Racovita, Sibiu
Encyclopedia
Racoviţa is a commune
in Sibiu County
, Transylvania
, Romania
. It has a population of 2,884 inhabitants (2002 census) and is composed of two villages, Racoviţa and Sebeşu de Sus.
The first official mention of the then-village was in a May 22, 1443 "gift" act of John Hunyadi
. Church documents first mention the village on July 8, 1647, when George I Rákóczi
names Ion din Ţichindeal as archpriest
over 17 villages around Sibiu
, including Racoviţa. The rich history of the village is linked to the military border with Transylvania
established by empress Maria Theresa of Austria
in 1765. At the time, Racoviţa was part of the 7th Company of the First Border Regiment in Orlat
.
Starting in 1698, before the village was completely militarized, the village and its area were confronted with severe religious conflicts due to the decision made by the Alba-Iulia Orthodox
Church to unite with the Catholic
Church.
Soldiers and villagers participated enthusiastically in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
. Once the military border was abolished in 1851, important village members took initiative to manage the Regiment School Funds and became actively involved in the Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and the Culture of Romanian People.
During World War I
soldiers from Racoviţa were involved from 1916 to 1918 and received distinctions for fighting against "Russian Poland", Galicia
, Albania
, Italy
, Serbia
and even France
.
and the low terrace of the floodplain, on the left bank of the Olt River
, at an altitude of 385 meters.
The commune is borders to the north and northeast with the town Avrig
, border which extends from the confluence of the Mârşa Valley with the Olt River to the Sorliţei Peak, border established after the year 1200 and marked with border signs called 'morminţi'.
Communes of Romania
A commune is the lowest level of administrative subdivision in Romania. There are 2686 communes in Romania. The commune is the rural subdivision of a county .There is no clear restriction on the population of a commune, even though when a commune...
in Sibiu County
Sibiu County
Sibiu is a county of Romania, in the historical region Transylvania, with the capital city Sibiu.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 421,724 and the population density was 78/km²....
, 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...
. It has a population of 2,884 inhabitants (2002 census) and is composed of two villages, Racoviţa and Sebeşu de Sus.
The first official mention of the then-village was in a May 22, 1443 "gift" act 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: ...
. Church documents first mention the village on July 8, 1647, when George I Rákóczi
George I Rákóczi
György Rákóczi I was elected Hungarian prince of Transylvania from 1630 until his death. During his influence Transylvania grew politically and economically stronger.-Biography:...
names Ion din Ţichindeal as archpriest
Archpriest
An archpriest is a priest with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches, although it may be used in the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church instead of dean or vicar forane.In the 16th and 17th centuries, during...
over 17 villages around Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
, including Racoviţa. The rich history of the village is linked to the military border with 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...
established by empress Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
in 1765. At the time, Racoviţa was part of the 7th Company of the First Border Regiment in Orlat
Orlat
Orlat is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, 17 km west of the county capital Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area. It is composed of a single village, Orlat....
.
Starting in 1698, before the village was completely militarized, the village and its area were confronted with severe religious conflicts due to the decision made by the Alba-Iulia Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
Church to unite with the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church.
Soldiers and villagers participated enthusiastically in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
. Once the military border was abolished in 1851, important village members took initiative to manage the Regiment School Funds and became actively involved in the Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and the Culture of Romanian People.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
soldiers from Racoviţa were involved from 1916 to 1918 and received distinctions for fighting against "Russian Poland", Galicia
West Galicia
New Galicia or West Galicia was an administrative region of the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy, constituted from the territory annexed in the course of the Third Partition of Poland in 1795....
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and even France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Racoviţa Commune, is situated at the base of Suru Peak (2281m) on the contact between the foothills of the Fagaras MountainsFagaras Mountains
Făgăraș Mountains , are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania. The highest peaks are Moldoveanu , Negoiu , Viștea Mare , Lespezi , Vânătoarea lui Buteanu , and Dara .They are bordered in the north by the Făgăraș Depression, through which the Olt river flows, and in the west...
and the low terrace of the floodplain, on the left bank of the Olt River
Olt River
The Olt River is a river in Romania. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its source is in the Hăşmaş Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the village Bălan. It flows through the Romanian counties Harghita, Covasna, Braşov, Sibiu, Vâlcea and Olt...
, at an altitude of 385 meters.
The commune is borders to the north and northeast with the town Avrig
Avrig
Avrig is a town in the Sibiu County, Romania. It has a population of 16,215 and the first documents attesting the village date to 1346.The town administers four villages: Bradu , Glâmboaca , Mârşa and Săcădate .- Geography :It lies on the left bank of the river Olt Avrig is a town in the Sibiu...
, border which extends from the confluence of the Mârşa Valley with the Olt River to the Sorliţei Peak, border established after the year 1200 and marked with border signs called 'morminţi'.