Piatra Olt
Encyclopedia
Piatra-Olt is a town in Olt County
Olt County
Olt is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia . The capital city is Slatina.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 489,274 and the population density was 89/km²....

, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

. The town administers five villages: Bistriţa Nouă, Criva de Jos, Criva de Sus, Enoşeşti and Piatra. The town is an important railway station and road intersection.

History

The oldest relicves are from the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

, when there was a small settlement.

In Antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...

, the local Dacic population built a fortress, Acidava
Acidava
Acidava was a Dacian and later Roman fortress on the Olt river near the lower Danube. The settlements remains are located in today's Enoşeşti, Olt County, Romania....

. The Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

 conquered the area. The Romans built a road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...

 and rebuilt the fortress Acidava. The ruins of the fortress can be seen even today. The area was still inhabited after the retreat of the Roman legios.

From the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 come the first written documents about the villages that now compose the town.
  • Bistriţa Nouă is first atested in 1835. The name comes from the Bistriţa Monastery
    Bistrita Monastery
    The Bistriţa Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located 8 km west of Piatra Neamţ. It was dedicated in 1402 by Romanian Voivode Alexandru cel Bun whose remains are buried here....

    . The land where is the village today was the property of the monastery. The village was also called Fleştenoagele or Fleşcinogele.
  • Criva, also known as Criva de Jos, was atested on May 26th, 1630, as a property of a local boyar, jupan Gorgan biv vel spătar. Part of the village is known as Criva de Sus since 1940. This is the village that hosts the ruins of the Dacic fortress, Acidava.
  • Enoseşti, also known as Ienuşeşti, Ienoşeşti, was officially formed on March 31, 1864, as an independent commune The first notices about the village comes from 1814. This is the village that hosts the Roman fortress Acidava.
  • Piatra is noticed for the first time in April 14th, 1529, as the place where an important boyar, marele ban Pârvu Craioves-cu died. On May 15th, 1592, Ştefan Surdu voievod, rooler over Valahia at that time, confirmes that Piatra and several villages around it, are the property of jupâniţa Neacsa si fiului ei Mihail (local boyars). Part of the village appear through history as Piatra de Jos and Piatra de Sus.
  • There are also some village names that are sometimes mentioned, but are no longer used today, like Flestenoaga (1941), Jegălia (XVIIth Century) and Matei Basarab (an official name of Enoşeşti).


In 1878, the railroad Piteşti - Vîrciorova was operational and the railway station Piatra Olt (known at that time as Piatra) was built. This was the biginning of the modern history of the town, as a railway town. Later, other railways were built, along the Olt river
Olt River
The Olt River is a river in Romania. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its source is in the Hăşmaş Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the village Bălan. It flows through the Romanian counties Harghita, Covasna, Braşov, Sibiu, Vâlcea and Olt...

.

Piatra Olt was officilally declared a town in 1989.

Location

The town is situated in the Central-Eastern part of the Romanian Plain, at the eastern border of Oltenia
Oltenia
Oltenia is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river ....

 historical provence and in the western part of the Olt County
Olt County
Olt is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia . The capital city is Slatina.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 489,274 and the population density was 89/km²....

. The nearby towns are in East: Slatina
Slatina
Slatina refers to a number of geographical objects in Europe:In Albania:* another name for Slatine and for SllatinaIn Antarctica* Slatina Peak...

 (11 km), Piteşti
Pitesti
Pitești is a city in Romania, located on the Argeș River. 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 on the A1 freeway connecting it directly to the national capital Bucharest,...

 (93km); to West: Balş
Bals
Balş is a town in Olt County, Romania. The town administers three villages: Corbeni, Româna and Teiş.-Etymology:There are three hypotheses about the town's name:# The locality was named after the Balşiţa brook....

 (19 km), Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...

 (45km); to North: Drăgăşani
Dragasani
Drăgăşani is a city in Vâlcea County, Romania, near the right bank of the Olt river, and on the railway between Caracal and Râmnicu Vâlcea. The city is well known for the vineyards on the neighboring hills that produce some of the best Wallachian wines....

 (31 km), Râmnicu Vâlcea
Râmnicu Vâlcea
Râmnicu Vâlcea is the capital city of Vâlcea County, Romania .-Geography and climate:Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania...

 (86 km) and to South Caracal
Caracal
The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...

 (33 km)) and Corabia
Corabia
Corabia is a small Danube port located in Olt County, Romania, which used to be part of the now-dissolved Romanaţi County before World War II...

 (74 km)). Note that these are intermediate values between road and railway distances.

General

The main village, Piatra, is placed near the train station and expands to South-East. It is divided into two parts: the eastern part (named Piatra Sat by the locals) and the western part, near the station, called Gară (in English, station). Enoşeşti is placed East from Piatra, on the 64 national road and is the road access way to Piatra. Criva is placed South-East from Piatra and has a small railway station. Bistriţa Nouă is at North from Piatra, at 2 km by foot and more then 7 km by road.

Geography

The town is at the North-Eastern end of the Romanaţi Plain. The average altitude is 100 to 120 meters. Despite the relatively high altitude and a big number of valleis and smooth hills, the aria is very good for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

. The town is placed near the Olt River
Olt River
The Olt River is a river in Romania. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its source is in the Hăşmaş Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the village Bălan. It flows through the Romanian counties Harghita, Covasna, Braşov, Sibiu, Vâlcea and Olt...

