ROMANIA

PRAHOVA COUNTY
DUMBRAVESTI COMMUNE

Translation from Romanian language

- SYNTHESIS OF MONOGRAPHY

-
The Dumbrăveşti commune is situated in the central side of the Prahova County, 25 km
away from Ploieşti, 6 km away from Plopeni, 19 km away from Slănic and 15 km away from
Vălenii de Munte, being spread out along the county road DJ 102 Plopeni – Slănic, having access
to the railway Ploieşti – Slănic through the three railway stations of the administrative territory:
Plopeni Sat, Gavanel, Malaesti.

The connection with the neighbouring communes is provided by:

- Communal Road DC 11 formed from DJ 102 at the exit from the Dumbravesti village and
provides the connection with the Vilcanesti and Cosminele commune;
- the communal road DC 16 which forms from the Dumbrăveşti village and provides the
access through the component village Sfarleanca and further wih DN 1 A up to the Făget village
of the Gura Vitioarei commune;
- the communal road DC 54 which makes the connection with the Lipanesti commune and
DN 1A Ploieşti – Văleni.

The Dumbrăveşti commune was made according to Law 2/1968 by unifying the Malaesti
commune with the Plopeni commune, a commune consisting of 6 villages such as: Plopeni
Village, Gavanel, Dumbrăveşti, Sfarleanca, Mălăieştii de Sus, Mălăieştii de Jos.

Elements of the natural environment

The Dumbrăveşti commune is situated in the high plain area of Ploieşti, containing within its
limits the area of the sub-Carpathian hills in the area of the piedmont plain, the hills of the north
area being afforested.
The villages of the Dumbrăveşti commune developed on the high terrace of the Varbilau
brook, the Cosmina brook, the right side of the Teleajen River;
The main water course of that area in the Teleajen River, a permanent flow and a bed a little
more curved;
Other permanent water courses being: the Varbilau brook, which crosses the commune from
North to South, being the affluent of the Teleajen River, flowing into it on the area of the
Dumbrăveşti village;
The Cosmina brook with its affluents Misleanca and Golden crosses the commune from
North to South, flowing into the Teleajen River on the area of the Plopeni;
 The level of the underground waters measured in the fountains varies between 10 and 50
meters;
The drillings made in the area maintained the underground water at the depth of 3,5-4,00
meters with a variable level depending on the rainfalls;

Seismic data
According to the Norm P100 – 92, the domain of the Dumbrăveşti commune fits in the
seismic calculation area A, the coefficient being Ks = 0.32.

Climatic data
The main climatic characteristics of the area are the following:
- the average annual temperature of the year: +10 °C;
- the maximal absolute temperature: +39, 4 °C;
- the minimal absolute temperature: -30 °C;
- the average temperature of January: -20 °C;
- the average temperature of July: +20 °C;
- average multiannual rainfalls: 600 – 700 mm;
- maximal frost depth: 0,90 m.

 Gettable mineral reserves:

Oil, natural gases, coal, salt, river aggregates;
 Economic activities:
At the level of the Dumbrăveşti commune it functions a number of 79 companies with
various industrial profiles.

The main fields of the agriculture are:

Fruit-growing, cereals growing, viticulture, zootechnics.
 Population, demographic elements:
Census year: 1966 – 1977 – 1992 – 1994 – 1997 – 2002
Population number: 3706 – 3980 – 3695 – 3680 – 3965 – 3885
 Administrative territory
The commune has a surface of 2955 ha, with the following neighborhoods:
South – Plopeni city
North – Varbilau commune
East – Gura Vitioarei commune, Magurele and Lipanesti,
West – Cocorastii Mislii commune, Vilcanesti commune
Total intravilan area: 336 ha
Number of the existing homesteads: 1478
Number of the registered houses: 1535
Existing habitable area: 25865 sqm
Habitability index: 7 sqm/person
Average/house habitable area: 16,9/lo./house
Persons no./house: 2,5 persons/house
 The social and cultural situation of the commune is the following:
- Plopeni Village: General School with the forms: I-VIII, kindergarten with two groups,
groceries, church + 2 cemeteries;
- Gavanel: grocery
- Dumbrăveşti: City Hall, Police Department, cultural center, human health center, schools
with forms I-VIII, kindergarten, postal office, stores, library, digital telephonic exchange with 600
telephone numbers, church, 2 cemeteries;
- Mălăeştii de Jos: General School with the forms: I-IV, kindergarten, stores, church,
cemetery;
 - Mălăeştii de Sus: stores, church, cemetery;
- Sfarleanca: General School with the forms: I-IV, kindergarten, stores, church, cemetery;
 Communal equipment
Water supply:
The villages: Plopeni, Gavanel, Mălăeştii de Jos, Sfarleanca, Dumbrăveşti;
The length of the water distribution network: 26 km,
The water supplying of the houses is made by the influent conduit Valenii de Munte –
Movila Vulpii (THREAD I);

