Curtea de Argeş

Infobox Settlement
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = ROU
timezone=EET
utc_offset=+2
timezone_DST=EEST
utc_offset_DST=+3
map_caption = Location of Curtea de Argeş
|official_name=Curtea de Argeş

---

image_shield=StemaArges.pngsubdivision_type1=County
subdivision_name1=Argeş County
subdivision_type2=Status
subdivision_name2=Autolink|Municipality
settlement_type=Municipality|
leader_title=Mayor
leader_name=Gheorghe Nicuţ
|leader_party=National Liberal Party
area_total_km2=
population_as_of=2004
population_total=32500|latd=45|latm=08|lats=21|latNS=N|longd=24|longm=40|longs=45|longEW=E|
website=

Curtea de Argeş (Hungarian: "Argyasudvarhely") is a city in Romania, situated 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 Piteşti to the Turnu Roşu Pass. It is part of the Argeş County.

Population

*1900: 4,210
*2000: 32,628

History

The city is one of the oldest in Romania. According to tradition it was founded early in the 13th century by Negru Vodă (or Radu Negru), succeeding Câmpulung as capital of Wallachia. Hence its name ("The Court"). During the 14th it was the siege of a Roman Catholic Diocese under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Esztergom, that later was taken over by the Orthodox Church.

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

Another important church is the "Biserica Domnească" ("Royal Church") built by Basarab the 1st, 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 regards the monastery's construction.

Famous persons

*Urmuz, avant-garde short-story writer