Pitești is now a large industrial city, but in the past it was also an important trade center on the route to Bucharest. A lot of historic buildings have been preserved in its center, including several valuable churches.
The beginnings of the city date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, but the traces of settlement in the area come from prehistoric times. The Museum of the Argeș Region has valuable collections about the past of these areas. Today, the city is associated primarily with the plants producing Dacia cars and a large refinery.
Due to the rapid development of industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Pitești changed its character and the center was rebuilt. However, traces of earlier centuries have been preserved here. These are the Trivale Monastery and the Church of St. George . The magnificent Good Friday Church , covered with domes, comes from the beginning of the 20th century.
Pitești's attractions also include the Music Fountain in the main square and the Planetarium , which regularly hosts space shows.
After World War II, Pitești was remembered by Romanians in a sad and tragic way. There was a heavy political prison that ran so-called programs to re-educate prisoners through the use of torture and inhuman punishment. Today, the Pitești Prison Memorial is operating here, presenting this period in the city's history and being a warning for the future.
