Gura Teghii
Encyclopedia
Gura Teghii is a commune in Buzău County
, Romania
, located in the north-westernmost part of the county in its mountain region, near the limit of Covasna
and Vrancea
counties, in the Curvature Carpathians. Gura Teghii made up of seven mountain villages (Furtuneşti, Gura Teghii, Nemertea, Păltiniş, Secuiu, Vadu Oii and Varlaam) on the valley of the Bâsca Roziliei River
and of its tributaries, Bâsca Mică
and Bâsca Mare
.
Mentioned in documents starting with the 16th century, these settlements were founded by the yeomen
from Sibiciu
area, who had owned those lands before they were taken over by ealthy boyar
landowners. The locals have kept their old Wallachian traditions with Transylvanian influences well into the modern era. At first, they grew cattle, then they became cooper
s and carpenter
s passing their trade from generation to generation, while being mostly illiterate. The first schools in the commune appeared towards the end of the 19th century, at the same time when a major lumber mill was opened in nearby Nehoiu
. Skilled workers from Gura Teghii were hired in the enterprise, while some landowners attempted to start businesses in tourism, but, during the Communist era
, this activity went into decline, being revigorated nowadays only by a few bed and breakfast
s.
basin, and the basins of its tributaries Bâsca Mică
and Bâsca Mare
. The permanently inhabited regions are those in the southern low areas, whereas the commune territory extends into the mountains, covering the Penteleu Massif, with a maximum altitude of 1772 metres (5,813.6 ft). Into the north-west, the communes limits are high on the Bâsca Mare valley, near the Szekler
village Comandău.
valley towards Brașov
.
Initially, the villages in the area were yeomen villages. The locals were working as lumberjacks and carpenters or hunters. In 1672, hospodar Radu Leon
granted the land to the yeomen of Sibiciu
. They took it as a common ownership and used it for shepherding, as in that area grasslands were insufficient. During the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu
(late 17th, early 18th century), the ownership of the Buzău mountains was clearly established: five people were owning the land up until the Austrian Empire
's border. One of the owners was Costache Sibiceanu, former yeoman who became a boyar. During the phanariote period, a Wallachian of Greek origin, by the name of Enache Persescu, acquired the lands of the local peasants who could not prove their inheritance. In the meantime, they became serfs on the Bâsca-Gura Teghii estate, so they could not raise cattle, so they took on coopery, selling barrels and casks in the Buzău
and Mizil
market towns; the traditional trade was kept until the 1940s, but became lost due to industrialization—many locals were hired at the Göetz lumber mills in Nehoiu
.
Buzau County
Buzău is a county of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Buzău.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 496,214 and the population density was 81/km².*Romanians – 97%*Roma – under 3% declared, and others....
, 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...
, located in the north-westernmost part of the county in its mountain region, near the limit of Covasna
Covasna County
Covasna is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Sfântu Gheorghe.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 222,449 and the population density was 60/km².*Hungarians – 73.79% *Romanians – 23.28%...
and Vrancea
Vrancea County
Vrancea is a county in Romania, with its seat at Focşani. It is mostly in the historical region of Moldavia but the southern part, below the Milcov River, is in Muntenia.-Demographics:...
counties, in the Curvature Carpathians. Gura Teghii made up of seven mountain villages (Furtuneşti, Gura Teghii, Nemertea, Păltiniş, Secuiu, Vadu Oii and Varlaam) on the valley of the Bâsca Roziliei River
Bâsca Roziliei River
The Bâsca Roziliei River, also called Bâsca Rusilei, Bâsca Rosiliei or simply Bâsca , is a main tributary of the Buzău River, from Romania.-Geographyc position:...
and of its tributaries, Bâsca Mică
Bâsca Mica River
The Bâsca Mică River is a headwater forming the Bâsca Roziliei River in Romania.-References:* Administraţia Naţională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - Bucureşti* Institutul de Meteorologie şi Hidrologie - Rîurile României - Bucureşti 1971...
and Bâsca Mare
Bâsca Mare River
The Bâsca Mare River is a headwater of the Bâsca Roziliei River in Romania.-References:* Administraţia Naţională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - Bucureşti* Institutul de Meteorologie şi Hidrologie - Rîurile României - Bucureşti 1971...
.
Mentioned in documents starting with the 16th century, these settlements were founded by the yeomen
Yeoman
Yeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...
from Sibiciu
Colti
Colţi is a commune in Buzău County, Romania, located in the Pătârlagele hollow, at the curvature of the Carpathian mountains, 13 km away from the town of Pătârlagele. It is composed of four villages: Aluniş, Colţi, Colţii de Jos and Muscelu Cărămăneşti....
area, who had owned those lands before they were taken over by ealthy boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
landowners. The locals have kept their old Wallachian traditions with Transylvanian influences well into the modern era. At first, they grew cattle, then they became cooper
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
s and carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
s passing their trade from generation to generation, while being mostly illiterate. The first schools in the commune appeared towards the end of the 19th century, at the same time when a major lumber mill was opened in nearby Nehoiu
Nehoiu
Nehoiu is a town in Buzău County, Romania, with a population of 11,631. Wood processing is the local main economic activity. The town has a lumbermill since the early 20th century....
