1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Tîrgovishtea

TÎRGOVISHTEA (Rumanian Tîrgoviştea, or Târgoviştea, sometimes incorrectly written Tergovista or Tirgovist), the capital of the department of Dimbovitza, Rumania; situated at the foot of the Carpathians, on the right bank of the river Jalomitza, 48 m. N.N.W. of Bucharest. Pop. (1900), 9398. A branch line connects Tîrgovishtea with the main Walachian system, and is prolonged northwards into the hills, where there are rich deposits of petroleum, salt and lignite. Coal is also found but not worked. Apart from the scanty ruins of a 14th-century palace, the most interesting building in the town is the Metropolitan church, still one of the finest in the country, with its nine towers and monuments of the princely house of Cantacuzino. It was founded in 1515 by Neagoe Basarab, builder of the famous cathedral of Curtea de Argesh. Tîrgovishtea is a garrison town, with a cavalry-training school and an artillery depot and repairing arsenal.

Under Mircea the Old (1383–1419) Tîrgovishtea became the third capital of Walachia. In the 15th century it was sacked by the Szeklers. Michael the Brave defeated the Turks under its walls in 1597. In the 16th century it had a population of 60,000 and contained 70 churches and 40 convents. After Constantine Brancovan moved the seat of government to Bucharest in 1698, Tîrgovishtea lost its importance and the population decreased.