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Located in the South of Hunedoara County and the Southwest of Transylvania
at 45°25’ North latitude and 23°22’ East longitude
in a depression of the Southern Carpathians, Petrosani Depression
or the Jiu Valley, lies down along the two Jiu rivers (Eastern and Western)
and includes a number of 6 cities from East to West
Petrila, Petrosani, Aninoasa, Vulcan, Lupeni,
Uricani, all mining centers
The average altitude in the Jiu Valley
is 600 m above sea level.
The depression of Jiu Valley, as the name says
is crossed by the two branches of Jiu River
the Western Jiu and the Eastern Jiu,
which reunite in Livezeni area
and follows its flow to the sea
The depression is surrounded by four mountain chains
Retezat in the North-Northwest, Sureanu in the East-Northeast
Parang in the East-Southeast and Valcan in the South
Along the two Jiu Rivers, from East to West,
there are 6 cities
Petrila, Petrosani, Aninoasa, Vulcan, Lupeni and Uricani
settlements developed as a result of coal mining.
Jiu Valley is a place with a long history
even if this assertion is not supported by many written testimonies
to the Geto-Dacian period
The first historical traces date back
the ruins of Banita Citadel
15 km from Petrosani
a citadel that was part of the fortification system
which ensured the defense of central Dacia
There are a number of numismatic treasures
discovered at Jiet-Popi and Bolii Cave
certifying the existence of a
Geto-Dacian civilization on these lands.
The influences of such civilization
can be found also in the traditional costume of the Jiu peasants
locally called momarlans
whose costume is prevailed by white and black
The soil castra in Patru’s Peak
and Comarnicel and the stone road
in Valcan Pass are also
an evidence of these places.
The act of donation of 1493
by which the Hungarian King Władysław III Jagello granted
Mihai Kendeffy places in the Jiu Valley
Pterela, Malee, Rathond, Mwrysowar and Nyakmezew
as appurtenances of the River of Mills
domain in Hateg district
represents according to our information
the first real reference
to the settlements in this area
Although not mentioned as localities
but as grazing, ploughing and meadow places
at least three of them seem
to have had villages or groups of villages
a proof that their name
has been preserved until today
Pterela = Petrila, Malee = Maleia
a vill of Petrosani city
Nyakmezew = Neag’s Field
a locality part of Uricani city
The other two may be an isolated settlement
Rathond, and more certainly a water-course
Mwrysowar = Morisoara
in the area of Vulcan city
Nobody knows how old these settlements are
because archaeological research carried out in the Jiu Valley was
unfortunately, insignificant
and the discoveries made were
not the result of a scientific and methodical effort
but the fruit of fortuity.
In 1720, the entire Jiu Valley
as evidenced by the cartographic documents
of Fridrich Schwantz
was populated by households
spread across the Valley
so this seemed like a very large village.
In the second half of the 18th century
however, the most intense population takes place
with an important contribution
especially from those coming from outside the Jiu Valley,
in particular from Hateg Country.
Joseph’s conscription drawn in 1784-1787
the first exercise with such a complex structure
mentions six settlements in the Jiu Valley
at that time: Livádszel = Livezeni?,
Petrosan, Petrilla, Vulcan, Uricani and Neag’s Field
with a population of 4.704 inhabitants.
All the communes of the Jiu Valley
with separate designations, appear as established in the census of 1818
Petrosani (96 inhabitants)
Livezeni (137)
Maleia (58)
Dalja (59)
Iscroni (98)
Barbatenii de Jos (95)
Lupeni (173)
Uricani (210);
Paroseni (60);
Matesteni (90);
Barbatenii de Sus (85)
Neag’s Field (52);
Coroesti (50);
in 1854
11 localities are reviewed
in the Jiu Valley
with a population of 6.770 inhabitants
predominantly Romanian people.