. Skilled workers from Gura Teghii were hired in the enterprise, while some landowners attempted to start businesses in tourism, but, during the Communist era
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, this activity went into decline, being revigorated nowadays only by a few bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
s.
Geography
The commune is the northernmost in Buzău county and occupies most of the Bâsca RozilieiBâsca Roziliei River
The Bâsca Roziliei River, also called Bâsca Rusilei, Bâsca Rosiliei or simply Bâsca , is a main tributary of the Buzău River, from Romania.-Geographyc position:...
basin, and the basins of its tributaries Bâsca Mică
Bâsca Mica River
The Bâsca Mică River is a headwater forming the Bâsca Roziliei River in Romania.-References:* Administraţia Naţională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - Bucureşti* Institutul de Meteorologie şi Hidrologie - Rîurile României - Bucureşti 1971...
and Bâsca Mare
Bâsca Mare River
The Bâsca Mare River is a headwater of the Bâsca Roziliei River in Romania.-References:* Administraţia Naţională Apelor Române - Cadastrul Apelor - Bucureşti* Institutul de Meteorologie şi Hidrologie - Rîurile României - Bucureşti 1971...
. The permanently inhabited regions are those in the southern low areas, whereas the commune territory extends into the mountains, covering the Penteleu Massif, with a maximum altitude of 1772 metres (5,813.6 ft). Into the north-west, the communes limits are high on the Bâsca Mare valley, near the Szekler
Székely
The Székelys or Székely , sometimes also referred to as Szeklers , are a subgroup of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania...
village Comandău.
History
The oldest document mentioning a village of this commune refers to Păltiniș, and dates back to 11 December 1534; it is a document from the chancellary of hospodar Vlad VII Vintilă, and also mentions the Tega brook, and a shipment of merchandise from the villages in the Buzău riverBuzau River
Buzău is a river in eastern Romania, tributary of the Siret River. Its total length is 302 km. Its source is in the south-eastern Carpathian Mountains, east of Braşov. The Buzău flows through the Romanian counties Braşov, Covasna, Buzău and Brăila...
valley towards Brașov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
.
Initially, the villages in the area were yeomen villages. The locals were working as lumberjacks and carpenters or hunters. In 1672, hospodar Radu Leon
Radu Leon
Radu Leon was ruler of Wallachia from 1664 to 1669. He had the byname Radu the Oyster-seller.Son of Wallachian ruler Leon Tomşa, and putative grandson of Ştefan Tomşa, ruler of Moldavia, Radu Leon replaced the deposed Grigore I Ghica in December 1664....
granted the land to the yeomen of Sibiciu
Colti
Colţi is a commune in Buzău County, Romania, located in the Pătârlagele hollow, at the curvature of the Carpathian mountains, 13 km away from the town of Pătârlagele. It is composed of four villages: Aluniş, Colţi, Colţii de Jos and Muscelu Cărămăneşti....
. They took it as a common ownership and used it for shepherding, as in that area grasslands were insufficient. During the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu
Constantin Brâncoveanu
Constantin Brâncoveanu was Prince of Wallachia between 1688 and 1714.-Ascension:A descendant of the Craioveşti boyar family and related to Matei Basarab, Brâncoveanu was born at the estate of Brâncoveni and raised in the house of his uncle, stolnic Constantin Cantacuzino...
(late 17th, early 18th century), the ownership of the Buzău mountains was clearly established: five people were owning the land up until the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
's border. One of the owners was Costache Sibiceanu, former yeoman who became a boyar. During the phanariote period, a Wallachian of Greek origin, by the name of Enache Persescu, acquired the lands of the local peasants who could not prove their inheritance. In the meantime, they became serfs on the Bâsca-Gura Teghii estate, so they could not raise cattle, so they took on coopery, selling barrels and casks in the Buzău
Buzau
The city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...
and Mizil
Mizil
Mizil is a town in Prahova County, Romania. Located in the southeastern part of the county, it lies along the road between the cities of Ploieşti and Buzău, and to the northeast of the national capital, Bucharest. Its position led it to become a thriving market town beginning in the 18th century,...
market towns; the traditional trade was kept until the 1940s, but became lost due to industrialization—many locals were hired at the Göetz lumber mills in Nehoiu
Nehoiu
Nehoiu is a town in Buzău County, Romania, with a population of 11,631. Wood processing is the local main economic activity. The town has a lumbermill since the early 20th century....
.