Popesti-Leordeni
Encyclopedia
Popeşti-Leordeni is a town in Ilfov County
, Romania
, 9 km south of Bucharest
, although from the northern edge of the town to the southern edge of Bucharest the distance is less than 100 m. The town's population is 15,115 inhabitants. Most of its inhabitants commute to Bucharest, with Popeşti-Leordeni being seen as a satellite town
of the Romanian capital.
") and Leordeni (name derived from leurdă, "ramsons
" or Allium ursinum).
The villages were first attested during the 16th century: Leordeni was a domain of the Băleanu family of Wallachia
n boyars, while Popeşti was included in the lands belonging to ancestors of the chronicle
r Radu Popescu. The latter was inherited by the Phanariote
nobleman known under the name Alexandru Conduratu, who settled it with Bulgarians
from around Nikopol
and from the Banat
; the newly-created locality was named Popeşti-Conduratu or Pavlicheni, in reference to "Paulicians
" (a tradition designated the Roman Catholic group of the Bulgarian community by the names of their ancestors).
Popeşti and Leordeni were united into a single commune in 1873; boyar lands were divided by successive land reform
s, and the Conduratu manor house
was passed to the Costa-Foru family (whose member Constantin Costa-Foru
was a well-known journalist in the interwar period
).
Ilfov County
Ilfov is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest...
, 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...
, 9 km south of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, although from the northern edge of the town to the southern edge of Bucharest the distance is less than 100 m. The town's population is 15,115 inhabitants. Most of its inhabitants commute to Bucharest, with Popeşti-Leordeni being seen as a satellite town
Satellite town
A satellite town or satellite city is a concept in urban planning that refers essentially to smaller metropolitan areas which are located somewhat near to, but are mostly independent of, larger metropolitan areas.-Characteristics:...
of the Romanian capital.
History
Popeşti-Leordeni was historically the site of two separate villages — Popeşti (name derived from popă, "priest" - akin to the word "popePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
") and Leordeni (name derived from leurdă, "ramsons
Ramsons
Ramsons — also known as buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, and bear's garlic — is a wild relative of chives native to Europe and Asia...
" or Allium ursinum).
The villages were first attested during the 16th century: Leordeni was a domain of the Băleanu family of Wallachia
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...
n boyars, while Popeşti was included in the lands belonging to ancestors of the chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
r Radu Popescu. The latter was inherited by the Phanariote
Phanariotes
Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Phanariote Greeks were members of those prominent Greek families residing in Phanar , the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople, where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is situated.For all their cosmopolitanism and often Western education, the Phanariots were...
nobleman known under the name Alexandru Conduratu, who settled it with Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
from around Nikopol
Nikopol, Bulgaria
Nikopol is a town in northern Bulgaria, the administrative center of Nikopol municipality, part of Pleven Province, on the right bank of the Danube river, 4 km downstream from the mouth of the Osam river. It spreads at the foot of steep chalk cliffs along the Danube and up a narrow valley...
and from the Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
; the newly-created locality was named Popeşti-Conduratu or Pavlicheni, in reference to "Paulicians
Paulicianism
Paulicians were a Christian Adoptionist sect and militarized revolt movement, also accused by medieval sources as Gnostic and quasi Manichaean Christian. They flourished between 650 and 872 in Armenia and the Eastern Themes of the Byzantine Empire...
" (a tradition designated the Roman Catholic group of the Bulgarian community by the names of their ancestors).
Popeşti and Leordeni were united into a single commune in 1873; boyar lands were divided by successive land reform
Land reform
[Image:Jakarta farmers protest23.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Farmers protesting for Land Reform in Indonesia]Land reform involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution,...
s, and the Conduratu manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
was passed to the Costa-Foru family (whose member Constantin Costa-Foru
Constantin Costa-Foru
Constantin Gheorghe Costa-Foru was a Romanian journalist, lawyer and human rights activist.He was born in Bucharest, on 26 October, in a wealthy family of Jewish origin...
was a well-known journalist in the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
).
Ethnicity
- RomaniansRomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
: 14,915 (98.7%) - RomaRoma minority in RomaniaThe Roma constitute one of the major minorities in Romania. According to the 2002 census, they number 535,140 people or 2.5% of the total population, being the second-largest ethnic minority in Romania after Hungarians...
: 164 (1.1%) - Hungarians: 12 (0.1%)
- ItaliansItalians of RomaniaThe Italian Romanians are people of Italian descent who reside, or have moved to Romania.-Characteristics:They are an ethnic minority in Romania, numbering 3,288 people according to the 2002 census...
: 6 (0.04%)
Language
The inhabitants of Popeşti-Leordeni have the following languages as their first language:- RomanianRomanian languageRomanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
: 15,001 (99.3%) - RomaniRomani languageRomani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is any of several languages of the Romani people. They are Indic, sometimes classified in the "Central" or "Northwestern" zone, and sometimes treated as a branch of their own....
: 80 (0.5%) - HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: 8 (0.05%) - ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
: 5 (0.03%)
Religion
- Romanian OrthodoxRomanian Orthodox ChurchThe Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
: 9665 (63.9%). - Roman CatholicRoman Catholicism in RomaniaThe Roman Catholic Church in Romania is a Latin Rite Christian church, part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome. Its administration is centered in Bucharest, and comprises two archdioceses and four other dioceses...
: 5308 (35.1%) - Other religions or non-religious: 152 (1.0%)