| Valcău de Jos | |
|---|---|
| Commune | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location in Sălaj County | |
  Valcău de JosLocation in Romania | |
| Coordinates: 47°07′40″N 22°44′20″E / 47.12778°N 22.73889°E / 47.12778; 22.73889 | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Sălaj |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2024) | Ioan Roșan (PNL) |
| Area | 63.23 km (24.41 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 242 m (794 ft) |
| Population | 3,009 |
| • Density | 48/km (120/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) |
| Postal code | 457345 |
| Area code | +(40) 260 |
| Vehicle reg. | SJ |
| Website | www |
Valcău de Jos (Hungarian: Alsóvalkó) is a commune in Sălaj County, Crișana, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Lazuri (Újvágás), Preoteasa (Füzespaptelek), Ratovei (Rátonbükk), Sub Cetate (Valkóváralja), Valcău de Jos, and Valcău de Sus (Felsővalkó). It is 14 km (8.7 mi) southwest of Șimleu Silvaniei.
History
Its name comes from the Slavic word vlk ("wolf"). Its Hungarian name Alsóvalkó means "Lower Valkó"; before 1899 it was called Magyarvalkó. Felsővalkó ("Upper Valkó") is now Valcău de Sus. Its castle was built in the late 13th century, and was unlawfully occupied by Dezső Elefánti in 1312. King Sigismund of Luxemburg laid siege to it in 1404. In 1665 the Ottoman army destroyed it and it was not rebuilt again.
Population
In 1910 the village had 900 residents, with a Romanian majority and a significant Hungarian minority.
In 2002 the commune 3,302 inhabitants: 2,909 Romanians, 287 Roma, 105 Hungarians, and one Slovak. At the 2011 census, there were 2,851 inhabitants; of those, 80% were Romanians, 14.7% Roma, and 2.9% Hungarians. At the 2021 census, Valcău de Jos had a population of 3,009, of which 75.74% were Romanians, 17.88% Roma, and 1.6% Hungarians.
Natives
- Lucian Bode (born 1974) politician
- Ioan Sârca (1911 – 1991), serial killer and rapist
Sights
- Reformed Church in Valcău de Jos, built in the 19th century (1896), historic monument
- Valcău Citadel, medieval fortress built in the 13th century, historic monument
References
- "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
- "Populația rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (in Romanian). INSSE. 31 May 2023.
- welcometoromania.ro - Reformed Church in Valcău de Jos, Sălaj County; retrieved on May 23, 2012
- welcometoromania.ro - Valcău Citadel; retrieved on May 23, 2012
