Pitești () is a city in
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 ...
, located on the river
Argeș. The capital and largest city of
Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities. Pitești is situated in the historical region of
Muntenia
Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the rarely used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in Ro ...
. It lies on the
A1 freeway connecting the city directly to the national capital
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, being an important railway junction, with a
classification yard in nearby
Bălilești. The city houses the
Arpechim oil refinery, and is a marketing center for the
automotive industry
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, Maintenance, repairing, and Custom car, modification of motor ve ...
, in particular,
Automobile Dacia.
Inhabited since
prehistoric times but first mentioned in the 14th century, it developed as a trading town in northern
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
, serving as an informal residence for various
Wallachian Princes until the 18th century. From the 19th century and until the interwar period, it was an important political center for the
National Liberal Party and the main residence of the
Brătianu family
Brătianu is a family of Romanian politicians, founders of the National Liberal Party (Romania, 1875), National Liberal Party (PNL). They are the following:
* Dincă Brătianu (1768–1844), Romanian nobleman
* Ion Brătianu (1821–1891), PNL pre ...
of politicians. During the early stages of the
communist regime, it was one of the main sites of political repression, with the
Pitești Prison becoming home to an experiment in
brainwashing techniques.
History
Early history
The earliest traces of human settlements in this area relate to the
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
.
["Istoria Orașului"]
, a
''Muzee din regiunile României''
; retrieved July 17, 2007 Coins minted by the
Dacians
The Dacians (; ; ) 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 considered a subgroup of the Thracians. This area include ...
during the 3rd century BC, copying the design of
Thracian
The Thracians (; ; ) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Southeast Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied the area that today is shared between north-eastern Greece, ...
''
tetradrachmon'' issued by
Lysimachus, have been discovered here. A small
Roman ''
castrum'' was built sometime in the 3rd century
AD in the vicinity of present-day Pitești (part of a protection system for
Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as ; or Dacia Felix, ) was a province of the Roman Empire from 106 to 271–275 AD. Its territory consisted of what are now the regions of Oltenia, Transylvania and Banat (today all in Romania, except the last regi ...
and
Moesia
Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; ) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River. As a Roman domain Moesia was administered at first by the governor of Noricum as 'Civitates of Moesia and Triballi ...
). During the
Age of Migrations, the Pitești area was, according to historian
Constantin C. Giurescu, the site of trading between
Vlachs and
Slavs
The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and ...
, which, in his opinion, was the origin of ''Târgul din Deal'' ("The Market on the Hill"), a separate locality.
[Giurescu, p.47]
The first recorded mention of Pitești itself was on May 20, 1386, when
Wallachian Prince Mircea I granted a
gristmill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
in the area to
Cozia Monastery.
[ Gerard Călin]
''Reședința domnească temporară de la Pitești''
at th
Pitești Cultural Center
retrieved July 17, 2007 Pitești was subsequently one of the temporary residences of Wallachian Princes.
Due to its positioning on the junction of major European routes (and its proximity to the
Saxon markets in
Hermannstadt,
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 ...
), the city originally developed as an important commercial center. By the late 14th century, it became home to a sizable
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
community.
At the time, the locality was only extending on the left bank of the Argeș, and gradually expanded over the river, reaching the hill slopes to the west
(in the 19th century, it completely absorbed ''Târgul din Deal'').
While Pitești was commonly designated as a high-ranking town, a village of Pitești was still mentioned as late as 1528, which led some historians to conclude that the village and urban area coexisted within the same boundaries.
Early Modern period
Although princely quarters have not been uncovered, among the rulers to issue documents from Pitești were
Basarab Țepeluș cel Tânăr (1477–1481),
Neagoe Basarab (1512–1521),
Vlad Înecatul (1530–1532),
Vlad Vintilă de la Slatina (1532–1535),
Michael the Brave
Michael the Brave ( or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593–1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Transylvani ...
(1593–1601),
Simion Movilă (1601–1602),
Matei Basarab (1632–1654) and
Constantin Șerban (1654–1658).
In addition,
Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714), who owned large sections of vineyard in the area, is reported to have spent several seasons in the town.
Under Vlad Vintilă, who allied himself with the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
against his
Ottoman overlords,
Aloisio Gritti (governor of
Ottoman Hungary) and his Wallachian
boyar partisans camped in the Pitești neighborhood of Războieni, where they were attacked and defeated by the Prince.
In 1600–1601, troops of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
, led by
Jan Zamoyski, were stationed in Pitești during their expedition against Michael the Brave (''see
Moldavian Magnate Wars'').
