Curtea de Argeș

Curtea de Argeș
Curtea de Argeș
	— Municipality —
	Curtea de Argeș Monastery
	; Coat of arms
	; Coat of arms
	Curtea de Argeș Location of Curtea de Argeș
	Coordinates: 45°08′21″N 24°40′45″E / 45.13917°N 24.67917°ECoordinates: 45°08′21″N 24°40′45″E / 45.13917°N 24.67917°E
Country	Romania
County	Argeș County
Status	Municipality
	Government
• Mayor	Nicolae Diaconu (Social Democratic Party)
	Population (2004)
• Total	32,500
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)

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Curtea de Argeș (Romanian pronunciation: [ˌkurte̯a de ˈard͡ʒeʃ]) is a city in Romania on the right bank of the Argeş River, where it flows through a valley of the lower Carpathians (the Făgăraş Mountains), on the railway from Pitești to the Turnu Roşu Pass. It is part of Argeș County. The city administers one village, Noapteș. On July 7th, 1947 in Curtea de Argeș rainfall total was 205,7 mm (8,10 in.) in just 20 minutes, which is the world record.^[1]

[edit] Population

1900: 4,210
2000: 32,628
2004: 32,500

[edit] History

According to tradition it was founded early in the 13th century by Radu Vodă (or Radu Negru), succeeding Câmpulung as the capital of Wallachia; hence its name (The Court upon Arges).

The city is the site of couple medieval churches (among them the Curtea de Argeş Cathedral) having been a bishopric since the close of the 18th century.

The most important church is the Biserica Domnească (Royal Church) built by Basarab I, completely renovated in 2003-2004. It resembles a stone fortress, connected through catacombs to a guard tower on a nearby hill. Ruins of the Prince's Palace Complex are still visible. It is mentioned in Alexandru Odobescu's Doamna Chiajna. One of the most enduring and famous Romanian legends, the legend of Meşterul Manole, is related to the monastery's construction.^[2]