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In
and around the city there have been uncovered vestiges of human inhabitance
from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. The city was an important
political, economic and social Dacian center named Apulon, mentioned by the
ancient Greek historian Ptolemy. After the southern part of Dacia became a province of the Roman Empire, the capital of the
Dacia Apulensis district was established here, and the city was known as
Apulum, a thriving political, administrative, economic and social center in
the Roman Empire. Apulum was one of the largest centers in Roman Dacia and the
seat of the XIII Gemina Legion. Because of its wealth and importance
it became the "Little Rome" of Roman Dacia. In the 9th
century the city is mentioned under the name Balgrad, "the white citadel".
In the 10th century the Magyars extend their domain pushing
eastwards into Transylvania. In 1177, the city is mentioned as
the roman catholic bishopric of Transylvania. In the 13th century
the present catholic cathedral was built on the foundations of a 10th
century chapel, still visible inside. In 1442 Ioannus Corvinus (Johan
Huniad, brilliant and strategic commander, governor of Hungary) prepared in the citadel his attack on the
Turkish armies, which was carried out a few kilometers north, at Santimbru.
During his reign, the cathedral of Alba Iulia was enlarged and after his
death he was entombed here. In 1541, Alba Iulia becomes the capital of
the autonomous principality of Transylvania until 1690. In 1516 the
building of a new citadel starts. In 1599, Michael the Brave, ruler of
Walachia, enters the citadel with his armies and declares the unification of
Transylvania with Walachia and Moldavia, under his rule, which will last
only for one year. For a short while, Alba Iulia becomes the capital
of the united provinces. In the 17th century, during
the reign of prince Gabriel Bethlen 2 more defence bastions are added to the
fortress, and thanks to him, Alba Iulia and the whole of Transylvania
experiences a cultural rebirth. In 1688, Transylvania becomes a
province of the Habsburg Empire and in 1711, the Court in Vienna orders the
building of new fortifications in Alba Iulia. The works started on
the impressive Vauban style (star-shaped) citadel, the largest in Transylvania, in
1715, according to the plans of Giovanni Morando Visconti, under the leadership of
Eugene of Savoy, and finished in 1738. In the 18th century,
the region was the scene of many peasant uprisings. In 1759 Habsburg
empress Maria Theresa emits the decree of tolerance for the Romanian orthodox
peasants, allowing them to name an orthodox bishop. Much attention was
not given to the decree, thus began, in 1779, the great peasant rebellion
for social justice and freedom lead by Horea and Closca, and by Gheorghe
Crisan which joined them in 1784. The same year, the rebellion was
crushed and the 3 leaders imprisoned. Crisan committed suicide while
imprisoned and the remaining 2 were tortured and killed in 1785 on the
spot known today as "Forks' Hill". Thousands of peasants were forced
to watch alongside the terrified inhabitants of the city as they were
tortured, having their bodies crushed with the wheel. In the 18th
century the catholic bishop Ignat Batthyany sets the foundations of the
famous Batthyanaeum Library. In 1848, Alba Iulia is caught in the
great revolutions, intellectuals and craftsmen holding protests in the town.
In 1869, the railway between Alba Iulia and Arad, and in 1895 the narrow
gauge railway between Alba Iulia and Zlatna are put in operation. The
Apuseni mountains in the Western Carpathians, west of Alba Iulia, rich in
gold and silver ores, became the object of interest of Habsburg authorities.
This was the richest areas for precious metals extraction in the empire and
one of the richest in Europe. In the beginning of the 17th
century, 43% of Europe's gold was produced here. Very important were
also the salt mine in the region. The region was also famous for its
vineyards, wines produced here were sent all over the empire. In 1894,
electricity was introduced in the city. The First World War brought
the collapse of the Habsburg empire, and once again the unification of
Transylvania with Romania was proclaimed. On the cold morning of
December 1st, 1918 official delegations arrived in Alba Iulia.
It is said that around 100000 Romanians from all the corners of Transylvania
gathered in the city to whitness the occasion. |
