CURTEA DE ARGES

Curtea de Argeş is a city in Romania, situated on the right bank of the Argeş River, where it flows through a valley of the lower Carpathians, on the railway from Pitesti to the Turnu Roşu Pass. It is part of the Argeş County.

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).

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.

The most important church is the Biserica Domnească (Royal Church) built by Basarab I, 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 Mesterul Manole, is related to the monastery's construction.