Roata de Jos: Churches, Archaeology and the Dâmbovnic Valley

Roata de Jos lies in the floodplain of the Dâmbovnic Valley within the Găvanu-Burdea subunit of the Romanian Plain.

For geographical orientation, the landscape is considered first; the historical points can then be read independently of it.

Landscape

The Dâmbovnic floodplain is 1.5 to 2 kilometres wide and is bordered on both sides by slopes that transition to the higher-lying plain. Roata de Jos lies mostly in this floodplain on the left bank of the Dâmbovnic River.

Landscape and culture can be considered separately: First, the valley area describes the spatial setting, followed by the individual local and historical points.

Culture

The “Adormirea Maicii Domnului” Church in Sadina is located at 13 Strada Petrolistului. The church in Sadina is a historic monument built in 1668 and regarded as a tourist destination of the commune. It is the surviving part of a monastic settlement founded in 1668 during the reign of Radu Leon Voievod.

The “Sfântul Gheorghe” Church in Cartojani is a historic monument dating from 1852. In the village of Roata de Jos stands the “Sfântul Nicolae”-Zgaia Church, a historic monument dating from 1912.

The specific names and local references distinguish the religious sites from one another without combining them into a single historical site.

History

A monument in the centre of the commune commemorates 116 local residents who died in the fighting from 1916 to 1918 at Mărăști, Mărășești, Oituz and Dragoslavele; it was erected in 1936.

The settlement of Roata was first mentioned in a document issued by Vladislav II on 5 August 1451.

Archaeology

The Bronze Age settlement near Roata de Jos belongs to the Tei culture and is located at the entrance to the village from the direction of Cartojani. The “La Troiță” archaeological site in Cartojani is a Bronze Age settlement of the Glina culture and is located in the centre of Cartojani.

The “La Carieră” archaeological site is one of the historic monuments of local interest in the commune of Roata de Jos.

Cult objects of the Dacians were recovered from the cemetery of the church in Sadina, including a Dacian vessel for cremation.

Those organising the local information for their own planning can first read the landscape as a spatial framework and then group the churches, monuments and archaeological sites by location or historical period. The information on Sadina, Cartojani and Roata de Jos provides different points of reference without turning them into a single attraction.

A hotel offer for Roata de Jos can be incorporated into your own travel planning based on travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions; the information makes different options and their financial scope comparable.

Transport

Near Roata de Jos, county road DJ611 branches off from DJ601 and leads northwest to Gratia in Teleorman County.

To the general travel overview: Roata De Jos.