The electric power supply of the Dumbrăveşti commune is made by the national energetic
system by LEA 20 kv, through 11 substations.
Telephony The Dumbrăveşti commune is served by a personal digital telephonic
exchange with 600 telephone numbers, situated in the Dumbrăveşti village.
On the commune’s territory there are placed: oil wells and separating parks and crude oil
tanks, the property of SNP Petrom SA – branch office of Ploieşti – Boldeşti oil derrick.
Historical and natural architecture monuments
A. In compliance with the “List of the Historical Monuments” approved by the CNMASI in
1992, reconfirmed by CNMI and approved by the Ministry of Culture, with the approval no. 4277-
IC-16.07.1997, on the territory of the Dumbrăveşti commune, in the list of the “Archeological
Monuments and Sits”, in the Sfarleanca village, in the point “La Cetate” to the east side of the
village, there is registered the “Romanian Castrum 101 - 118”. This is a monument with an
exceptional value, the “A” value category registered in the list at the 30A096 indicative.
B. On the commune’s territory there are the following objectives with strict protection
regime
– Thuja orientalis L- arbor vitae – situated in the yard of the property of the named Farmache
Adalciza Vidra Maria in the Dumbrăveşti village;
- Scarbus domestica L-SCARUS – situated in the “MOLDOVEANU” point of the Mălăeşti
hill, in the Mălăeştii de Jos village.

Traffic organization:
The county road and the communal roads have the following structure:
DJ 102 – on the territory of the Dumbrăveşti commune is 9km long, asphalted;
DC 16 – 2km asphalted, 3,7 paved;
DC 54 – 1 km asphalted;
DC 11 – 6km asphalted.
The other communal roads, 26 km long, are totally paved.
 - HISTORY AND TRUTH -
THE NEOLITHIC HABITATION OF THE ALDENI II TYPE OF THE MĂLĂEŞTII
DE JOS (PRAHOVA COUNTY)

With the occasion of some surface archeological researches, on the territory of the Mălăeştii
de Jos village, of the Dumbrăveşti commune, Prahova county (25 km to the north of Ploieşti,
towards Slănic) there was discovered a Neolithic habitation, belonging to the bearers of the Aldeni
II cultural aspect. It was situated on the west terrace of the Varbilau River and it was named
“Mornel”, in the “La Rapa” point. The terrace is about 300 m long. The edge of the riverside is
notched, forming ten extensions, in the form of some high semicircles, covered with boscages. As
the north side of the riverside is abrupt, the locals named it “La Rapa”. It turns to the west where
there is a narrow and deep stream, as a border, covered with nig boscages, from the stream’s
opening rising “Rapa”.

