Tomşani, Vâlcea

Tomşani
—  Commune  —
Coordinates: 45°39′N 23°56′E / 45.65°N 23.933°E / 45.65; 23.933Coordinates: 45°39′N 23°56′E / 45.65°N 23.933°E / 45.65; 23.933
Country	Romania
County	Vâlcea
First attested	1453
Component villages	Bălţăţeni, Bogdăneşti, Chiceni, Dumbrăveşti, Foleştii de Jos, Foleştii de Sus, Mireşti and Tomşani
Government
- Mayor	Dumitru Pearcu (since 2004)
Area
- Total	43.37 km2 (16.7 sq mi)
Population (2002)
- Total	4,194
- Density	96.7/km2 (250.5/sq mi)
Postal code
Website	[1] (Romanian)

Tomşani is a commune located in Vâlcea County, Romania, about 43 km from Râmnicu Vâlcea and 5 km from Horezu. It is composed of eight villages: Bălţăţeni, Bogdăneşti, Chiceni, Dumbrăveşti, Foleştii de Jos, Foleştii de Sus, Mireşti and Tomşani.

Agriculture is the main source of income. There are special traditions which have been well preserved.

Neighbours

• Costeşti and Horezu to the north.
• Pietrari and Păuşeşti to the east.
• Măldăreşti and Oteşani to the west.
• Frânceşti to the south.

History

A 1453 document attests the existence of the village of Foleştii de Sus, while a 1536 one mentions the villages of Tomşani and Bogdăneşti.

Historical monuments

• "Three Holy Hierarchs" Church in Foleştii de Jos, built in 1767
• "Blessed Paraskevi" Church in Foleştii de Sus, built in 1757
• "Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel" Church in Baltăţeni, built in 1773-1774

Geography

View from Foleştii de Jos village

The Bistriţa River, a tributary of the Olt River, passes through the commune from north to south. The topography of the area is made of the sub-Carpathian hills; the commune is at an altitude of about 650 m.

Economy

Unlike the majority of the Romanian countryside, collectivisation under Communism did not seriously affect Tomşani, with most farmers retaining their land. Most residents work in agriculture, particularly hay, fruit and apiculture.

Tomşani has easy access by road to the national and European system from the

• European route E81 (Bucharest - Râmnicu Vâlcea- Sibiu)
• DN 67 (Râmnicu Vâlcea-Costeşti-Horezu)
• DJ 646 (DN 64- Băbeni- Frânceşti- Foleştii de Jos-Foleştii de Sus-Tomşani)

References