Corabia

Corabia
Town

Coat of arms

Location of Corabia
Coordinates: 43°46′25″N 24°30′12″E / 43.77361°N 24.50333°E / 43.77361; 24.50333Coordinates: 43°46′25″N 24°30′12″E / 43.77361°N 24.50333°E / 43.77361; 24.50333
Country  Romania
County Olt County
Status Town
Government
 • Mayor Iulica Oane (PSD)
Area
 • Total 123.19 km2 (47.56 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 16,441
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Climate Cfa
Website http://www.primariacorabia.ro
Corabia in Olt County

Corabia (Romanian pronunciation: [koˈrabi.a]) is a small Danube port located in Olt County, Romania, which used to be part of the now-dissolved Romanaţi County before World War II. Across the Danube from Corabia lies the Bulgarian village of Gigen.

History

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1912 9,124—    
1930 8,857−2.9%
1948 10,772+21.6%
1956 11,502+6.8%
1966 14,502+26.1%
1977 19,705+35.9%
1992 22,386+13.6%
2002 21,932−2.0%
2011 16,441−25.0%
Source: Census data

Beneath Corabia, around the former village of Celei, lie the remains of Sucidava, an old Dacian and Roman town and fortress. Near the town, Emperor Constantine the Great built the longest European bridge over the Danube (2437 m). The bridge was destroyed during the Avar invasions, probably in the 7th century. The ruins also contain an old Roman bath and an old basilica. The name Corabia reflects the fact that the new settlement was built from the remains of a wrecked Genoan ship (corabia is the Romanian language term for "sailing ship", specifically used for "galley"). It became a thriving port in the 1880s.

Under the communist regime, Corabia developed as a considerable manufacturing town, with a sugar mill, furniture factory, tannery, a fiber manufacturing plant, and various other facilities. However, in more recent times the town's population has dwindled. Many inhabitants have migrated to larger towns in the wake of the closure of many of Corabia's factories.

Geography

Corabia is still one of the central spots of Olt County; the town administers two villages, Tudor Vladimirescu and Vârtopu. The town houses a football club, several shops and bars, the remains of the Roman castrum Sucidava, dating back to the Roman period and featuring the "Secret Fountain" (an unusual piece of engineering); the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral (one of the largest buildings of its kind in Romania), as well a monumental statue in the middle of the town square commemorating the use of Corabia's facilities in the initial attack during the Romanian War of Independence. Corabia also has an important archaeological museum with, inter alia, a remarkable collection of Roman pottery. From the town harbour one can make trips along the Danube, with stops at the nearby Băloi Island.

Natives

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