[ Mariu Păduraru]
''Orașul Pitești văzut de călători străini''
at th
Pitești Cultural Center
retrieved July 17, 2007 Around that time, fighting occurred in and around the town as the new prince
Radu Șerban clashed with the Ottomans and their
Crimean Khanate allies.
Constantin Șerban financed the building of the
Orthodox Saint George Church, completed in 1656.
His building program also included a (since-lost) palace and adjacent gardens.
Around that time, the city hosted travelers of renown, such as Arab chronicler
Paul of Aleppo and Swedish politician
Claes Rålamb
Claes Rålamb (8 May 1622 – 14 March 1698) was a Sweden, Swedish politician, statesman. In 1660 he was appointed Governor of Uppland County and in 1664 he served in the Privy Council of Sweden, Privy Council. Between 1673 and 1678, he serve ...
.
It was during Brâncoveanu's rule that the city was home to ''
Stolnic''
Constantin Cantacuzino, who was exchanging letters with English statesman
William, Baron Paget.
A tower and other princely houses, built by Brâncoveanu outside the town, gradually deteriorated over the 18th and 19th centuries (the last standing structure was lost in the 20th century).
In 1689,
Habsburg troops led by
Louis William of Baden occupied the city as part of the
Great Turkish War (they were repelled later that year).
18th and early 19th centuries
In November 1714, as a direct result of Swedish defeats in the
Great Northern War
In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...
against
Imperial Russia
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* ...
,
Swedish King Charles XII unsuccessfully sought an alliance with
Sultan
Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Ahmed III; on his way back from
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, Charles and
Axel Sparre passed through Pitești, and, after a three-week stay, made their way to
Swedish Pomerania through Habsburg-ruled regions.
During the
Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718, Habsburg troops attacked and captured the town; Pitești was again the scene of battles during the
Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739.
In 1780,
Tuscan numismatist
Domenico Sestini passed through the Argeș region, and described the town as having 250 houses and 7 churches.
In 1804, the citizens requested to have an upper school opened (to offer lectures in Greek, the educational language of the time); their request was denied by Prince
Constantine Ypsilantis. During the 1790s, Pitești was visited by
Luigi Mayer, a German pupil of
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian classical archaeologist, architect, and artist, famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric " ...
, who left etchings of the region (including the very first one of Pitești);
they were published in London in 1810, with text by a T. Bowyer, whose caption for Pitești read "nothing more wild or romantic can be conceived".
The town was an important location for events relating to the last stage of the
Wallachian uprising of 1821
The uprising of 1821 was a social and political rebellion in Wallachia, which was at the time a Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire, tributary state of the Ottoman Empire. It originated as a movement against the Phanariotes, Phana ...
and the first stages of the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...
: it was here that, in late spring 1821, the Wallachian rebel leader
Tudor Vladimirescu settled after retreating from
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
. His departure raised suspicion from his
Eterist allies that he was planning to abandon the common cause. Vladimirescu was captured in the nearby locality of
Băilești and executed soon after, on orders from
Alexander Ypsilantis
Alexandros Ypsilantis (12 December 1792 – 31 January 1828) was a Greek nationalist politician who was member of a prominent Phanariot Greeks, Phanariot Greek family, a prince of the Danubian Principalities, a senior officer of the Imperial R ...
.
Late 19th and early 20th century

The city was developed further after the
1859 unification of the
Danubian Principalities and the 1881 creation of the
Romanian Kingdom. Around that time, and down to the late interwar, the city became a
National Liberal center, largely due to the
Brătianu family
Brătianu is a family of Romanian politicians, founders of the National Liberal Party (Romania, 1875), National Liberal Party (PNL). They are the following:
* Dincă Brătianu (1768–1844), Romanian nobleman
* Ion Brătianu (1821–1891), PNL pre ...
of politicians residing in nearby
Ștefănești.
[ Mircea Crăciun]
''Relicve din perioada dictaturii comuniste în județul Argeș''
at th
Memoria Digital Library
retrieved July 17, 2007 Their manor, ''Florica'', housed most major reunions of the National Liberal leaders.
For a short period in 1882, Pitești was home to dramatist
Ion Luca Caragiale, leading some to propose that it was the unnamed National Liberal-dominated city depicted in Caragiale's famous play ''
O scrisoare pierdută''.
By 1872, a
national railway connection with the capital Bucharest and
Târgoviște
Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște'') is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița (river), Ialomița River.
