Alba Iulia
Encyclopedia
Alba Iulia (ˌalba ˈjuli.a, formerly Bălgrad; ; ; ; Medieval Latin
: Alba Carolina, Alba Iulia, Carlopolis; Ottoman Turkish
: Erdel Belgradı) is a city in Alba County
, Transylvania
, Romania
with a population of 66,747, located on the Mureş River
. Since the High Middle Ages
, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese
. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania. Alba Iulia is historically important for Romanians
, Hungarians and Transylvanian Saxons
.
Four villages are administered by the city: Bărăbanţ (Borbánd), Miceşti (Ompolykisfalud), Oarda (Alsóváradja) and Pâclişa (Poklos).
n political, economic and social centre of Apulon
, mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy
and believed by many archaeologists to be the Dacian fortifications on top of Piatra Craivii. After the southern part of Dacia
became a province of the Roman Empire
, the capital of the Dacia Apulensis district was established here, and the city was known as Apulum. Apulum was the largest city in Roman Dacia and the seat of the XIII Gemina
Legion
. Apulum is the largest castra
located in Romania, occupying 37.5 ha (750 x 500 m2).
mentions a Hungarian regent named Gyula (Jula, Geula), the maternal grandfather of Stephen I of Hungary and lord [regent] of Transylvania, who built the capital of his dukedom there during 10th century. Following the establishment of the Catholic
Transylvanian bishopric after Stephen I of Hungary adopted Catholicism
, the first cathedral was built in the 11th century or possibly even earlier, based on recent archeological discoveries. The present (Catholic) cathedral was built in the 12th or 13th century. In 1442, John Hunyadi
, Voivod of Transylvania, used the citadel to make his preparations for a major battle against the Ottoman Turks
. The cathedral was enlarged during his reign and he was entombed there after his death.
Alba Iulia became the capital of the Principality of Transylvania in 1541, a status it was to retain until 1690. The Treaty of Weissenburg was signed in the town in 1551. It was during the reign of Prince Gabor Bethlen that the city reached a high point in its cultural history, with the establishment of an academy. Further important milestones in the city's development include the creation of the Batthyanaeum Library in the 18th century and the arrival of the railway in the 19th century. Former Turkish equivalent was "Erdel Belgradı" ("Belgrade of Transylvania" in Turkish) where Erdel (Erdély) was added due to prevent from confusion such cities as Belgrat
and Arnavut Belgradı
("Albanian Belgrade" in Turkish, early name of Berat during Ottoman rule).
In November 29, 1599, Michael the Brave, Voivode of Wallachia
, entered Alba Iulia following his victory in the Battle of Şelimbăr
and became Voivode of Transylvania. In 1600 he gained control of Moldavia
, thereby uniting the principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania under his rule. This lasted for a mere year and a half, until he was murdered in 1601, by general Giorgio Basta
's agents.
At the end of World War I, representatives of the Romanian population of Transylvania (the exact number is disputed between Romanian and Hungarian historians) and representatives of the Transylvanian Saxons
gathered in Alba Iulia, on 1 December 1918 (celebrated as the National Day in post-communist Romania), to proclaim the Union of Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania
. In 1922, Ferdinand of Romania was symbolically crowned King of Romania
in Alba Iulia.
The main historical area of Alba Iulia is the Upper Town region, developed by Charles VI
of the Holy Roman Empire
in honour of whom the Habsburgs renamed the city Karlsburg. The fortress, with seven bastions in a stellar shape, was constructed between 1716 and 1735, by two fortification architects of Swiss origin. The first one was Giovanni Morandi Visconti, who constructed two old Italian stile bastions, followed by Nicolaus Doxat de Demoret, nicknamed "Austrian Vauban". The two architects radically transformed (after 1720) the medieval fortress shaped by the former Roman Castrum into a seven-bastion baroque fortress, developing Menno van Coehorn's new Dutch system, of which the fortress of Alba Iulia is the best preserved example.
Inside the fortress one may visit The Union Hall with the National Honour Galery, The National History Museum of Unification, the Princely Palace (Voivodal Palace), the Orthodox Cathedral, the Roman Catholic cathedral, the most representative building for the Medieval Romanic
style in Transylvania
), the Batthyaneum Library, the Roman Catholic bishop's palace, the Apor Palace, and the University of Alba Iulia.
