Mărginimea Sibiului ( hu, Szeben-Hegyalja) is an area which comprises 18
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 ...
n localities in the south-western part of the
Sibiu County
Sibiu County () is a county ( ro, județ) of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Its county seat ( ro, reședință de județ) is the namesake town of Sibiu (german: Hermannstadt).
Name
In Hungarian, it is known as ''Szeben ...
, in southern
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, all of them having a unique ethnological, cultural, architectural, and historical heritage.
Position
The area is situated in the immediate vicinity of the cradle of
Saxon Civilisation in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
- the city of
Sibiu
Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
, and has an area of over 200 km² limited by the river
Sadu
Sadu (german: Zood; hu, Cód) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, 27 km south of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area. It is composed of a single ...
in the south and the
Săliște
Săliște (german: Großendorf or ''Selischte''; hu, Szelistye) is a town in Sibiu County, in the centre of Romania, west of the county capital, Sibiu. Declared a town in 2003, it is the main locality in the Mărginimea Sibiului area.
Geograph ...
in the north. The villages are situated around the valleys of different rivers which flow from the
Cindrel Mountains
Cindrel Mountains (also known as Cândrel Mountains, Cibin Mountains, or the Szeben Alps) are a group of mountains in central Romania in the centre of the Southern Carpathians, in the North-East of the Parâng Mountains group.
From the Transylva ...
through the
Transylvanian Plateau
The Transylvanian Plateau ( ro, Podișul Transilvaniei; hu, Erdélyi-medence) is a plateau in central Romania.
The plateau lies within and takes its name from the historical region of Transylvania, and is almost entirely surrounded by the Easte ...
.
The region comprises the following villages and towns:
*
Boița
Boița (german: Ochsendorf; hu, Bojca; la, Caput Stenarum) is a Commune in Romania, commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, south of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnog ...
*
Fântânele
*
GaleÈ™
*
Gura Râului
Gura Râului (german: Auendorf; hu, Guraró) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, west of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului
Mărginimea Sibiului ( hu, Szeben-Hegya ...
*
Jina
*
Orlat
Orlat (german: Winsberg; hu, Orlát) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, west of the county capital, Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area. It is composed of a single village, Orlat.
The commune lies in the footh ...
*
Poiana Sibiului
Poiana Sibiului (german: Pojana; hu, Polyán) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Poiana Sibiului. The name means "the glade of Sibiu".
Position
The village is situated in the Cindrel Mount ...
*
Poplaca
Poplaca (german: Gunzendorf; hu, Popláka) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, 12 km south-west of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului
Mărginimea Sibiului ( hu ...
*
Rășinari
Rășinari (german: Städterdorf; hu, Resinár) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 5,280 inhabitants (2011 census) and is composed of two villages, Prislop (''Priszloptelep'') and Rășinari.
Until 2012, ...
*
Râu Sadului
Râu Sadului ( hu, Riuszád) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, south of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographical area. It is composed of a single village, R ...
*
Rod
Rod, Ror, Ród, Rőd, Rød, Röd, ROD, or R.O.D. may refer to:
Devices
* Birch rod, made out of twigs from birch or other trees for corporal punishment
* Ceremonial rod, used to indicate a position of authority
* Connecting rod, main, coupling, ...
*
Sadu
Sadu (german: Zood; hu, Cód) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, 27 km south of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area. It is composed of a single ...
*
Săliște
Săliște (german: Großendorf or ''Selischte''; hu, Szelistye) is a town in Sibiu County, in the centre of Romania, west of the county capital, Sibiu. Declared a town in 2003, it is the main locality in the Mărginimea Sibiului area.
Geograph ...
(town)
*
Sibiel
The Sibiel is a right tributary of the river Săliște in Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It border ...
*
Tălmaciu
Tălmaciu (german: Talmesch; hu, Nagytalmács) is a town in Sibiu County, in central Romania, south of the county seat, Sibiu. It lies on the eastern end of the Mărginimea Sibiului area.
At the 2011 census, 95.3% of inhabitants were Romanians, ...
(town)
*
Tălmăcel
*
Tilișca
Tilișca (german: Tilischen; hu, Tilicske) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, in the Cindrel Mountains, west of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului
Mărginimea Sibiului ( hu, Szeben-Hegyalja) is an area whi ...
*
Vale
A vale is a type of valley.
Vale may also refer to:
Places Georgia
* Vale, Georgia, a town in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region
Norway
* VÃ¥le, a historic municipality
Portugal
* Vale (Santa Maria da Feira), a former civil parish in the municipali ...
Brief history
The oldest known settlement was a
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
village called ''Ruetel'' dating to 1204
- which became
Rășinari
Rășinari (german: Städterdorf; hu, Resinár) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 5,280 inhabitants (2011 census) and is composed of two villages, Prislop (''Priszloptelep'') and Rășinari.
Until 2012, ...
in 1488 -, followed by
Tălmaciu
Tălmaciu (german: Talmesch; hu, Nagytalmács) is a town in Sibiu County, in central Romania, south of the county seat, Sibiu. It lies on the eastern end of the Mărginimea Sibiului area.
At the 2011 census, 95.3% of inhabitants were Romanians, ...
(1318),
Orlat
Orlat (german: Winsberg; hu, Orlát) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, west of the county capital, Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area. It is composed of a single village, Orlat.
The commune lies in the footh ...