Târgoviște was ...
was built, at the same time as one linking Bucharest with
Ploiești
Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest.
The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Ble ...
through
Chitila.
[Giurescu, p.155] Overseen by the German financier
Bethel Henry Strousberg, this was the second project of its kind in Romania (after the Bucharest-
Giurgiu rail link of 1869).
The Pitești Town Hall was completed in 1886, and currently houses an art gallery.
The
Argeș County Prefecture, designed by
Dimitrie Maimarolu, was erected in 1898–1899 on the site previously occupied by an Orthodox
hermitage; it is the present-day site of the
County Museum of History and Natural Sciences.
Both buildings are
eclectic in style, and feature
fresco
Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
es painted by
Iosif Materna.

Pitești experienced urbanization and economic development with several changes in landscape and a number of regional firsts. In 1868–1869, Pitești was the first city in Romania to have a recorded
Seventh-day Adventist community, formed around
Michał Belina-Czechowski, a
Polish preacher and former Catholic priest who had returned from the United States (the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Romania was established only after 1918). By 1906, Pitești was home to a thriving
cooperative bank
Cooperative banking is retail and commercial banking organized on a cooperative basis. Cooperative banking institutions take deposits and lend money in most parts of the world.
Cooperative banking, as discussed here, includes retail banking carr ...
, ''Banca Populară Pitești'', which was also the first-ever financial institution in the Argeș County. In 1907, factory manager Edmond Landauer performed the very first
Tayloristic experiments in Romania, at Pitești Weaving Mill.
From late autumn 1916 to 1918, during the
World War I battles, Pitești was occupied by the troops of the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
. The city was originally abandoned by the
Romanian Army and taken by the German commander
August von Mackensen as the front stabilized on the
Olt River
The Olt ( Romanian and Hungarian; ; or ', , ''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 discharge at the mouth is . It originates in the Hă ...
, before Mackensen was able to occupy Bucharest and the entire southern Romania. During the post-war existence of
Greater Romania, Pitești became a regional cultural center, notably hosting the 1928–1929 series of the magazine ''
Kalende'' (published in cooperation by literary critics
Vladimir Streinu,
Șerban Cioculescu,
Pompiliu Constantinescu
Pompiliu Constantinescu (May 17, 1901 – May 9, 1946) was a Romanian literary critic.
Biography
He was born on May 17, 1901, in Bucharest, "''in a place where he saw the light of day for the first time, on Sabines Street no. 109, the son of J ...
, and
Tudor Șoimaru).
World War II and communism

Pitești was affected in various ways by World War II and its
successive regimes. After a
fascist
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
National Legionary State was proclaimed by the
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
in late 1940, a bronze bust of former
premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
Armand Călinescu
Armand Călinescu (4 June 1893 – 21 September 1939) was a Romanian economist and politician, who served as 39th List of Prime Ministers of Romania, Prime Minister from March 1939 until Assassination of Armand Călinescu, his assassination six ...
(whom the Guard had assassinated in September 1939), was chained and dragged through the city streets. In December 1943, under the dictatorship of ''
Conducător''
Ion Antonescu (a Pitești native), it saw the final chapter in a chain of deportations of
Romani people
{{Infobox ethnic group
, group = Romani people
, image =
, image_caption =
, flag = Roma flag.svg
, flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress
, po ...
to
Transnistria
Transnistria, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and locally as Pridnestrovie, is a Landlocked country, landlocked Transnistria conflict#International recognition of Transnistria, breakaway state internationally recogn ...
(''see
Holocaust in Romania''). The city was sporadically bombed by the
Allies: on July 4, 1944, it was struck by a section of the US
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...
(''see
Bombing of Romania in World War II'').
In the 1950s, while serving as capital of
Regiunea Argeș, Pitești gained an ill notoriety, when the
communist authorities used the local detention facility to subject political detainees to "
reeducation", in which violence between inmates was encouraged to the point of being mandatory (''see
Pitești prison''). The experiment was carried out by the
Securitate secret police and overseen by
Alexandru Nicolschi; its goal was to psychologically destroy the capacity for outside attachment and outside loyalty, creating the brainwashed ''New Man'' prototype of
Leninism
Leninism (, ) is a political ideology developed by Russian Marxist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin that proposes the establishment of the Dictatorship of the proletariat#Vladimir Lenin, dictatorship of the proletariat led by a revolutionary Vangu ...
