Curtea de Arges : Romania

Curtea de ArgeÅŸ is a town in Romania, situated on the right bank of the ArgeÅŸ river, where it flows through a valley of the lower Carpathians, on the railway from PiteÅŸti to the Rothenthurm Pass.
Population
1900: 4,210
2000: 32,626
History
The city is one of the oldest in Romania. According to tradition it was founded early in the 14th century by Prince Radu Negru, succeeding Câmpulung as capital of Wallachia. Hence its name Curtea (The Court). It contains a few medieval churches (among them the Curtea de Argeş Cathedral) and it was created a bishopric at the close of the 18th century. Another important church is the Biserica Domneasca (Royal Church) built by Mircea cel Batran (Mircea the Old) and completely renovated in 2003-2004. It resembles a stony 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.