Cetatea Lotrului

I have read about Cetatea Lotrului being located somewhere at the point of confluence between rivers Lotru and Olt. However I was unable to find more info about it or its exact location. It looks like its exact location is unknown. Is that true?

This post has been edited by Imperialist on August 15, 2009 12:16 pm

Not many places near Brezoi where one could build a fort. The Romans did build one (Arutela) several km to the South after the Olt comes out of the "Hooks".

The old road to Transylvania was not through those gorges, but somewhere to the East of the Cozia Mountain and is now in a very poor shape. Why would a fort be built in sucha difficult passage way?

So the historians made up its existence or confused it (with what)?

I didn't say that. This info is new to me also.

The info was mentioned by Constantin C. Giurescu.
After a bit of googling I found other brief mentions of this fort (its Hungarian name and so on).

But it seems there is no clear location. Maybe a WW2.ro - Amateur Archaeologists expedition should try to shed light on this issue. Any volunteers?

http://www.comeinromania.com/va-1198835916...a_poienari.html

A mystery cetate.

Agree, but sometime in summer...

I found another piece to this puzzle, but it only complicates the problem. Pic 55 on this page (placing cursor over pics shows their number):

http://www.primariabrezoi.ro/index.php?opt...lerii&Itemid=21

Reads "Turnul lui Doanca, colt din zidul de fortificatie, 1966"

Apparently it is located somewhere around or on Varful Turtudan, so that would place it in the area of these low peaks:

http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/st...al/32717058.jpg

But I haven't found anything else about this mystery fortification.

I have underlined with blue the peak Turtudan.

The blue cross is the position of the SNR pylon, which is visible in the right side of the photo. I have marked with red the possible position of the person who took the photo at the entrance in Brezoi from Malaia. The hills on the left side in the close view are most likely part of the Dobra "mountain".

Hope this helps.

Imperialist,

Look in Google Earth for a Panoramio photo approximately 6-7 km Northeast of Brezoi, on a small valley going East-West between the Olt River and the old road connecting Transylvania with Walachia.

The rough coordinates are:
45 22 28 N
24 19 59 E

The photo depicts Doanca's Tower from the old photos you posted. I am in the area tomorrow. If I have time, I will go there to see if that is the actual location.

I hope that pic is not misplaced there. I previously looked at these coordinates:

45°20'54.79"N
24°14'55.85"E

Anyway, I think if you ask the locals they'll probably know where to point you.

What book did you use to see the old road system? I looked on the net for such a map before I posted my last message on this thread but I couldn't find anything with usable resolution.

Unfortunately I could not get there. I was at Berislavesti (East of Calimanesti) and it was getting late, I had some colleagues with me from Craiova and this would have probably added one hour to the trip and I could not delay them. Next time maybe.

Regarding the old road, I think Constantin Giurescu mentions it in Istoria Romanilor. I did not see a map, but presently the only road going from Curtea de Arges to Caineni is DN 7D (although it's probably an overkill to classify it as "national" road). I presumed this was it.

I passed on that road yesterday going from the Olt Valley to Perisani. From the moving vehicle there was no sign of the tower on that side of the valley and no sign of a road going up the hill.

Maybe the photo is misplaced ?!

And DN7D is probably in the same state since the medieval times.

I had probably the same problem as you, trying to reach Cetatea Ciceului in Bistriţa county. The road sign showed a certain distance to the monument, but I drive much more than it said and I was not even near the fortress. The road was vanishing at some point and no more guidance or road/track was available. Also, from photos and maps, the fortress looked more reacheable, but I found out eventually that one was the reality of the map and of the photos and totally different was the reallity of the field. I couldn't find the fortress in that trip.