. The program was canceled after some five years. At a trial held in 1953–1954, twenty-two inmate-participants were sentenced, with sixteen being condemned to death for their role in the experiment. In 1957, a new trial convicted certain members of the prison staff, who received light sentences; they were later pardoned.
In parallel, Pitești underwent numerous changes in landscape, including the completion of the
A1 freeway, the first road of its kind, during the 1960s, and the acceleration of
industrialization
Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...
with a focus on the chemical and automotive industries. Around 1950, Pitești area accommodated
ELAS refugees from the
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...
(some of the buildings erected for this purpose were later used to house resettled peasants).
''Florica'' was
nationalized in 1948, and was later partly devastated by
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party ( ; PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave an ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that would replace the social system ...
activists (for a while during the 1970s, it was a residence of the communist politician
Ion Dincă).
The bust of
Ion Brătianu, standing in front of Saint Nicholas Church, was removed and melted, and the church itself was demolished in 1962.
Geography
The city is part of the
historical region
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
of Wallachia, situated in its north and in the westernmost part of its
Muntenia
Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the rarely used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in Ro ...
n subregion. It lies on the right bank of the Argeș, where the river meets its tributary,
Râul Doamnei.
Pitești is situated
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
, on terraces formed by the Argeș, and belongs to the southernmost section of the
Getic Plateau (an area of foothills leading up to the
Southern Carpathians). The Plateau is at its narrowest in the Pitești area, where it only reaches in width, as opposed to the average. The city has access to a piedmont plain, known as ''Câmpia Piteștilor'' ("Pitești Plain") and characterized by
water-meadows. To the west, it abuts the
Trivale Forest, which has been partly set up as a leisure park.
Pitești is adjacent to two reservoirs on the Argeș, in its Prundu area and in nearby
Bascov (the Budeasa Dam).
[ Dan Batucă]
''Ghid metodologic pentru identificarea și desemnarea corpurilor de apă puternic modificate și artificiale''
ARCADIS Euroconsult, Phare, 2005, at the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, p.64/105-65/105; retrieved July 19, 2007 It is situated downstream from
Lake Vidraru and upstream from the reservoir in Bălilești.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, the city lies within the
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(''Dfb'') category. Average annual temperatures range between 9 °C and 10 °C. The average January temperature is -2.4 °C, while the average July temperature is 20.8 °C.
[''Geographic location''](_blank)
a
Pitești City Hall
retrieved July 21, 2015
Demographics
As of
2021 census data, 141,275 inhabitants live within the city limits,
a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2011 census.
Romania's
2011 census recorded a population of 155,383 for the city. Of the individuals for whom data were available, 99.1% were
ethnic Romanians and 0.6%
Roma.
[Populația stabilă după etnie - județe, municipii, orașe, comune]
, INSSE; retrieved August 15, 2015 In terms of religion, 98.4% were
Romanian Orthodox; 0.3%
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
; and 0.2% each
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
,
Christian Evangelical,
Baptist
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
and
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
. A further 0.2% were atheist or non-religious.
[Populația stabilă după religie - județe, municipii, orașe, comune]
, INSSE; retrieved August 15, 2015 A 2016 estimate placed the population at 177,485.
The 1930 census found that 88.0% of residents were Romanians, 3.0%
Jews
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, 2.5%
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
, 2.2%
Roma, 1.4%
Germans
Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
, 0.6%
Greeks
Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
and 0.3% each
Russians
Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...
,
Bulgarians
Bulgarians (, ) are a nation and South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and its neighbouring region, who share a common Bulgarian ancestry, culture, history and language. They form the majority of the population in Bulgaria, ...
,
Armenians
Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...
and, grouped together,
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
[Populația statornică în 1930]
p. 16, Institutul Central de Statistică; retrieved August 15, 2015[Populația statornică în 1930]
p. 17, Institutul Central de Statistică; retrieved August 15, 2015
The population of Pitești grew between the 1830s and the 1990s, with the most sustained period of growth occurring after the 1950s, when industrial development created jobs and attracted residents from nearby settlements. The population peaked at an estimated 187,000 in 1997, then stagnated until 2001, and has gradually decreased since that time. The drop is particularly noticeable among the male population: this segment not only has a higher mortality and lower life expectancy, but also, due to de-industrialization, emigrated in search of work in significant numbers.