Near Rapa there is the first extension of the terrace, named “La Bughiu”, the most northern
one and the highest one, of about 30 m high over the water level, with steep inaccessible riversides
on three sides. This is where it is situated the Neolithic habitation. The surface on which there are
spread the habitation rests has an approximately oval form; it is 60 m long and 30 m wide, the land
being in the middle a little bit high because of the human living signs, of the Neolithic age. From
this point the ancient habitants had a large view towards south and towards north.
The plough unearthed various pieces of burned rough cast, with various signs of straws. They
are the obvious proof of the plant culture. We remind the various ceramic fragments on which
there are impresses signs of grains of wheat and several grinding mills, of average dimensions, of
oval longish form, with a blunt side, because of the long time use.
From the ploughing there were also gathered isolated bones of animals (mainly of bovines),
proving the cattle breeding.
Another documented occupation was the spinning, proved by the discovery of some
bitronconical spindles (of 3 cm diameter) and some round and perforated shivers. They also
suppose another occupation, namely the weaving.
From the tools, there are certified various silex pieces. There was used, as raw material,
especially the brown-yellow silex, probably of the “Balkan” type.
There are also some grey silex pieces with an origin which is header to precise (it can be
from deposits found on the south of Braşov county). We don’t exclude the possibility that humans
would have also used local silex, gathered from the bed of the Varbilau River. There were
discovered numerous whole and fragmented blades. There are also several blade segments with
glazed sides. The scrapers are usually worked on specially prepared splinters. As in the case of the
blades, there must be mentioned the mierolitic scrapers (of 2 cm long). We mention a perforator,
with a broken spike and glazed margins and a spherical striker. Besides the silex tools, but on a
much reduced scale, there were also used other tools of silicium gritstone, originary from the area
of the Carpathian curbature, which arrived in that aria also by changes.
The tools of grinded stone are represented by five pieces worked of volcanic tuff. Three of
them are flat, imperforated: a) an almost rectangular little axe, with a curved edge, it has a
rectangular transversal section with curved corners and a symmetrical longitudinal section; b) a
little chisel kept complete, long, with a plan-complex transversal section and an asymmetrical
longitudinal section; c) a fragmented, narrow and long lance. Two of the stone tools, also made of
volcanic tuff, are perforated. Of the first piece, a hammer-axe, there was kept a little portion near
the hole for the fang fixing. The perforation was made only from one side. The hole has a
tronconic form. The second piece, minuscule, was also a hammer-axe, of which there was kept
only the arm with the edge. The hole was made from two sides. It has a bitronconic form, the
connection being made on the small basis.
As special pieces, used for the tattooing or the decoration of the textures, we mention: an
entire pantadera, with a short arm and flat at the basis and perforated at the top side.
On the disc’s front side, the pintadera has a relieved volute. From another pintadera, there
was kept only one part of the disc, also decorated with a volute.
The ceramics is represented by several fragments of vessels of various dimensions, modelled
of paste mixed with a large quantity of pounded crocks. There can be distinguished two main
categories: the common use vessels and those of fine paste.
The first category is documented, especially by various jars with curved body. From these
ones, we mention those with convex body, accentuated and with short rim, rolled up from the
outside. There are also large vessels, with cylindrical high neck and convex body; then, there are
very large vessels (some of them with 3 cm thick walls), for keeping the food. We also signal the
big deep bowls, with bitronconic form. There were also found some fragments of high cylindrical
supports, with a arched middle side, similar to those of the neighbouring culture area of the
Cucuteni culture. Among the fragments more special we mention a thick fragment, with some big,
outstripped apertures. Various vessels had massive ears or little ears vertically perforated.
The vessels in this category were decorated, usually, with slurry, especially with winch,
seldom with unorganized with slurry, associated with several niches, made negligently with the
finger along the margin and on the body, with prominences of various forms. We can seldom find
the decoration with incised, parallel, serried, vertical lines, or that formed of relief, short, vertical
strips.
Another fragment of the zoomorphic statuette renders a male animal, with long and slim
body. It lacks the front part; we also mention an animal body with a dull front part. One of the
statuettes draws the attention by that fact that it had a long neck and the front legs fixed on the
body with a little stick. Besides these one, there was also found a little head of horned animal. On
the neck it has a facet indicating the fact that it was modelled separately from the body. One
fragment represents the front half of a statuette, rending a horned animal with long legs. On the
back it has a crest. In general, the statuettes described are modelled negligently.
From the decorations we mention a pendant of burned earth, which is round, conic, flat, with
two holes at the upper side, decorated on the outside cu lines of small pricks.
It is excluded that the piece would represent an earth imitation of the golden pendants.
Until now, the habitation of Mălăeştii de Jos is the most west one of the Aldeni II habitat. We
must underline the fact that the archaeological materials gathered from the earth surface, of the
station, are rich enough, which allowed us to mention some elements of material culture specific to
the Aldeni II aspect from the region from the north side of Ploieşti. We don’t exclude the
possibility that habitations of the same type could exist further to the west besides the one
mentioned above.
As the objective was not researched by diggings, we are not in the position to specify the
stratigraphy of its contents (we refer to the layer formed during the Neolithic age). A sign
regarding a more intense and long standing dwelling seems to be the observation that that land is a
little bit higher than the surrounding fields.

