TârgoviÃÂte (, alternatively spelled TîrgoviÃÂte) is a city and county seat in DâmboviÃÂa County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the IalomiÃÂa River.
TârgoviÃÂte was one of the most important cities in the history of Wallachia, as it was its capital from 1418 to 1659. At the 2021 census, the city had a population of 66,965 people, making it the 27th largest in the country.
The name TârgoviÃÂte is a Slavic name which the city acquired in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the old Slavonic word for "marketplace", referring to the place rather than the market itself.
The name is found in placenames not only in South Slavic areas (Bulgarian , Serbian and Croatian '), but also in West Slavic such as Slovak Trhovià ¡te, Czech Trhovià ¡tàor Polish Targowica. Additionally, places with the same name are found in Romania, in the regions of Oltenia, Banat, and Moldavia.
The Romanian and Bulgarian towns with the same name are also twinned.
The area of TârgoviÃÂte which was first inhabited is located where the Saint Nicholas-Geartoglu Church and Stelea Veche Church stand today. It was in this place that the first fortifications were built: a small stone building surrounded by a brick wall and a moat, probably belonging to a local ruler. However, archaeological evidence is scarce and it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when it was erected.
Another nucleus of the city was built by Saxon colonists from Transylvania, in the area where the Catholic Saint Mary Church is located, a church that was built during the early years of the colony. A local tradition says that the church was built in 1300. The colonists came around the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century, the same period that Câmpulung was colonized. There is archeological evidence that the land occupied by the new colonists had been previously inhabited by locals, which leads to the conclusion that it had been approved by the local ruler.
The colonists influenced the local administration, as TârgoviÃÂte was the only town in Wallachia that had Transylvanian organization features, having official titles such as birÃÂu and folnog, which are found in documents together with local officials, like vornic and pristav. The town had a night watch which was also known by a Latin term (viglu < vigilia) instead of the local terms such pazàor strajÃÂ. Under Mircea the Elder (1383âÂÂ1419), TârgoviÃÂte became the third capital of Wallachia.
After 1400, the town began to grow and become denser. In both the Saxon part (around the stronghold) and the Romanian part, there were several large dwellings with cellars and cocklestoves similar to those found in Central Europe. The wealth is also known based on the number of treasure troves discovered, the largest being a hoard of 6,284 silver coins, found in the Saxon part of the town. The town gravitated around the Saxon part, this being valid until the Saxon community began its decline during the 16th century.
In the 15th century, the capital of Wallachia was Curtea de ArgeÃÂ, however, due to TârgoviÃÂte's economic growth, toward the end of the century, it became a secondary residence of the Wallachian hospodar. In 1396, Bavarian traveler Johann Schiltberger mentions both Curtea de Argeàand TârgoviÃÂte as capitals of Wallachia. While Mircea I lived in Curtea de ArgeÃÂ, Michael I, Mircea's son and co-prince lived in TârgoviÃÂte, where he continued to live even as a single ruler. Dan II preferred Curtea de Argeàand he was the last hospodar to rule from that city, the court being finally moved to TârgoviÃÂte by Alexandru Aldea in 1431.
Throughout the period it was the capital of Wallachia, the TârgoviÃÂte Princely Court (Curtea Domneascàdin TârgoviÃÂte) had been constantly refurbished and extended. The compound was surrounded by stone walls and a moat and a new church and a tower had been built. Vlad III Dracula ("the Impaler") later added the Chindia Tower, now a symbol of the city.
Starting with 1565, for the next two centuries, the rulers alternated the capital between TârgoviÃÂte and Bucharest, often on political reasons, as the former was preferred by the rulers who were more friendly toward Transylvania and the King of Hungary. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, TârgoviÃÂte was a major trade hub, especially with Poland, BraÃÂov, and Sibiu.
By the 16th century, the Romanians became majority in the city, as some Saxons left for Transylvania and others were assimilated. Greek merchants began to settle in the city, especially after 1500, while Greek monks settled in the nearby Dealu and Panaghia monasteries.
As the capital of Wallachia, TârgoviÃÂte faced numerous sieges and invasions. In 1395, it was sieged and set on fire by Bayezid I. In 1457, the townsfolk of TârgoviÃÂte were punished by Vlad III Dracula for their involvement in the assassination of his brother: the elite of the city were killed, while the young were sent to work at his Poenari Castle.
The Ottoman invasion of 1462 did not reach the city, being prevented by Vlad III through the night attack at TârgoviÃÂte. In 1476, the city was taken by Stephen V Báthory following a fifteen-day siege intended to restore Vlad to the throne. Several other battles were fought near the city during the rules of Neagoe Basarab and Radu of AfumaÃÂi.
In 1597, the Hajduks of Mihai Viteazul and Starina Novak fought and won a decisive battle against the Ottoman Empire in TârgoviÃÂte.
After the capital was finally moved to Bucharest during the rule of Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688âÂÂ1714), TârgoviÃÂte lost its importance, decaying economically as its population decreased.
TârgoviÃÂte was the site of the torture and execution of Tudor Vladimirescu on 7 June 1821 during the Wallachian uprising.
TârgoviÃÂte was the site of the trial and execution of Nicolae CeauÃÂescu and his wife Elena on 25 December 1989 during the Romanian Revolution. In 2025, the military unit where the execution was held opened to the public as the Museum of Military Tradition.
One village, Priseaca, is administered by the city.
In 2021, there were 66,965 inhabitants. According to the 2002 census, 96.6% of the inhabitants were Romanians and 2.84% Roma people.
TârgoviÃÂte is a railway node, with branches serving Titu (joining there the PloieÃÂti and PietroÃÂiÃÂa lines).
Today, the city is served by multiple stations:
The railway station is open for both passenger traffic - with sales/reservation office and electronic ticketing machine - and merchandise traffic. Local halts serves the large industrial operators of the city - Mechel, , , Erdemir, , .
Located at a crossroads of ancient trade routes, the city can be easily approached from all sides. TârgoviÃÂte Municipality is located approximatively north-west of Bucharest, with a convenient access to Henri CoandàInternational Airport, located in Otopeni, to the north of Bucharest.
Also, a number of county roads pass the city:
In the city, public transport is provided by Public Transport and include bus and maxi-taxi. From 1995 until 2005, trolleybuses operated in the city. In 2005 public transport was developed and modernized, Public Transport becoming a passenger transport company in public-private partnership.
TârgoviÃÂte is twinned with:
The city has one football club, FC Chindia TârgoviÃÂte which plays in the second tier of Romanian football, the Liga II.
Târgovià Âte is also home to Municipal MCM Târgovià Âte basketball club which competes in the Romanian League and the EuroCup.