Economy
Pitești is one of the most industrialized cities in Romania. It is the center of the automotive industry in the country: the
Automobile Dacia automaker is situated in the nearby town of
Mioveni, and several other automobile parts manufacturers are located within its urban area (
Dräxlmaier Group,
Lear Corporation and
Valeo
Valeo is a French global automotive supplier headquartered in France, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange ( CAC Next 20 Index). It supplies a wide range of products to automakers and the aftermarket. The Group employs 113,600 people in 29 countri ...
). The city also houses the
Arpechim oil refinery, part of the
Petrom group. The plant, established as a state-owned company during communism, has traditionally been the center of controversy over its
air pollution
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...
records. In 2007, the
Ministry of the Environment withdrew Arpechim's permit, but Petrom contested the decision in court.
["Arpechim repornește"]
in '' România Liberă'', June 13, 2007 The plant is scheduled to gradually reduce its activity over a period of several years, pending eventual closure.
The city is surrounded by hills rich in wineries and plum orchards. The latter give one of the finest Romanian ''
țuicas'': ''țuica de Pitești''. The Ștefănești winery, situated on the opposite bank of the Argeș River, is one of the best known in Romania.
Culture
Theatre
Pitești is home to a County Theater; established in 1948, it was named in honor of playwright
Alexandru Davila a decade later. Its branches include a
puppet theater (created in 1949), the ''Estrada'' section for open-air performances (1958), and a
folklore
Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
section (1970).
[''Teatrul Alexandru Davila'']
at th
Argeș County Council
; retrieved July 17, 2007 The Theater's Studio 125 was established in May 1975 by director
Liviu Ciulei
Liviu Ciulei (; 7 July 1923 – 24 October 2011) was a Romanian theater and film director, film writer, actor, architect, educator, costume and set designer. During a career spanning over 50 years, he was described by ''Newsweek'' as "one of th ...
.
The first written record of a theatrical performance in the city dates to 1848, when
Constantin Halepliu set up a troupe. Following
that year's revolution, several actors, Halepliu included, were arrested, and the theatre closed until 1856. A Communal Theatre was built in 1914–1916. Since 1948, the local acting ensemble has performed both in other Romanian cities and abroad, including in Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Italy and Spain.
Education
The city houses two universities: the state-run
University of Pitești and the private
Constantin Brâncoveanu University (founded 1991, with branches in
Brăila
Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The Sud-Est (development region), ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila.
According to the 2021 Romanian ...
and
Râmnicu Vâlcea). There are 17 secondary education institutions, including two main high schools—the
Ion Brătianu National College (founded 1866) and the
Zinca Golescu National College. There are also 20 primary schools, 23 kindergartens and 10 nursery schools.
A public library, named after intellectual figure
Dinicu Golescu, was planned in 1869 by Paraschiva Stephu, a female member of the upper class, who drew up a will leaving 200 Austrian
ducats for the purpose of creating a library. The institution became operational in 1880, and a large part of the volumes were bequeathed by historian
George Ionescu-Gion immediately following his death in 1904. His donation included over a thousand books in Romanian, French and Italian.
[''Biblioteca Județeană Argeș "Dinicu Golescu”'']
at th
National Library of Romania
retrieved July 21, 2015 The library moved into its current headquarters in the city center in 2003.
Festivals
Each year during springtime, Pitești is host to a festival and fair known as ''Simfonia lalelelor'' (the "Tulip Symphony"). Tulips were introduced locally in 1972–1973, when around 3,000 bulbs brought from
Arad and
Oradea were planted in its central area, along with other flowers.
["Istoria lalelelor"]
at th
''Simfonia lalelelor''
official site; retrieved March 8, 2008 Pitești consequently acquired a reputation as a tulip-growing area, and the flower-themed festival was first organized by the local authorities in 1978.
Typically held in the cultural centre building (''Casa Cărții''), the festival also includes folk music performances, international scientific conferences, an art exhibit and youth sport competitions.
Sport
The major
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club in the city is
FC Argeș Pitești, which has generally played in
Liga I
Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
, and has the
Nicolae Dobrin Stadium as its home ground. In addition, the city was home to a
Liga II
The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 Liga II, 2006–07 football season. It is currently Sponso ...
football club,
Internațional Pitești (located on
Stadionul Ștrand), and has a school which doubles as a junior team, Sporting Pitești.
[Sporting Pitești (official site)]
/ref> Pitești hosts basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team BCM U Pitești, as well as a women's volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
team, Argeș Volei Pitești.