As you can see from those mentioned above, as a habitation type, the objective of Mălăeştii
de Jos is not different from other similar ones of the Buzău County, researched by diggings.
As for the occupations, as it is naturally, the data are still few. The tools, especially the silex
ones, are various, proving that there were big possibilities to obtain raw material, from that area or
by changes with other farther communities.
The observations made regarding the ceramics are interesting. It is necessary to emphasize
the fact that even if there were researched by diggings some habitations of the Aldeni II type, of
the hill area of Muntenia, until now there were published too little materials of this kind. By the
number of ceramic fragments presented, our lot is the richest one.
As everybody knows, the Aldeni II cultural aspect, found in the territories of the areas of the
Cucuteni and Gumelnita cultures, was formed of the mixture of some elements specific for the two
cultures. Of the observations made until now it results that in some stations, in the ceramics field
there are predominant the elements of the Gumelnita type and in others, the elements of the
Cucuteni type. In the complex of Mălăeştii de Jos, some main elements (such as the glasses) are
the Cucuteni type. The elements specific for the Gumelnita culture are few. In the present research
stage, it seems to result that in the area around Teleajen there are predominant the elements of the
Cucuteni type, to be connected with a strong influence and probably with contacts with the
communities of the South-Eastern Transivania.

We cannot overlook the finding that the ceramic fragments with painted decoration of the
objective researched present some particularities, not found in other similar habitations.
It draws the attention the considerable number of the statuettes, especially the zoomorphic
ones. From the materials gathered from the surface of the earth, there must be mentioned some
special fragments, dating from the bonze age. We refer to a tronconic deep cup, with short vertical
ear. Its surface is uneven. As a decoration, near the margin, it has a small prominence, elongated
on the horizontal. From the few little ears gathered, we mention one from a little cut of fine paste.
On the upper side of the ear there is a button with a small pastille. The shape of this ear is specific
for the vessels of the Tei culture. This finding makes us assign to the same culture the other
fragments of ears and similar vessels. This is a proof that on the “Mornel” place or around it there
was a habitation of the Tei type. We underline tha fact that it is the most northern point, known
until now, with such discoveries of the Prahova County.

On the “Mornel” place there were also found some fragments of rough paste, of high jars,
with curved body, decorated, under the margin, with some relief, alveolar strips, associated,
probably, with prominences. Considering the aspect, these fragments seem to date from the first
Iron Age1.

The campaign or archaeological digging – the archaeological region

of Mălăeştii de Jos, Dumbrăveşti commune, Prahova County, year 2003

Mălăeştii de Jos, Dumbrăveşti commune (Prahova County) Point: “La Mornel”

Region code: 131498.01
Staff: Radian – Romus Andreescu (MIMIR) – executive, Alin Frînculeasa, Eugen Paveleţ
(MIAP); UVT students;

This region was researched at the beginning of the 80’s by surface researches by E. Comşa
and V. Georgescu2. It seems that there were also taken archaeological soundings, as we found
some traces of a little case in sector 1 during the campaign of 2003. In 2002 we began some
systematic researches, within a project that aims at the approach by specific researches of the
northern area of the Gumelniţa3 culture.
Objectives:
- some diggings made in the surface, in order to try to find piles in the surface, but also the
outside areas of the houses, both for the establishment of the type of houses and of their building
type, and of the internal evolution of the habitation.
- the research of some closed piles, in order to observe especially the ceramics, considering
the fact that the archaeological level is strongly affected by ploughings, as much material appeared
mixed.
- field researches near the region in order to discover other regions, with a view to the
development of a project that would aim at the entire stream of the Vărbilău River.
 - recovering of osteological material, for archaeological and botanic determinations, in the
context in which the in previous campaign we could not recover more than an insignificant
quantity of bones. We wished to see if this is a characteristic of the region or if the earth acidity
influences this state.