Built in the 11th and 12th century (it was completed in 1009, and partially renovated under the communist regime), the Roman Catholic cathedral is considered to be an important monument of early Transylvanian medieval architecture. The tomb of John Hunyadi
is located here, as is that of the Polish
-born Isabella Jagiełło, Queen
of Hungary
.
The Bathyaneum Library is a late church, built in Baroque style. In 1780, Ignác Batthyány
, bishop of Transylvania, adapted the inside of the establishment for its present use as a library. It is famous all over the world for its ample series of manuscripts, incunabula
and rare books, such as Codex Aureus
(9th century), also known as the Lorsch Gospel
, containing the Gospel of Mark
and Matthew
, David's Psalms
, Codex Burgundus
(15th century), Biblia Sacra (13th century), the Pentateuch from Orăştie (1850), Şerban Cantacuzino's Bible, and the New Testament from Balgrad (1648). The first astronomical observatory in Transylvania was founded here in 1792.
The Orthodox Unification Cathedral was built between 1921 and 1923, following the plans of arch. D.G. Ştefănescu, and built under the supervision of eng. T. Eremia. The frescoes were painted by Constantin, in a traditional iconographic style. The first monarchs of the Unified Romania, King Ferdinand I
and Queen Marie
, were crowned in the cathedral, on 15 October 1922.
The National Museum of Unification in Alba Iulia is located in the "Babylon" Building. It was originally built for military purposes (1851–1853) and transformed into a museum since 1887. The museum exhibits over 130,000 pieces of priceless works, organized chronologically: first a Pre-history Section, then Dacian and Roman Period, the Feudal section, followed by the great battles with the Turks, the Liberal Revolution of 1848, the Unification of the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859, the World War I, the Union of Transylvania with Romania, and so forth. In its two floors with more than a hundred rooms are housed the basic exhibition, the warehouse, the library, and the restoration laboratories. The Unification Hall, also part of this national history museum, retains historical significance from having hosted, on 1 December 1918, the rally of the 1228 Romanian delegations from all Transylvania, who determined the province's union with the Kingdom of Romania. The building was used in 1895, as a military Casino.
The Apor Palace is situated on the same street as the Bathyaneum Library. It belonged to Prince Apor, and was built in the second half of the 17th century. At the beginning of the 18th century it was the residence of the Austrian army leader, at the time Prince Steinville. The palace was renovated in 2007 under the supervision of the Romanian Ministry of Culture.
The Princely Palace (Palatul Principilor or Palatul Voievodal) was Michael the Brave's residence during the first political unification of the Romanians in 1600. Foreign chronicles pictured it as an extremely luxurious building, richly adorned with frescos and marble stairs, ; later deteriorated. During the rule of Princes Gábor Bethlen and George II Rákóczi
the second palace was restored, but not to its previous condition. After 1716, the building was used as an Habsburg Imperial Army barracks.
For 1910 the number of inhabitatns increased to 11,616. 5226 of them were Hungarians (45%), 5,170 Romanians (44.51%) and 792 Germans (6.82%).
At the 1930 census 72.6% of the population were Romanian Orthodox, 7.9% Greek Catholic, 3.9% Roman Catholic (Hungarians, Szeklers, Poles
, some Romanians
), 6.8% Lutheran-Evangelist (Transylvanian Saxons
), 4.2% Jews and 2% Reformed (Calvin Magyars).
According to the census from 2002
there was a total population of 66,406 people living in this town. Of this population, 94.45% are ethnic Romanians, 2.76% are ethnic Hungarians, 2.22% ethnic Rroma and 0.32% ethnic Germans
.
with:
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
: Alba Carolina, Alba Iulia, Carlopolis; Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
: Erdel Belgradı) is a city in Alba County
Alba County
Alba is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, its capital city being Alba-Iulia with a population of 66,406.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 382,747 and the population density was 61/km².* Romanians - 90.4%* Hungarians - 5.4%...
, Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
with a population of 66,747, located on the Mureş River
Mures River
The Mureș is an approximately 761 km long river in Eastern Europe. It originates in the Hășmașu Mare Range in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Romania, and joins the Tisza river at Szeged in southeastern Hungary....
