Towns and Communication, Volume 1: Communication in Towns

Laurenţiu Rădvan Between free passage and restriction. Roads and bridges in the towns of Wallachia and Moldavia (16th-18th century)

between free passage and restriction. roads and bridges in the towns of wallachia and moldavia (th-th century) Laurenţiu Rădvan Key words: street, bridge, wood, topography. Roads, along with towns, stand among the oldest human creations. They may be considered in conjunction with each other, since roads appeared only when large communities of tradesmen and manufacturers felt that communication required routes that were better made and more reliable. Therefore, roads are not a product of the Middle Ages, and they held little priority during that period; however, they did not lose their significance on medieval man, since they were used to carry produce and goods, as well as troops. The condition of these roads was not one of the major concerns of the time, so they were left to nature’s devices, or, rather, to the devices of divine providence. Although located on the outskirts of Christian Europe, the Romanian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were crossed by major roads, used by tradesmen and armies. Since roads mediated transport of all kinds, they were a key factor that enabled the Romanian area to engage in international trade1 . Throughout the Middle Ages, and up to the first part of the 19th century, two major routes cut across the two principalities: 1 On roads in the Romanian area, see Constantin C. Giurescu, Istoria românilor [History of the Romanians], II, ed. by Dinu C. Giurescu, Bucureşti: All 2000, p. 387-389, and Sergiu Iosipescu, “Drumuri comerciale în Europa centrală şi sud-estică şi însemnătatea lor politică (secolele XIV-XV) [Trade roads in Central and South-East Europe and their political significance (14th -16th centuries)]”, in Anuarul Institutului de Istorie şi Arheologie Iaşi, 19 (1982), p. 265-284. Laurenţiu Rădvan has recently discussed Wallachian roads, Oraşele din Ţara Românească până la sfârşitul secolului al XVI-lea [Towns in Wallachia until the end of the 16th century], Iaşi: Universităţii Al. I. Cuza 2004, p. 160-169, and Marius Chelcu approached those located in Moldavia, “Drumuri şi oraşe în Moldova secolelor XVI-XVIII. Câteva observaţii [Roads and towns in Moldavia , 16th -18th centuries. Several considerations]”, in Laurenţiu Rădvan (ed.), Civilizaţia urbană din spaţiul 101 the road that linked Central Europe to Constantinople extended into Wallachia across an alternate route. It started off in Buda, branched into Oradea and Braşov (Transylvania), crossed the Carpathians into Wallachia, ran through Câmpulung and Târgovişte, and reached the Danube at Brăila or Giurgiu, via Bucharest, following its course South, towards Bulgarian territory. Moldavia was crossed by a road which started in Poland and passed through Lvov. Initially, this road followed the path of the Nistru, but the emergence of Tatar settlements in Crimea, coupled with the rising power of the Moldavian princes, led to it being detoured through the capitals of the latter: Suceava and Iaşi. These two major roads were interconnected. There was also a connecting road between Moldavia and Transylvania, which linked Suceava to Braşov, crossing the Carpathians through the Oituz pass. A road on the Siret river valley, through Bacău, linked Moldavia and Wallachia. The larger roads spread across a network of minor routes, which linked towns located at the junction of these roads, but always following rivers. As everywhere, geographical location determined certain features of urban settlements . The layout of the place and the arrangement of the communications network were always bound by geography. In Moldavia and Wallachia, towns are present in all geographical areas. Historical circumstance and modes of emergence led to submontane or hilly regions being preferred over plains for the development of urban centers . The Ottoman threat was of no small consequence in the spread of towns, since settlements in open country were more exposed to Ottoman attacks. But although submontane or hilly regions were given preference, slopes were avoided when it came to construction work, with terraces towering above river valleys being used instead. The towns of Iaşi and Bucharest, the main seats of the Moldavian and Wallachian princes, were located on such terraces, which rose above the valleys of the nearby Bahlui and Dâmboviţa rivers. It was not until the 18th century that population growth pushed larger towns towards the edges of the terraces, and urban planning turned towards nearby hills, and even valleys in flood-prone areas. Two other features of Moldavian and Wallachian towns will further our...