, on a terrace
Terrace
A terrace may refer to:*Terrace , a leveled surface*Terrace , a raised flat platform*Terrace , a step-like landform that borders a shoreline or river floodplain...

 that protects it from floods. There are several dams on the river. There are some other small rivers, that sometimes dry up in summer, like Vaslui and Oltişor. They are all tributaries of the Olt and are formed near Piatra Olt.

Climate

Like all the southern part of Romania, Piatra Olt has a temperate climate. Usually, summers are hot and with little precipitations, while winters have moderate temperatures, with occasional wind intensifications. Sometimes, snow can cause several blockades on the roads and railways.

Demographics

At the 2002 census, 90.6% of inhabitants were Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....

 and 9.4% Roma. 97.7% were Romanian Orthodox and 1.6% Seventh-day Adventist
Romanian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The Romanian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is Romania's eighth-largest religious body. At the 2002 census, 97,041 Romanians declared themselves to be Seventh-Day Adventists; they have over 500 church buildings...

.

There are ethnic conflicts between the Romanian and Gipsy groups. In 2007, it was required forced intervention to calm down the population and avoid vioent conflicts.

Transportation

The main way to get to Piatra Olt is by train. There are 4 railways that lead to Piatra Olt:
  • 201 railway connects Piatra Olt with Sibiu
    Sibiu
    Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...

     and Râmnicu Vâlcea
    Râmnicu Vâlcea
    Râmnicu Vâlcea is the capital city of Vâlcea County, Romania .-Geography and climate:Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania...

     (note that the train station is named Rîmnicu Vîlcea because the train sstations are wrote with î and not with â).
  • 901 railway (eastern part) connects Piatra Olt with the towns Slatina
    Slatina
    Slatina refers to a number of geographical objects in Europe:In Albania:* another name for Slatine and for SllatinaIn Antarctica* Slatina Peak...

    , Piteşti
    Pitesti
    Pitești is a city in Romania, located on the Argeș River. 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 on the A1 freeway connecting it directly to the national capital Bucharest,...

     and [Bucharest]].
  • 901 railway (western part) continues the eastern sector from Piatra Olt to Craiova. Several trains passes from Bucharest to Craiova, while others have the last station at Piatra Olt.
  • 910 railway connects Piatra Olt with Caracal
    Caracal
    The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...

     and Corabia
    Corabia
    Corabia is a small Danube port located in Olt County, Romania, which used to be part of the now-dissolved Romanaţi County before World War II...

    . The sector between Caracal and Corabia is used by a private railway company.


The town is also an important road intersection. The intersection is in fact in the nearby commune, Găneasa
Ganeasa
Găneasa may refer to several places in Romania:* Găneasa, a commune in Ilfov County* Găneasa, a commune in Olt County...

. The acces way to Piatra Olt is the county road DJ 677. There are 5 km from Piatra Olt to Găneasa on the road and only 2 km on a sharp line. All national roads are asphalted, while the county road is a concrete road, like other smaller roads in the town. The roads follow nearly the same path like the railways:
  • The national road DN 64 connects to South Găneasa witn Caracal and Corabia. To North, it continues to Rânicu Vâlcea.
  • The national road DN 65, also known as E 574 (European road) connects Găneasa to East with Piteşti and to West to Craiova.

Economy

The main occupation is related to the railway maintenance and transportation. There are 66 trains traveling every day through the station. However, Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 is well represented (large-scale agriculture with grain and corn fields, fishing and pomiculture) There are big companies that work in the agricole sector. The Industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...

 is based on textiles, metallic and concrete products, alimentar industry and a wood mill. There are a lot of firms that have their headquarters in other places but develop business in Piatra Olt.

Institutions

The institutions are placed near the train station. The town hall is on Florilor street, not far from the police station. Every village except Bistriţa Nouă has its own church. There is also an Adventist church. There are schools and a high school.

Other places

The town has a stadium and a football team. There is a park with a musical fountain. There is a small market and there are small shops that provide goods for the local population, including human and veterinarian pharmaceutical points.

Tourism

There are many touristic abjectives that can be seen in the town. The following objectives can be visited in a few hours, so a traveller can see them while waiting a train to catch.
  1. The ruins of Acidava are still visible. Many artefacts can be seen at the local museum or at the Olt County Museum in Slatina
    Slatina
    Slatina refers to a number of geographical objects in Europe:In Albania:* another name for Slatine and for SllatinaIn Antarctica* Slatina Peak...

    .
  2. The local museum contains artefacts from Acidava fortress and has a section about the railroad history. The museum is not far from the train station.
  3. The haunted house of Piatra Olt is a ruin of an old boyar house, where people say there are ghosts.
  4. Piatra Olt railroad complex includes a vast number of building, aligned along the railway. The most ipressive and old is the trainyard.


There are other touristic objectives that can be seen nearby:
  1. The Olt River
    Olt River
    The Olt River is a river in Romania. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its source is in the Hăşmaş Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the village Bălan. It flows through the Romanian counties Harghita, Covasna, Braşov, Sibiu, Vâlcea and Olt...

    , with its large artiphicial lakes, is an important destination for fishing
    Fishing
    Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

     and a beutifull landscape. There are also several fishing lakes around the town.
  2. The Brâncoveni Monastery is at 15 km to South, with both access by road and railway.
  3. Piatra Olt is the gateway to many touristic destination, like Călimăneşti
    Calimanesti
    Călimănești, often known as Călimănești-Căciulata, is a town in Vâlcea County, southern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Oltenia and the northern part of the county, on the traditional route connecting the region to Transylvania, and at the southern end of the Olt River valley...

    , a resort station on the Olt river.

External links

Official site of the Piatra Olt town hall

Piatra Olt train station
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