. Since the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia is an archdiocese in Transylvania, Romania. It was established as the Diocese of Transylvania in 1009 by Stephen I of Hungary and was renamed as the Diocese of Alba Iulia on 22 March 1932...
. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania. Alba Iulia is historically important for Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, Hungarians and Transylvanian Saxons
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
.
Four villages are administered by the city: Bărăbanţ (Borbánd), Miceşti (Ompolykisfalud), Oarda (Alsóváradja) and Pâclişa (Poklos).
Ancient times
The modern city is located near the site of the important DaciaDacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
n political, economic and social centre of Apulon
Apulon
Apulon was a Dacian fortress city close to modern Alba-Iulia, Romania from where the Latin name of Apulum is derived. The exact location is believed by many archaeologists to be the Dacian fortifications on top of Piatra Craivii, 20 km North of Alba-Iulia. Apulon was an important Dacian political,...
, mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
and believed by many archaeologists to be the Dacian fortifications on top of Piatra Craivii. After the southern part of Dacia
Dacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
became a province of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the capital of the Dacia Apulensis district was established here, and the city was known as Apulum. Apulum was the largest city in Roman Dacia and the seat of the XIII Gemina
Legio XIII Gemina
Legio tertia decima Gemina was one of the most prominent Roman legions. It was one of Julius Caesar's key units in Gaul and in the civil war, and was the legion with which he famously crossed the Rubicon on January 10, 49 BC. The legion appears to have still been in existence in the fifth century...
Legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
. Apulum is the largest castra
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
located in Romania, occupying 37.5 ha (750 x 500 m2).
Middle Ages
In the 9th century, the name Belograd ("White Castle" in Slavic languages) is mentioned, a reference to the remains of white Roman walls. The Gesta HungarorumGesta Hungarorum
Gesta Hungarorum is a record of early Hungarian history by an unknown author who describes himself as Anonymi Bele Regis Notarii , but is generally cited as Anonymus...
mentions a Hungarian regent named Gyula (Jula, Geula), the maternal grandfather of Stephen I of Hungary and lord [regent] of Transylvania, who built the capital of his dukedom there during 10th century. Following the establishment of the Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Transylvanian bishopric after Stephen I of Hungary adopted Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, the first cathedral was built in the 11th century or possibly even earlier, based on recent archeological discoveries. The present (Catholic) cathedral was built in the 12th or 13th century. In 1442, John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: Ioannes Corvinus or Ioannes de Hunyad, Romanian: Iancu (Ioan) de Hunedoara, Croatian: Janko Hunjadi, Serbian: Сибињанин Јанко / Sibinjanin Janko, Slovak: Ján Huňady) John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: ...
, Voivod of Transylvania, used the citadel to make his preparations for a major battle against the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
. The cathedral was enlarged during his reign and he was entombed there after his death.
Alba Iulia became the capital of the Principality of Transylvania in 1541, a status it was to retain until 1690. The Treaty of Weissenburg was signed in the town in 1551. It was during the reign of Prince Gabor Bethlen that the city reached a high point in its cultural history, with the establishment of an academy. Further important milestones in the city's development include the creation of the Batthyanaeum Library in the 18th century and the arrival of the railway in the 19th century. Former Turkish equivalent was "Erdel Belgradı" ("Belgrade of Transylvania" in Turkish) where Erdel (Erdély) was added due to prevent from confusion such cities as Belgrat
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and Arnavut Belgradı
Berat
Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
("Albanian Belgrade" in Turkish, early name of Berat during Ottoman rule).
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, entered Alba Iulia following his victory in the Battle of Şelimbăr
Battle of Selimbar
The Battle of Şelimbăr is one of the great events of medieval Romanian history. It took place on 18 October 1599 between the Wallachian army of Michael the Brave and the Transylvanian-Hungarian army of Andrew Bathory...
and became Voivode of Transylvania. In 1600 he gained control of Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, thereby uniting the principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania under his rule. This lasted for a mere year and a half, until he was murdered in 1601, by general Giorgio Basta
Giorgio Basta
Giorgio Basta, Count of Huszt was an Italian general of Arbëreshë descent, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to command Habsburg forces in the Long War of 1591-1606 and later to administer Transylvania as an Imperial vassal to restore Catholicism as a predominant religion in...