The research also received a salvation character, in the context of the appearance at the
surface, especially in the central area, of some well individualized areas or burned red minced
adobe, which suggests a strong affection of the region by the archaeological works. Also, the
situation of the habitation on the margin of the terrace, in an area where the Vărbilău River has a
curve that determines the accentuated erosion of the terrace, in the terrace’s breach there can be
seen a strong inclination of the layers, towards the water (East), suggesting a strong slipping of the
terrace towards the river bed, which irremediably leads to the destruction of the habitation.
However, the realization of a small sounding in the eastern margin of the terrace at about -3,5 m
away from the maximal altitude of the habitation, lead to a discovery at the surface (-30 cm) of an
archaeological pile, characterized by a mass of burned adobe, probably of a house set on fire.
Methodology: because of the reduced funds, but also of the occupation of the land by agricultural
works, the archaeological researches of the campaign of 2003 consisted in the setting out and the
research of two sectors placed at 0,5 m to the south of SII/2003, parallel with the respective section
and at 0,5 m to the west of SI/2002. The sectors named conventionally St. 1 and St. 2 from east to
west, have dimensions of 6x6 m, separated one from another by a stratigraphical mark of 0,5 m
thick. Over the sectors there is superposed a squaring of 2x2 m. Archaeological discoveries:
The researches of this campaign lead to the identification of some well individualized areas
directly connected to various activities developed within the habitation. There were researched
four distinct areas:
- an area which covered a big part of St.1, partially St 2 (the eastern side), characterized by
the presence of an important quantity of fragmented ceramics, mostly placed on the horizontal,
which suggests the intentional character of this activity, respectively the “paving” of an area
outside the houses. We mention that in this area there were discovered few bones;
- a possible “domestic area”, outside the L1/2002, in St 2, the South-Western area,
characterized by the presence of ashes, burned wood, bones (the area with the biggest bone
quantity), burned minced adobe, very fragmented ceramics;
- the South-Western corner of L. 1/2002 was discovered in St 2, the North-Western area,
characterized by coarse successive junctions. As in the campaign of 2002, we noticed that initially
there was made a fitting up of the house floor by levelling it with yellow earth of 5-7 cm thick, on
it being made several successive earth coverings, but also an ashes clay gall. In the Western corner
of the pile, but also on the South side we found pole holes with diameters of 15-20 cm.
- the most interesting pile appeared in the South-Eastern corner of St. 1. There was
discovered an alignment of “tambours” (n.n. conventional name) of burned earth, oriented NE-SV,
at the depth of -15-18 cm, spherical on the surface, tronconic in the section (“tambour” no. 2) with
diameters of 26-44 cm, deepening 20 cm (“tambour” no. 2), on a distance of over 4,80 m. In the
area of “tambours” no. 3-5 (superposing them) it can be seen a burned area half built, but which
has not the aspect of a compact mass of burned adobe. By sectioning it we could see the maximal
width of only 5-6 cm, a width determined by the ploughing that affected the pile. These
“tambours” were made by introducing the non uniform burned adobe in the holes, the earth being
subsequently pressed, on the superior area being made an earth smoothing. The pile was not
entirely hoed, the conclusions having a preliminary character, and the research would be continued
in the campaign of 2004. There were not found signs of burned wood that could suggest the
presence of a house with wooden framework, suspended on these “tambours”.
In this campaign there was recovered an important quantity of ceramics, very fragmented.
The ceramic vessels totally manually worked, can be divided into three classical categories: coarse,
semi-fine and fine ceramics. The coarse ceramics is decorated with slurry. We noticed the very
good quality of the fine and semi-fine ceramics. There were discovered several minuscule vessels
in one piece or which can be made in one piece. Very few ceramic fragments are decorated,
generally by incisions, and the painted ones was identified only by some fragments, painted in red
or white.

Together with the ceramic fragments we also discovered stone materials, both cut tools and
ground ones. The silex pieces are in general on blade supports, especially the scrapers. There were
also discovered many discharge rests (splinters), which suggests the fact that the tools were made
within the habitation, this fact been emphasized also by the discovery of several stone strikers. We
also noticed this year the discovery of an important quantity of stone in the digging, generally river
stones, with flat surfaces, having big dimensions of 20-40 cm long, but also long or spherical
calcareous rocks of variable dimensions, with diameters up to 40 cm.
The anthropomorphic and zoomorphic plastics are generally fragmentary. We mention an
anthropomorphic statuette of burned earth in semi-sitting position (h: 9,5 cm), and the buttocks are
very realistically modelled. There were also discovered various spoon and ladle handles.
During this campaign also there were made researches on the stream of the Vărbilău River,
being identified new tools of archaeological interest.

