Aiton (; ) is a
commune in
Cluj County
Cluj County () is a county () of Romania, in Transylvania. Its seat is Cluj-Napoca.
Name
In Hungarian language, Hungarian it is known as ''Kolozs megye''. Under the Kingdom of Hungary, a county with an identical name (Kolozs County, ) existed s ...
,
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
. It is composed of two villages, Aiton and Rediu (''Rőd'').
Geography
The commune is situated in the northern foothills of the
Apuseni Mountains
The Apuseni Mountains (, "Western Mountains"; , "Transylvanian Mountains") are a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Romanian Carpathians. The highest peak is the Bihor Peak at . The Apuseni Mountains have ab ...
, at a mean altitude ov . The presence of large deposits of halite and saltwater springs within the perimeter of the commune have been identified.
Located in the central part of Cluj County county, Aiton belongs to the
Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area.
History
Traces of several ancient neolithic settlements (of which
Vinča culture from the 4th millennium BC), as well as evidence indicative of the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
, the
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, the
Roman conquest, and the
Migration Period
The Migration Period ( 300 to 600 AD), also known as the Barbarian Invasions, was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories ...
, were discovered in the village. Within the surrounding area, a tomb of incineration from the 1st century BC and a rustic villa have also been found; the latter in which a Dacian fruit tree from the 2nd century BC has been discovered.
During the Roman period, the locality was situated on the Roman road of
Potaissa
Turda (; , ; ; ) is a Municipiu, city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the European route E81, and from nearby Câmpia ...
-
Napoca. Initially, a portion of the commune was left uncovered in the yard adjacent to the school, marked by a colonette reproducing the inscription on the milestone of 108. As of 2017, however, the site is covered in waste products. The area was historically the center of a Spanish equestrian unit.
The first documented reference to the village of Aiton with the name ''Villa Ohthunth'' dates back to 1320, and in 1329, the toponym of Ahthon was attributed to the settlement. Since 1456, it appears under the current name of ''Ayton''. In 1658, the locality was burned, following a Turkish and Tatar invasion.
In the 18th century, a milestone named ''Aiton Biliar'' from the Roman period was discovered. This marked a distance on the Potaissa-Napoca. The landmark attests the existence of a road built in 108 AD by the ''Cohors I Hispanorum Miliaria.'' A copy of this landmark is displayed in
Turda
Turda (; , ; ; ) is a Municipiu, city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the European route E81, and from nearby Câmpia ...
, yet another is displayed in front of the school of Aiton.
On the Josephine Map of Transylvania from 1769 to 1773 (section 095), Aiton appears under the name of ''Ajton''. The northern and southeastern parts of the village are marked by "Gericht" and by the sign of two public places of punishment of the delinquents in the medieval period.
Historical monuments
The following objectives of the village of Aiton were included on the list of historical monuments in Cluj County, elaborated further by the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs in 2010.
* The archaeological site from "Suri" (LMI code)
* The archaeological site of "Above the Morrow" (LMI code)
* The archaeological site of the section "Between creeks" (LMI code)
* The vestiges of the Napoca-Potaissa road (LMI code)
* The wooden church (LMI code)
* Reformed Calvinist Church (LMI code)
* The "Sandor Manor" in the village of Aiton is included in the "List of Delisted Historical Monuments", as described by the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs in 2010.
Places of worship
* The ''Reformed Calvinist Church'' from 1598 (Main Street no. 161), with the Romanesque western portal. The church is inscribed on the list of historical monuments in Cluj County (2010).
* The ''Orthodox Wooden Church'' from 1711. The church is inscribed on the list of historical monuments in Cluj County (2010).
* The Wooden Church of Aiton.
Tourist attractions
Among the main tourist attractions and points of interest in the area are as follows:
* The museum with objects from the Roman period (demolished in the meantime).
* The reservation of "Ciolt Forest".
Economy
The predominant occupations of residents involve agriculture and the breeding of livestock.
Demographics
Ethnic demographics of population
Religious demographics of population
The numerical jump in favor of the
Orthodox Church between 1930 and 1992 can be explained by the prohibition of the
Greek Catholic Church Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church may refer to:
* The Catholic Church in Greece
* The Eastern Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite:
** The Albanian Greek Catholic Church
** The Belarusian Gre ...
in 1948 by the
Communist government
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
.
Gallery
File:RO CJ Aiton (8).JPG, Aiton
File:RO CJ Aiton (4).JPG, Community center
File:RO CJ Biserica ortodoxa din Aiton (1).JPG, Orthodox church
File:RO CJ Monumentul Eroilor din Aiton (2).JPG, Heroes monument (detail)
File:RO CJ Monumentul Eroilor din Aiton (4).JPG, Heroes monument (detail)
File:RO CJ Biserica greco-catolica din Aiton (6).JPG, Greek Catholic Church
Notes
References
*''Atlasul localităților județului Cluj'' (Cluj County Localities Atlas), Suncart Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca,
{{CommunesCluj
Communes in Cluj County
Localities in Transylvania