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 | |
| 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 | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| 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
- ↑ Romanian census data, 2002; retrieved on March 1, 2010
- ↑ welcometoromania.ro - Reformed Church in Valcău de Jos, Sălaj County; retrieved on May 23, 2012
- ↑ welcometoromania.ro - Valcău Citadel; retrieved on May 23, 2012
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