Silvestru Moldovan
will describe the beginning of these transformations
showing that „in 1896
there were 10-14 communes
in the Jiu Valley which
until the new times
were purely Romanian
But since the mining, a lot of strangers came on the Jiu
Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Hungarians and Jews
particularly mineworkers and craftsmen
and they settled in communes, especially in Petroseni
URICANI
Established as a result of the swarming
of the inhabitants in the area of Hateg Country,
from the localities of Hobita (1411) and Uric (1473),
the city of Uricani was named Hobiceni-Uricani
until the Union of Transylvania with the Motherland in 1918, when the name became Uricani.
The population dislocated here originally established temporary
settlements for grazing, but historians believe that they have been established as a community
before the Turkish invasion of 1788
when, on August 15, the priest and those who were at the Church were taken in subjection.
Located in a particularly spectacular setting
in an area protected from the migratory people that have crossed throughout the ages the territory of our country
the inhabitants have kept for centuries their occupations, traditions and beliefs.
The increase of coal demand after World War II
leads to increased coal mining throughout the depression of the Jiu Valley
so that the mining perimeters that at first were considered unprofitable have been set in operation
As a result, in 1947, the first adit – Balomir adit – is opened in Uricani
recording the beginning of coal mining
The natural consequence of opening the mining exploitation
is the increased population, by workforce migration from other areas of the country
and the building of a large number of dwellings required for the new-comers; therefore, in 1965
Uricani is declared city and includes the localities of Fir Tree Valley and Neag’s Field as well.
But the transition from the status of rural settlement to town
was not done without sacrifices, especially on the part of the locals
They were forced by the Romanian State
to dispense with many of the lands that belonged to them
Thus, apartment blocks for the new residents have been built on some of these lands
and other lands have served as locations for the future mining premises
Balomir, Sterminos Mailat, or for the storage of the gangue extracted from underground.
FIR TREE VALLEY
Integrated as part of Uricani city
the Fir Trees Valley is located on both sides of the Western Jiu Valley
consisting of a series of villages (vills) spread mainly along the tributaries of the
Jiu Rivertowards the Valcan Mountains and Tulisa Mountains
The landscape of the area has been altered only in a very small degree
by the mining activity performed at the Fir Trees Valley Mining Exploitation (currently closed).
The Fish Valley dam is built on the territory of the locality
at its western border; the lake upstream
of this dam provides water supply to the entire Jiu Valley.
NEAG’S FIELD
As for the Neag’s Field
it seems that its first inhabitants came from North Oltenia
the tradition mentioning an outlaw, Neagu
who, while running from the Turks at the beginning of the 16th century
first settled in the place called Dosul Pribeagului and then in the meadow of Jiu River.
It is said that he marked the central place of the future village by sinking a stone (a monolith)
in the ground about two meters in length
with two veins of white quartz encrusted in it, arranged in the shape of a cross
It is known for sure that in 1850 the priest of the village, Constantin Stanci
found this stone fallen on the Jiu River’s bank, took it with a sled pulled by oxen and placed it
in the courtyard of his house which, from 1890 to 1936, was a village school as well
Today, the stone is located at the entrance to the village of Neag’s Field.
The busts of Trajan and Decebal throne next to it.
An important event of the 17th century was Matei Basarab’s
passing through Uricani (1631), together with other boyars and his army
gathered from Hateg Country. In their wander in Ardeal
they have entered Uricani through the Vulcan Pass.
Along with this outlaw came Hamza, Muscalu, Mojoatca, Manuilescu, Vinte, Tabara
Dumitrescu and Stanciu, and Canda family seems to have come from Hateg Country
the River of Mills; these names are now very common among the inhabitants
This community has suffered a lot due to communism. The hunger for coal and the incompetence of the
communist regime’s officials have led to the destruction of the locality, which was completely dislocated and the Church was demolished
Today, as evidence of the crime perpetrated against these people
there is a water area with a surface of about 30 hectares and a depth of 100 m on the central place of the village
Today, local authorities are trying to define a new path for the locality subject to heavy trials
The restructuring of the mining industry requires the search for new solutions for the development of the city
one of them and the most convenient is the tourism.