The piatra toponym (meaning rock in Romanian) was always present in the names of the settlement along the history. The alternate names for the city were Piatra lui Crăciun, Târgu Piatra (in the middle ages) or simply Piatra.
Geography & access
Piatra Neamţ lies in the Bistriţa River Valley, surrounded by mountains - Pietricica (590 m), Cozla (679 m), Cernegura (852 m), Bâtca Doamnei (462 m) and Cârloman (617 m), at an average height of 345 m. The city has all the advantages offered by a kind and unique nature.
The city is located 350 km north of the capital city of Bucharest, in the historical region of Moldavia. The nearest airport is Bacău, situated at 60 km south. Piatra Neamţ is linked by Romanian railway trunk number 509 to Bucharest and Iaşi and by DN15 national road to BacăuDN2 to Bucharest), Iaşi, Suceava and Târgu Mureş (Transylvania). (therefore
The city is informally divided in several districts (in Romanian: cartiere)
- Centru
- Dărmăneşti
- Precista
- Mărăţei
- 1 Mai
- Sarata
- Valea Viei
- Gara Veche
- Speranţa
- Ciritei
- Vânători
- Văleni
History
The area around Piatra Neamţ is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Romania. The oldest traces of human civilisation in the present territory date back to the higher Paleolithic, about 100,000 years BCE. The Cucuteni culture, whose development lasted approximately one thousand years (ca. 3600-2600 BCE) was attested in the territory of Neamţ county by a remarkable number of settlements (approx. 150), archaeological diggings unearthing important museum collections of Aeneolithic artifacts. Archaeologists have also discovered objects here dating back to the Neolithic Period and the Bronze Age (about 1900-1700 BCE).
Excavations just outside the city revealed the ruins of a large Dacian city, Petrodava, mentioned by Greek geographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The whole compound had its heyday between the first century BCE and the first century CE. Standing out is the citadel at Bîtca Doamnei which contains shrines resembling those identified in the Orăştiei Mountains. As far as the existence of a local leader is concerned, historians tend to suggest the identification of the Kingdom of Dicomes in the very political centre at Petrodava. The complex of strongholds without peer in Moldavia and Wallachia is evidence as to a powerful political and military centre both in Burebista’s time and in the period that preceded the reign of Decebalus. The settlement was documented in the 15th century as Piatra lui Craciun, or Camena, a market town.
The first urban settlements, which emerged under Petru I Muşat (1375-1391), were Piatra lui Craciun, Roman and Neamţ. The Neamţ citadel, whose documentary attestation dates back to February 2, 1395, was also erected during the same consolidation period of the Moldovian pricipate east of the Carpathians. The Princely Court of Piatra Neamţ is mentioned for the first time in a document dated April 20, 1491 being founded between 1468 and 1475, under Stephen the Great, the Princely Cathedral being built in 1497-1898 and the 20 m. tall Bell Tower in 1499.
Economy
The city's industries include a fertilizer plant, a pulp and paper mill, and several food-processing plants. In the city are also located an agricultural machinery plant (Mecanica Ceahlău), a pharmaceutical plant (Plantavorel) and two paper manufacturers. The city's main industrial park is situated 11 km south, in the Săvineşti area. During the communist period, the Săvineşti platform was one of the most important chemical plants in Romania and the site of a research institute. Today, the industrial facility is part of the Italian group Radici, and it operates at a very low capacity.
In the recent period, the most important Romanian commercial brands originating from Piatra Neamţ are Rifil (synthetic fibers manufacturer), Altex (Media Galaxy) (TV, hi-fi, home appliances national dealer), Köber (paints manufacturer), and Dasimpex (mobile phones dealer).
There are 2 local TV stations (TV M, 1TV ), 3 FM radio stations and several newspapers (Ziarul Ceahlaul, Monitorul de Neamt, Realitatea )Culture & Education
Piatra Neamţ is home to Teatrul Tineretului (Youth's Theatre), G. T. Kirileanu library and many cultural events, including the International Theatre Festival in the springtime, the classical music event Vacanţe muzicale (musical holydays) in the summertime and more folkloric festivals all year round.
The "Petru Rareş" national college, "Calistrat Hogaş" national college, as well as "Victor Brauner" Fine Arts College are also located here.Attractions
The city's main attractions are the natural beauty of the area (the mountains and the lakes), the hystorical buildings, the museums and the festivals. Today, there are several programs in progress with the goal of transforming Piatra Neamţ into an important touristic destination in Romania (the construction of the cable car ref in Romanian and the wintersports facilities).
Landmarks:
- Stephen's tower, built in 1499, during Ştefan cel Mare's reign
- St John The Baptist church (1497-1498)
- The Princely Court
- The History & Archaeology Museum (host of the Cucuteni exhibition, the largest Aeneolithic artifacts collection in southeastern Europe)
- The Fine Arts Museum
- The Natural Sciences Museum
- The "Calistrat Hogaş" Memorial Museum
- The "Schimbarea la Faţă" Wooden Church in Văleni
- The Bistriţa Monastery, founded in the early 15th century, is 8 km (5 mi) west of the city
- The Wooden Synagogue
Sports
FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ is the local football (soccer) team; best performance : 4th round in UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999 after two matches versus Juventus Turin. Currently it plays in the first national league - Liga I .
Former Fibrex Săvineşti, actually HCM Piatra Neamţ is the local men's handball team, three times champions of Romania and two times winners of Handball Romania's Cup.
CV Unic Piatra Neamţ is the local women's volleyball team.
Piatra Neamţ is the residence of Constantin "Ticu" Lăcătuşu, the first Romanian alpinist who reached the top of Mount Everest.
The Piatra Neamţ Equestrian Stadium (Baza Hipică) is the host of several show jumping and dressage international competitions
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