(1322) and
Săliște
Săliște (german: Großendorf or ''Selischte''; hu, Szelistye) is a town in Sibiu County, in the centre of Romania, west of the county capital, Sibiu. Declared a town in 2003, it is the main locality in the Mărginimea Sibiului area.
Geograph ...
(1354). Throughout their history, some of these settlements were sometimes (along with the
Țara Făgărașului
Țara Făgărașului (also ''Țara Oltului''; german: Fogaraschland, hu, Fogarasföld, la, terra Fugaras or ''terra Alutus'') is a region is southern Transylvania, Romania. Its main city is Făgăraș. On the north, it is bordered by the Olt Riv ...
) fiefs of the rulers of the Romanian principality of
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...
. An important event in the area was the establishment in the 18th century by
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...
of the ''1st Romanian border regiment'' at
Orlat
Orlat (german: Winsberg; hu, Orlát) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, west of the county capital, Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area. It is composed of a single village, Orlat.
The commune lies in the footh ...
. Also,
Boița
Boița (german: Ochsendorf; hu, Bojca; la, Caput Stenarum) is a Commune in Romania, commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, south of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnog ...
was a border village, at the end of the passageway along the
Olt River
The Olt (Romanian and Hungarian; german: Alt; la, Aluta or ', tr, Oltu, grc, Ἄλυτος ''Alytos'') is a river in Romania. It is long, and its basin area is . It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its average disch ...
.
Occupations
Predominantly, the people were
shepherd
A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...
s who continuously crossed the
Carpathian Mountains
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 Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
, maintaining the essential link between the Romanian communities to the north and south of the mountains. Activities closely related to shepherding, such as wool and leather manufacturing, are still well maintained in the area to this day.
Characteristics
The area has a rich variety of customs related to different times in the year and in life. To this day, it is a custom to wear the traditional folk costume - black and white, with a particular round shaped hat without borders worn by the men at the most important occasions. Painting on glass is a tradition in this area, strongly connected to the
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of ...
which is by far the main religion of the inhabitants.
The architecture is strongly influenced by the Saxons, with big imposing houses, with an internal yard well closed on all sides. Wood was traditionally the main material used in construction, but bricks have replaced it in the last hundred years; today, only a small number of wooden houses can be found.
Places to see
The oldest church in the area can be found at
Săliște
Săliște (german: Großendorf or ''Selischte''; hu, Szelistye) is a town in Sibiu County, in the centre of Romania, west of the county capital, Sibiu. Declared a town in 2003, it is the main locality in the Mărginimea Sibiului area.
Geograph ...
; it is a painted church dating to 1674. Other old churches are the wooden church from
Poiana Sibiului
Poiana Sibiului (german: Pojana; hu, Polyán) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Poiana Sibiului. The name means "the glade of Sibiu".
Position
The village is situated in the Cindrel Mount ...
- 1771 - and the church from
Tălmăcel - 1776.
In
Rășinari
Rășinari (german: Städterdorf; hu, Resinár) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 5,280 inhabitants (2011 census) and is composed of two villages, Prislop (''Priszloptelep'') and Rășinari.
Until 2012, ...
and
Săliște
Săliște (german: Großendorf or ''Selischte''; hu, Szelistye) is a town in Sibiu County, in the centre of Romania, west of the county capital, Sibiu. Declared a town in 2003, it is the main locality in the Mărginimea Sibiului area.
Geograph ...
there are some small village museums and also memorial houses.
Emil Cioran
Emil Mihai Cioran (, ; 8 April 1911 – 20 June 1995) was a Romanian philosopher, aphorist and essayist, who published works in both Romanian and French. His work has been noted for its pervasive philosophical pessimism, style, and aphorisms. H ...
is the best-known personality to have been born in this area. Additionally,
Octavian Goga
Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator.
Life and politics
Goga was born in Rășinari, near Sibiu.
Goga was an active member in the Romanian nationalisti ...
, a Romanian poet and a politician from the
interwar
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...
period, along with more than six
Romanian academicians, are natives of this area. There is a museum in
Sibiel
The Sibiel is a right tributary of the river Săliște in Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It border ...
dedicated to glass-painted icons.
Close to
Tilișca
Tilișca (german: Tilischen; hu, Tilicske) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, in the Cindrel Mountains, west of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului
Mărginimea Sibiului ( hu, Szeben-Hegyalja) is an area whi ...
there can be found the remains of a
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 ...
n citadel, situated on a hilltop with a panoramic view towards the
Transylvanian Plateau
The Transylvanian Plateau ( ro, Podișul Transilvaniei; hu, Erdélyi-medence) is a plateau in central Romania.
The plateau lies within and takes its name from the historical region of Transylvania, and is almost entirely surrounded by the Easte ...
.
A more modern museum can be found in
Sadu
Sadu (german: Zood; hu, Cód) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, 27 km south of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area. It is composed of a single ...
, the place where the first electrical hydro-power plant was built in 1896 - the third one in Europe.
References
External links
http://www.ruraltourism.ro/marg/html/margen.html* Cornel Mișinger, Monografia Satului Fântânele (Cacova) din Mărginimea Sibiului, Casa de Presă și Editură Tribuna, Sibiu, 2006, .
* Victor Voicu-Vedea, Ioan Părean, Mărginimea Sibiului. Ghid de turism rural, Editura Salgo, Sibiu, 2008, .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marginimea Sibiului
Historical regions of Transylvania
Geography of Sibiu County
Mocani