's agents.
At the end of World War I, representatives of the Romanian population of Transylvania (the exact number is disputed between Romanian and Hungarian historians) and representatives of the Transylvanian Saxons
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
gathered in Alba Iulia, on 1 December 1918 (celebrated as the National Day in post-communist Romania), to proclaim the Union of Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
. In 1922, Ferdinand of Romania was symbolically crowned King of Romania
King of Romania
King of the Romanians , rather than King of Romania , was the official title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when Romania was proclaimed a republic....
in Alba Iulia.
Landmarks
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in honour of whom the Habsburgs renamed the city Karlsburg. The fortress, with seven bastions in a stellar shape, was constructed between 1716 and 1735, by two fortification architects of Swiss origin. The first one was Giovanni Morandi Visconti, who constructed two old Italian stile bastions, followed by Nicolaus Doxat de Demoret, nicknamed "Austrian Vauban". The two architects radically transformed (after 1720) the medieval fortress shaped by the former Roman Castrum into a seven-bastion baroque fortress, developing Menno van Coehorn's new Dutch system, of which the fortress of Alba Iulia is the best preserved example.
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
), the Batthyaneum Library, the Roman Catholic bishop's palace, the Apor Palace, and the University of Alba Iulia.
Built in the 11th and 12th century (it was completed in 1009, and partially renovated under the communist regime), the Roman Catholic cathedral is considered to be an important monument of early Transylvanian medieval architecture. The tomb of John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: Ioannes Corvinus or Ioannes de Hunyad, Romanian: Iancu (Ioan) de Hunedoara, Croatian: Janko Hunjadi, Serbian: Сибињанин Јанко / Sibinjanin Janko, Slovak: Ján Huňady) John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: ...
is located here, as is that of the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-born Isabella Jagiełło, Queen
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
The Bathyaneum Library is a late church, built in Baroque style. In 1780, Ignác Batthyány
Batthyány
Batthyány is the name of an old distinguished Hungarian Magnate family. The members of this family bear the title count or countess respectively prince or princess Batthyány von Német-Ujvár...
, bishop of Transylvania, adapted the inside of the establishment for its present use as a library. It is famous all over the world for its ample series of manuscripts, incunabula
Incunabulum
Incunable, or sometimes incunabulum is a book, pamphlet, or broadside, that was printed — not handwritten — before the year 1501 in Europe...
and rare books, such as Codex Aureus
Codex Aureus of Lorsch
The Codex Aureus of Lorsch or Lorsch Gospels is an illuminated Gospel Book written between 778 and 820, roughly coinciding with the period of Charlemagne's rule over the Frankish Empire.It was first recorded in Lorsch Abbey , for which it was presumably written, and...
(9th century), also known as the Lorsch Gospel
Codex Aureus of Lorsch
The Codex Aureus of Lorsch or Lorsch Gospels is an illuminated Gospel Book written between 778 and 820, roughly coinciding with the period of Charlemagne's rule over the Frankish Empire.It was first recorded in Lorsch Abbey , for which it was presumably written, and...
, containing the Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
and Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
, David's Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, Codex Burgundus
Codex Burgundus
The Codex Burgundus is a 15th century Flemish illuminated manuscript book of hours, in the Batthyaneum library in Alba Julia, Romania. It measures 180 x 120 mm , text 110 x 70 mm, binding 190 x 130 mm; and is written in one column with 16 lines per page. It has55 miniatures on gold mosaic.This is...
(15th century), Biblia Sacra (13th century), the Pentateuch from Orăştie (1850), Şerban Cantacuzino's Bible, and the New Testament from Balgrad (1648). The first astronomical observatory in Transylvania was founded here in 1792.
Ferdinand I of Romania
Ferdinand was the King of Romania from 10 October 1914 until his death.-Early life:Born in Sigmaringen in southwestern Germany, the Roman Catholic Prince Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern, was a son of Leopold, Prince of...
and Queen Marie
Marie of Edinburgh
Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:...
, were crowned in the cathedral, on 15 October 1922.
