Valcău de Jos

Valcău de Jos
Alsóvalkó
Commune

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

References

  1. ↑ Romanian census data, 2002; retrieved on March 1, 2010
  2. ↑ welcometoromania.ro - Reformed Church in Valcău de Jos, Sălaj County; retrieved on May 23, 2012
  3. ↑ 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