Valcău de Jos

Valcău de Jos
Alsóvalkó
Commune

Valcău de Jos in Sălaj County
Valcău de Jos
Valcău de Jos within Romania
Coordinates: 47°07′44″N 22°44′17″E / 47.12889°N 22.73806°E / 47.12889; 22.73806
Country  Romania
County Sălaj County
Commune Valcău de Jos
Historic region Transylvania
Government
  Mayor Ioan Roşan (Democratic Liberal Party)
Area 63.23 km2 (24.41 sq mi)
Population (2002)[1] 3,302
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)
Website www.primariavalcaudejos.ro

Valcău de Jos (Hungarian: Alsóvalkó) is a commune in Sălaj County, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Lazuri (Újvágás), Preoteasa (Füzespaptelek), Ratovei (Rátonbükk), Sub Cetate (Valkóváralja), Valcău de Jos and Valcău de Sus (Felsővalkó). It is 14 km southwest of Șimleu Silvaniei.

History

Its name comes from the Slavic word vlk ("wolf"). Its Hungarian name Alsóvalkó means "Lower Valkó"; before 1899 it was called Magyarvalkó. Felsővalkó ("Upper Valkó") is now Valcău de Sus. Its castle was built in the late 13th century, and was unlawfully occupied by Dezső Elefánti in 1312. King Sigismund of Luxemburg laid siege to it in 1404. In 1665 the Ottoman army destroyed it and it was not rebuilt again.

Population

In 1910 the village had 900 residents, with a Romanian majority and a significant Hungarian minority.

In 2002 the commune of which Valcău de Jos is the administrative center had 3302 inhabitants: 2909 Romanians, 287 Roma, 105 Hungarians, and one Slovak.

Sights

  • Reformed Church in Valcău de Jos, built in the 19th century (1896), historic monument[2]
  • Valcău Citadel, medieval fortress built in the 13th century, historic monument[3]

References

This article is based on a translation of the equivalent article from the Hungarian Wikipedia on 22 February 2007.

Coordinates: 47°07′N 22°44′E / 47.117°N 22.733°E / 47.117; 22.733

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