Pitești is home to an Olympic size swimming pool, the home ground for CSM Pitești, and a public outdoor swimming pool in the Tudor Vladimirescu area. Nearby Bascov also has a public swimming place, on grounds adjacent to the Budeasa Dam. The national canoe racing
A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles.
In British English, the term ' ...
also trains at the Budeasa Dam sports base, and the location is also used for recreational fishing. A tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
challenger tournament (''Turneul challenger feminin Pitești'') takes place each year, on grounds in Bascov.
Gallery
File:RO AG - Primăria veche, azi Muzeul de Artă.jpg, Pitești Art Museum
File:Cinema modern pitesti.jpg, ''Cinema Modern'' in central Pitești
File:Zara Pitesti 15.jpg, Old building on Victoriei Street
File:Armenian Apostolic church Pitesti 02.jpg, The Armenian Apostolic church
The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...
File:Victoriei street 2.jpg, Old buildings on Victoriei Street
File:Dinu Lipatti Art High School Pitesti 07.jpg, The Dinu Lipatti Art High School
File:Synagogue Public Garden Pitesti 05.jpg, The Pitești Synagogue
A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
File:Muzeul Judetean Arges Pitesti 08.jpg, City Museum
File:Sfanta Vineri street Pitesti 01.jpg, View of Sfânta Vineri Street
File:1907 park Pitesti 12.jpg, 1907 Park
File:Pit Arbore Egalitatii.jpg, Protected tree on Egalității Street
File:Pit Mon 1877-1978.jpg, Memorial to soldiers fallen in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)
File:Pit Sf Vineri (casa).jpg, Townhouse (Gabroveni Inn) on Sfânta Vineri Street
File:Pit Sediu PSD.jpg, Historical building and Social Democratic Party headquarters
Notable people
* Ion Antonescu
* Ilie Bărbulescu
* Mauriciu Blank
* Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești
* Dimitrie Brătianu
* Ion Brătianu
*Armand Călinescu
Armand Călinescu (4 June 1893 – 21 September 1939) was a Romanian economist and politician, who served as 39th List of Prime Ministers of Romania, Prime Minister from March 1939 until Assassination of Armand Călinescu, his assassination six ...
* Corneliu Calotescu
* Nicolae Comănescu
* Nicolae Dică
* Nicolae Dobrin
* Ruxandra Dragomir
* Haralamb H. Georgescu
* Al. Gherghel
* Gheorghe Ionescu-Gion
* Alexandru Kirițescu
* Cristian Minculescu
* Adrian Neaga
* Marian Oprea
* Gabriela Pană Dindelegan
* Constance Pascal
* Sebastian Papaiani
* Mircea Pârligras
* Nicolae Penescu
* Costin Petrescu
* Rudolf Schweitzer-Cumpăna
* Ioan Sion
* Smiley
* Lavinia Stan
* Bogdan Stancu
*
* Cristian Tănase
* Tudor Teodorescu-Braniște
* Teo Trandafir
* Ion Trivale
* Lucian Turcescu
* Robert Turcescu
* Adrian Ungur
* Zavaidoc
Twin towns – sister cities
Pitești is twinned with:
* Beit Jala, Palestine
* Borlänge
Borlänge () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 44,898 inhabitants as of 2020. It is the seat of the Borlänge Municipality which as of 2017 had a total population of 51,604 inhabitants.
History
Originally Bor ...
, Sweden
* Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
, Poland
* Caserta
Caserta ( ; ) is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. An important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city, Caserta is located 36 kilometres north of Naples on the edge of the Campanian p ...
, Italy
* Chongqing
ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...
, China
* Gyumri, Armenia
* Kragujevac
Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...
, Serbia
* Muntinlupa, Philippines
* Nafplio
Nafplio or Nauplio () is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important tourist destination. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important seaport in the Middle Ages du ...
, Greece
* Ourém, Portugal
* Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in Clark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in southwestern Ohio along the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, about west of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus and northeast of ...
, United States
* Tynaarlo, Netherlands
Notes
References
* ''Monografia geografică a Republicii Populare Romîne'', Vol. I: "Geografia fizică", Editura Academiei RPR, Bucharest, 1960
* Adrian Cioroianu, ''Pe umerii lui Marx. O introducere în istoria comunismului românesc'', Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2005.
* Constantin C. Giurescu, ''Istoria Bucureștilor. Din cele mai vechi timpuri pînă în zilele noastre'', Editura Pentru Literatură, Bucharest, 1966.
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitesti
Populated places in Argeș County
Cities in Romania
Capitals of Romanian counties
Localities in Muntenia