes over 200 grape varieties belonging to the ''Vitis vinifera'' species that have been used in wine production and as raisin and table grapes around the globe for many centuries. Their Wine color, colors range ...
s and produced wine. Gypsies in the area were known for their vibrant music and Germanic theatrical influences.
;Houses
There are no small houses in Mehadia. They are built in narrow “Platz” with a statue of Hercules in the middle, placed over spout shaped like a crocodile from which the clear spring water emerges. The houses are painted in pale green or yellow colour, have high roofs with overhanging eves and with brownish tiles in the backdrop of the rocky mountains.
;Costumes
The peasants of Mehadia wear picturesque costumes and walk with a graceful bearing. The comely women wear braided hair, which is braided in bands and twisted round the head and bedecked with flowers. The hair seen in different colours is attributed to the traditional custom, followed by women even today, of wearing the hair of several generations of women as natural inheritance from mother, grandmother and great grand mother, along with their own. The native colourful dresses which the women wear is described as “The Obrescha, a broad girdle with red fringe hanging to the instep and worn over the white shift, gives them occasionally, as they walk along the road with the long disheveled web flaunting in the wind, a wild witch like air”.
Economic development
Mehadia forest resources are proposed to be exploited by new company known as Woodex Industries. The project started in 2001 envisaged manufacture of large wood laminated boards.
The road networks in and around Mehadia are also under a major expansion and rehabilitation programme. The upgrading of the roads to international standards is aimed at meeting the increased traffic in the region and to minimise occurrence of accidents, to improving traffic safety and create new parking lots.
The baths in Mehadia are now provided with elegant accommodation to stay and are provided with modern amenities.
Archaeological excavations
The Mehadia archaeological site is spread over an area of 7 ha. The "Roman champ" is the site where excavations were initiated since 1942. The Roman champ has been investigated in two stages – the first stage excavation was in earth while the second stage was in stone formations in pits of 116×142.6 m size. These have unearthed many Roman antiquaries buried under agricultural fields of corn and private orchards. A defence system dated to 101 has been discovered near the confluence of the Bolvașnița stream with the Bela Reka River. It has been inferred that the Emperor Trajan
Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
had set up his army establishment here during the first phase of the war with the Dacians
The Dacians (; la, Daci ; grc-gre, Δάκοι, Δάοι, Δάκαι) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often consid ...
. A relic of a military diploma was found. This diploma is stated to belong to a soldier of the Cohors I Ulpia Brittonum
A cohort (from the Latin ''cohors'', plural ''cohortes'', see wikt:cohors for full inflection table) was a standard tactical military unit of a Roman legion. Although the standard size changed with time and situation, it was generally composed ...
, a personal guard of the emperor.[
Epigraphical information read at the base of the Roman champ provides link to the Cohors III Delmatarum. In addition, temporary military establishments of "Cohors VII Raetorum, detachments from Legio XIII Gemina, Legio V Macedonica and from Legio III Flavia Felix and Legio VII Claudia" have also been identified. The defense system was created to protect the Dierna city from northern invasions. In the constricted area of the Roman champ, "a circular military vicus", which extends along the Bela Reka River up to the thermae has also been identified. A graveyard of the Roman period has also been discovered on the bank of the Bolvașnița stream, in the northern part the Roman champ. Further, excavations have also revealed "the Capitolium of the civilian settlement at Praetorium – Mehadia", which has a temple built by the soldiers of the Cohors III Delmatarum ¥.][
]
Notable people
*Maria Alexandru
Maria Alexandru (née Golopența) (born 30 December 1939 in Plugova) is a former Romanian table tennis player.
Table tennis career
From 1957 to 1980 she won several medals in singles, doubles, and team events in the Table Tennis European Champi ...
(b. 1939), world champion tennis player
* Nicolae Cena (1844–1922), general
*Nicolae Kovács
Nicolae Kovács ( hu, Kovács Miklós, sometimes rendered as ''Nicolae Covaci'', 29 December 1911 – 7 July 1977) was a Romanian-Hungarian football player and coach. He was a dual international football player and played both for Romania and H ...
(1911–1977), football player and coach
References
Sources
*
Further reading
*Băcilă, Ion, ''Monografia Mehadiei'', Editura Marineasa, Timișoara, 1997,
*Nicolae Danciu Petniceanu, ''Mehadia – vatră istorică milenară'', Editura Gordian, Timișoara, 2007,
{{Authority control
Communes in Caraș-Severin County
Localities in Romanian Banat
Roman towns and cities in Romania