1,2 extract of “Archaeological notes” – the Neolithic habitation of the Aldeni II type of
Mălăeştii de Sus (Prahova County) by Eugen Comsa and Vasile Georgescu – 1983
3, Andreescu Radian Remus, Franculescu Alin, Pavelet Eugen, 2003, Mălăeştii de Jos,
Dumbrăveşti commune, in the Chronicle, Campaign 2001, A XXXVI of the national session of
archaeological reports, Covasna, pages 190 – 191;
 HISTORY’S CONTINUITY
THE ROMANIAN CASTRUM OF MĂLĂEŞTI
The Romanian castrum of Drajna de Sus is not unique in the Teleajen stream, as it would
have been logical, but it is part of an important Dacian-Roman pile, situated in the region Câmpia
Bârsei – Câmpia Trei Scaune – Oituz – Teleajen – Buzău – Dunărea de Jos;
Among the elements of this pile there is also found a Roman castrum, namely the castrum of
Moara lui Mitruş, the Sfârleanca hamlet, Mălăeşti commune (the present Dumbrăveşti commune)
of the confluence of Teleajen and Vărbilău rivers.

On the upper terrace that separates Teleajen river from Vărbilău river and at a small distance
from the confluence of these two rivers, there is a place named “Pe Cetate”, a name which is not
registered on any map.

In this place there are found covered over with earth the rests of a Roman castrum.

The terrace on which I said the castrum was placed appears under the form of a piece of land
of about 3 kilometres long, of about one kilometre wide on the territory of the Fundeni village,
next to Dealul Scăioşilor, and as it goes further to the South it becomes more narrow and sharf, at
its origin, near Fundeni, of about 12 metres and to southern extremity of about 10 meters. At its
Southern end, it detaches by a saddle, popularly named gorge, one part of the edge of the terrace,
giving birth to an insulated plateau, of small dimensions, and with an approximate rhomboidal
shape, as it can be seen on the sketch.

In this region the streams of Teleajen and Vârbilău rivers are crossed by the wide depression
Mislea – Podeni, which separates the mass of the area of hillocks, the isolated hills from the North
side of Ploieşti, namely the hills, Starting from the West: Baicoi; Ţintea; Gagenl, the hills of the
Bucovel ricer, - Chiliei Bridge, Galmeia Hill, Dealul Mare, - producing here a very big expansion
of plain land, characterizing the placement of villages, good for agricultural cultures of any kind
and easy for communications. This depression opens especially direct communications and very
easi from West to East, through which the streams of Vârbilău and Teleajen rivers are connected
inside the area of hillocks, on the one side to the West with Pravovei stream and on the other side
to the East with Cicolul Sărat stream, and through this stream, and through the Nişcovului stream,
it connects to the stream of Buzău River, before its exit of the hills’ region.

Moreover, as the depression makes the heights within it disappear and the plain appear, it
outlines, both to the North and to the South, one chain of heights that borders the depression,
constituting two lines of positions with wide views and easy to defend, both for the periods before
the fire arms and for the modern periods; namely, the chain of heights of the North of the
depression oriented towards South and the chain of the heights of South, oriented towards North.

Consequently this depression, on the one hand places at the disposal of the armies inside the
area of the hillocks an operation line from West to East and vice versa, between the streams that
cross the depression, and on the other hand places at the disposal of the armies two defence lines
one in front of the other against the enemies that would have wanted to cross it, either from North
to South or from South to North. This couldn’t have been not noticed by the experimented
commandants of the Roman army, who appreciated the military value of this place and who built
there the castrum we mentioned, in order to take possession of this crossroads and to build a base
for the attack of the position formed by the heights of the North side of the Depression Mislea –
Podeni, and in order to take the operations aside towards North.
 Thus we believe that the Dacians occupied and defended the height chain that borders the
streams of the Teleajen and the Vărbilău rivers to the North, by the depression Mislea – Podeni,
namely the Scăioşilor Hill between Teleajen and Vărbilău, the Coada Malului Hill of the East side
of Teleajen, and the Malaeştilor Hill from the Western side of Vărbilău, which by their relief
constitute a very strong position of defence oriented to South especially for the periods of the cold
steel (without fire).
The position itself of the castrum between Teleajen and Vărbilău and to the South of the
Scăioşilor Hill, which easy more easy to attack than the other two hills and once conquered this
hill, both streams could have been conquered, reveals us the direction towards which the Romans
directed their main effort with the occasion of the attack that they probably made for the conquest
of the heights chain above mentioned; and, it totally informs us in the same time regarding the
great skill they had in using the land, either for defence and building fortifications or for choosing
the attack directions.

