Curtea Domnească Curtea de Argeș

Curtea Domnească in Curtea de Argeș is one of the most important medieval complexes in Țara Românească, with origins in the 13th century. Initially built by Voivode Seneslau, the court was expanded in the early 14th century during the reign of Basarab I (1310–1352), when the church, the princely palace on the southern side, the tower and the enclosure wall were erected. In the 16th century, Neagoe Basarab (1512–1521) added the Casa Domnească on the northern side. The Church of Sfântul Nicolae Domnesc, founded by Basarab I, was completed in 1352, with mural paintings executed between 1364 and 1369 during the reign of Vlaicu Vodă. The architecture is Byzantine in style, with a floor plan of the "inscribed Greek cross" type in its Constantinopolitan variant, featuring three apses on the eastern side. The church measures 14.55×23.50 m, with a height of 23 m at the top of the tower. The church houses the tomb of Vlaicu Vodă and the relics of Saint Filofteia. The monument is included on the UNESCO Tentative List. The medieval court contains the earliest attestation of Wallachian statehood from the 12th–13th centuries, confirmed by archaeological discoveries within the precinct of Argeș Church I, which correlate with the Diploma of the Knights Hospitaller of 1247. Archaeological research carried out during the 20th century brought to light ceramics, coins and artefacts attesting to the continuous occupation of the site. The two medieval sites of the city — Curtea Domnească (13th–14th centuries) and the Monastery complex with the Episcopal Palace (15th–16th centuries) — are separated by a boulevard 1.5 km long. Curtea de Argeș is accessed via DN73C from Pitești, approximately 38 km away.