Târgoviște facts for kids

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Târgoviște

Municipality

Left to right, top to bottom: Târgoviște Princely Court, City Hall [ro], Ascension Metropolitan Church [ro], Art Museum, Chindia Tower, Stelea Monastery [ro], History Museum [ro]

Coat of arms

Location in Dâmbovița County

Târgoviște

Location in Romania

Country

Romania

County

Dâmbovița

Area

50.4 km² (19.5 sq mi)

Elevation

292 m (958 ft)

Population

(2011)

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Time zone

EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)

Postal code

130002–130169

Area code

(+40) 02 45

Târgoviște is a city in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is the main city of the county. You can find it about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north-west of Bucharest. The city sits on the right bank of the Ialomița River.

Târgoviște was once a very important city in the history of Wallachia. It served as its capital city from 1418 to 1659. In 2021, the city had about 66,965 people living there. This makes it the 27th largest city in Romania.

What's in a Name?
A Look Back in Time
City Layout
People of Târgoviște
Getting Around
City Friends Around the World
Sports Teams
Famous People from Târgoviște
Images for kids
See Also

What's in a Name?

The name Târgoviște comes from a Slavic word. This word means "marketplace." So, the name refers to a place where a market was held.

You can find similar names in other countries. For example, there are towns called Targovishte in Bulgaria and Trgovište in Serbia. There are also places with this name in different parts of Romania. The Romanian and Bulgarian towns with the same name are actually sister cities.

A Look Back in Time

Early Settlements

The first people to live in the Târgoviște area settled near where the Saint Nicholas-Geartoglu Church and Stelea Veche Church are today. Here, the first defenses were built. These included a small stone building with a brick wall and a moat (a ditch filled with water). This was likely built by a local ruler. However, we don't have much archaeological proof to know exactly when it was built.

Saxon Colonists Arrive

Another part of the city was built by Saxon settlers. They came from Transylvania around the late 1200s or early 1300s. They settled near the Catholic Saint Mary Church. A local story says this church was built in 1300. These colonists were allowed to settle there by the local ruler.

The Saxon settlers brought new ways of organizing the city. Târgoviște was the only town in Wallachia with some Transylvanian-style leaders. It even had a night watch to keep the peace. Under Mircea the Elder (1383–1419), Târgoviște became the third capital of Wallachia.

After 1400, the town grew bigger and more crowded. Both the Saxon and Romanian parts of the city had large homes. These homes often had cellars and special cocklestoves for heating. Many valuable items have been found, showing the town's wealth. One discovery was a hoard of 6,284 silver coins.

Wallachia's Capital City

Inside the Ascension Cathedral

Bucharest Gate

In the 1400s, Curtea de Argeș was the capital of Wallachia. But Târgoviște was growing fast. By the end of the century, it became a second home for the Wallachian ruler. In 1396, a traveler named Johann Schiltberger mentioned both cities as capitals.

Eventually, the court moved permanently to Târgoviște in 1431. This happened under Alexandru Aldea.

While it was the capital, the Târgoviște Princely Court was always being improved. It had strong stone walls and a moat. New churches and towers were built. Vlad III Dracula (also known as "the Impaler") later added the famous Chindia Tower. This tower is now a symbol of the city.

From 1565, for the next 200 years, rulers sometimes chose Târgoviște and sometimes Bucharest as the capital. Târgoviște was often preferred by rulers who were friendly with Transylvania. During the 1400s and 1500s, Târgoviște was a major trading center. It traded a lot with Poland, Brașov, and Sibiu.

By the 1500s, most people in the city were Romanians. Some Saxons had moved away, and others had blended in. Greek traders also started to settle in the city.

As the capital, Târgoviște faced many attacks. In 1395, it was attacked and burned by Bayezid I. In 1457, Vlad III Dracula punished the townspeople for their actions. Some leaders were removed, and younger people were sent to help build his Poenari Castle.

In 1462, Vlad III stopped an Ottoman invasion from reaching the city. This was during a famous event called the night attack at Târgoviște. In 1476, the city was taken by Stephen V Báthory. Many other battles happened near the city. In 1597, the Hajduks of Mihai Viteazul won an important battle against the Ottoman Empire in Târgoviște.

Losing Importance

The capital was finally moved to Bucharest for good. This happened during the rule of Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714). After this, Târgoviște became less important. Its economy slowed down, and its population decreased.

Modern Times

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Street

Târgoviște was the place where Tudor Vladimirescu was removed from power on June 7, 1821. This happened during the Wallachian uprising.

Later, in 1989, Târgoviște was the site of a very important historical event. This was during the Romanian Revolution, when the former leader of Romania, Nicolae Ceaușescu, and his wife Elena were removed from power.

City Layout

One small village, Priseaca, is part of the city's administration.

People of Târgoviște

In 2021, the city had 66,965 people. According to the 2002 census, most people (96.6%) were Romanians. About 2.84% were Roma people.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1900	9,400	—
1912	13,041	+38.7%
1930	22,298	+71.0%
1948	26,038	+16.8%
1956	24,360	−6.4%
1966	29,763	+22.2%
1977	61,254	+105.8%
1992	98,117	+60.2%
2002	89,930	−8.3%
2011	79,610	−11.5%
2021	66,965	−15.9%
Source: Census data

Getting Around

By Train

Târgoviște rail station in 1930. The building opened in 1884.

Târgoviște is a railway node, meaning several train lines meet here. You can take trains to places like Titu.

The railway station building was updated from 2000 to 2004.

Today, the city has several train stops:

Târgoviște (south-west of the town)
Romlux halt (north-west)
Teiș halt (north)
Târgoviște Nord station (north-east)
Valea Voievozilor halt (east)

The main railway station is used for both passengers and goods. Other smaller stops serve the city's large factories.

By Road

Târgoviște is located where many old trade routes crossed. This makes it easy to reach from all directions. The city is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north-west of Bucharest. It also has good access to Henri Coandă International Airport.

	Road number	Cities
	DN 71	Tărtășești — Târgoviște — Pucioasa — Sinaia
	DN 72	Găești — Târgoviște — Ploiești
	DN 72A	Târgoviște — Câmpulung

Several county roads also pass through the city.

Public Transportation

In Târgoviște, you can get around using public transport buses and maxi-taxis. From 1995 to 2005, trolleybuses also ran in the city. In 2005, the public transport system was improved and made more modern.