Pianu
Pianu | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Evangelical church in Pianu de Jos | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location in Alba County | |
  Pianu Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates: 45°56′N 23°29′E / 45.933°N 23.483°E | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Alba |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2024) | Marin-Ioan Petruse[1] (PNL) |
Area | 115 km2 (44 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 319 m (1,047 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[2] | 3,375 |
| • Density | 29.3/km2 (76.0/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 517535 |
| Area code | (+40) 02 58 |
| Vehicle reg. | AB |
| Website | www |
Pianu (German: Pien) is a commune located in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 3,375 in 2021 and is composed of five villages: Pianu de Jos, Pianu de Sus (the commune center), Plaiuri, Purcăreți and Strungari.
The commune is situated in the southwestern part of Alba County, some 25 km (16 mi) south of the county seat, Alba Iulia. It is traversed from south to north (first through Pianu de Sus and then Pianu de Jos) by the Pianul river.[3]
There are traces in Pianu of settlements dating back to the Roman period, when the 13th Twin Legion had encampments in the area. The commune was first attested in the 12th century; Pianu de Sus was attested in a deed registered in 1454 in Sibiu.[3]
| In Romanian | In German | In Hungarian |
|---|---|---|
| Pianu de Jos | Deutsch Pien | Alsópián |
| Pianu de Sus | Rumänisch Pien | Felsőpián |
| Plaiuri | Plaintelep | |
| Purcăreți | Sebespurkerec | |
| Strungari | Sztrugár |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,634 | — |
| 1900 | 4,080 | +12.3% |
| 1941 | 4,269 | +4.6% |
| 1977 | 4,123 | −3.4% |
| 1992 | 3,552 | −13.8% |
| 2002 | 3,390 | −4.6% |
| 2011 | 3,082 | −9.1% |
| 2021 | 3,375 | +9.5% |
| Source: INS, Census data | ||
Local customs
[edit]The cemeteries in these mountain villages still preserve the custom of using carved painted funerary posts on the graves of deceased men. The posts are decorated with geometric motifs, wolf teeth, and sometimes plant designs. Their height depends on the age of the deceased, with children and old men having smaller posts.[4]
Other customs are wayside crosses, which are Christian symbols frequent inside the villages and nearby on roads and intersections. They are three interlinked crosses and signify the Holy Trinity.[4]
Natives
[edit]- Ioan Neag (born 1994), footballer
References
[edit]- ↑ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ↑ "2021 Romanian census". National Institute of Statistics. 1 December 2021.
- 1 2 "Primăria Pianu: prezentare locală" (in Romanian). Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- 1 2 "Troițe și cimitire cu stâlpi funerari". Centrul Cultural Lucian Blaga, Sebeș (in Romanian). Retrieved 2026-08-08.
Pianu de Jos, viewed from a distance
Wooden church in Pianu de Sus
Annunciation Church in Pianu de Sus
.JPG)
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