The National Museum of Unification in Alba Iulia is located in the "Babylon" Building. It was originally built for military purposes (1851–1853) and transformed into a museum since 1887. The museum exhibits over 130,000 pieces of priceless works, organized chronologically: first a Pre-history Section, then Dacian and Roman Period, the Feudal section, followed by the great battles with the Turks, the Liberal Revolution of 1848, the Unification of the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859, the World War I, the Union of Transylvania with Romania, and so forth. In its two floors with more than a hundred rooms are housed the basic exhibition, the warehouse, the library, and the restoration laboratories. The Unification Hall, also part of this national history museum, retains historical significance from having hosted, on 1 December 1918, the rally of the 1228 Romanian delegations from all Transylvania, who determined the province's union with the Kingdom of Romania. The building was used in 1895, as a military Casino.
The Apor Palace is situated on the same street as the Bathyaneum Library. It belonged to Prince Apor, and was built in the second half of the 17th century. At the beginning of the 18th century it was the residence of the Austrian army leader, at the time Prince Steinville. The palace was renovated in 2007 under the supervision of the Romanian Ministry of Culture.
The Princely Palace (Palatul Principilor or Palatul Voievodal) was Michael the Brave's residence during the first political unification of the Romanians in 1600. Foreign chronicles pictured it as an extremely luxurious building, richly adorned with frescos and marble stairs, ; later deteriorated. During the rule of Princes Gábor Bethlen and George II Rákóczi
George II Rákóczi
György Rákóczi II , a Transylvanian Hungarian ruler, was the eldest son of George I and Susanna Lorantffy....
the second palace was restored, but not to its previous condition. After 1716, the building was used as an Habsburg Imperial Army barracks.
Notable residents
- János Apáczai CsereJános Apáczai CsereJános Apáczai Csere was a Transylvanian Hungarian polyglot and mathematician, famous for his work The Hungarian Encyclopedia, the first textbook to be written in Hungarian...
, philosopher, writer - Michael II ApafiMichael II ApafiMichael Apafi was the son of the Hungarian Michael I Apafi and Anna Bornemissza. Following his father, he was Prince of Transylvania from 10 June 1690 to 1699....
, prince of TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical... - Isabella Jagiełło, QueenQueen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
- John II Sigismund ZápolyaJohn II Sigismund ZápolyaJohn II Sigismund Zápolya was King of Hungary from 1540 to 1570 and Prince of Transylvania from 1570–1571.-Family:The son of King John I and Isabella Jagiełło, he succeeded his father as an infant...
, prince of TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
and king of HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... - Christopher BáthoryChristopher BáthoryChristopher Báthory was a prince of Transylvania. He succeeded his brother Stephen Báthory. He was the father of Sigismund Báthory....
, prince of TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical... - Gabriel BethlenGabriel BethlenGabriel Bethlen was a prince of Transylvania , duke of Opole and leader of an anti-Habsburg insurrection in the Habsburg Royal Hungary. His last armed intervention in 1626 was part of the Thirty Years' War...
, prince of TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical... - George I RákócziGeorge I RákócziGyörgy Rákóczi I was elected Hungarian prince of Transylvania from 1630 until his death. During his influence Transylvania grew politically and economically stronger.-Biography:...
, elected prince of TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical... - Michael the Brave, prince of WallachiaWallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
and MoldaviaMoldaviaMoldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river... - Áron MártonÁron MártonÁron Márton was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Transylvania during World War II and the communist dictatorship in Romania.-Early life:...
, bishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Romanian Roman-Catholic Church
Demographics
In 1891 the city had 8,167 residents of which 3,482 were Hungarians (42.63%), 3,426 Romanians (41.94%) and 867 Germans (10.62%).For 1910 the number of inhabitatns increased to 11,616. 5226 of them were Hungarians (45%), 5,170 Romanians (44.51%) and 792 Germans (6.82%).
At the 1930 census 72.6% of the population were Romanian Orthodox, 7.9% Greek Catholic, 3.9% Roman Catholic (Hungarians, Szeklers, Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, some Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
), 6.8% Lutheran-Evangelist (Transylvanian Saxons
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
), 4.2% Jews and 2% Reformed (Calvin Magyars).
According to the census from 2002
Demographics of Romania
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Romania, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
there was a total population of 66,406 people living in this town. Of this population, 94.45% are ethnic Romanians, 2.76% are ethnic Hungarians, 2.22% ethnic Rroma and 0.32% ethnic Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Alba Iulia is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
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