And in order for the ignorant persons in the field of military leadership not to wrongly
believe that we make a modern strategy as attributed to the Dacians and the Romans, we want to
mention that the strategical principles, especially regarding the use of the geographic elements
which are: the big lines of the land (rivers, streams, mountain crests and hill crests, depressions,
zone limits), the obstacles, the communications, the covers and the food supply and the various
materials supply, have been and still are the same in all time periods in the leading of wars and the
government of countries and populations.
After the conquest of the height chain Coada Malului – Scăioşi – Mălăesşti, the Romans have
probably stopped for a moment on this line and fortified it, by building the small wall that connects
the crest of the Coada Malului Hill with the margin of the terrace of the West side of Coada
Malului, the crest of the Scaioşi Hill, the precipice Coltul de Piatră from the North side of
Sfârleanca and then over Vărbilău with the crest of the Mălăieşti Hill, all together forming a strong
defensive line oriented towards North, on which the Romans could easily stop a Dacical counter-
offensive and on which, taking it as a operation base, they could further continue the offensive up
the Teleajen stream.
Immediately behind the roman wall of Coada Malului there are found the signs of a roman
habitation, placed in the orchards between the Măgurele commune and the Coada Malului hamlet,
between the highway and the Teleajen riverside, a habitation full of roman bricks and tiles drawn
out by the inhabitants when cultivating the land on their fields.

The castrum is situated on the terrace, as it can be seen well enough on the sketches.
By the falling of the surrounding walls as well as that of the houses walls inside the castrum,
the terrace’s relief and especially its surface, were modified, as it is shown by level curves on the
sketch.
There can be clearly seen the law parts of the surrounding relief of the castrum which
correspond to its sides and gates, as well as the high parts of the castrum’s corners and those
bordering the Southern and the Eastern gates, which definitely represent the biggest ruins of the
guns existing on those spots.
If on the right side and on the left side of the Nirthern gate there are no big ruins, this is
probably because of the fact that the those ruins were drawn out by the inhabitants, in a larger
quantity, as some of they told me, or because of the fact that by their demolition, their filled in the
front moat. After all, the castrum has the shape of a rectangle with the long sides of 180 m each,
and the short ones of 150 m each, having a gate in the North, South and East sides. – In the west
side, it seems that the castrum did not have projected a gate, either because the terrace margin on
this side was more abrupt, or because the fact that the situation and the tactical needs did not
require it. Regarding the orientation from South to North that the roman army’s operations had in
this region, the castrum was probably oriented towards North too, meaning that it had a gate on the
North side. This orientation also corresponds to the land from the North side of the castrum, an
advantageous land both bor starting an attack, being built of the terrace’s slope on which the
castrum is situated, and for the Castrum’s defence in cas of attack from the enemy.
As the inhabitants say, those who made diggings inside the castrum either in order to plant
grape or to draw out the ruins, in order to be able to plough the area, or to take out the construction
material, this is what they found during these diggings:
When there were made the diggings for the cleaning of the place and the planting of grape of
the north-western quarter of the castrum, besides the bricks, the stones, the tiles and the vessel
fragments found, it was noticed that the entire place of grape was crossed by wall foundations, and
even walls in the earth, walls built of stone and brick connected by white lime mortar. The
foundations of one of the buildings were hoed for 2 m deep from the face of the earth and on the
bottom there was found a fireplace with ashes and coals. Besides this one there could be seen in
one spot, as the character of the digging allowed it, a succession of big stones, holed from one
distance to another and in the holes there were iron pieces fixed by moulded plumb.
In the same place there was found a small bronze statuette representing a gladiator fighting as
well as the scabbard of a stone gladium with two bracelets probably belonging to a statue. People
also say that they found out that inside the castrum there were found one or two wells, where the
Tatars who made the fortress thrown their things which they could not carry when they left these
places.

These two wells seem to have been in the place of the two holes that can be seen at the
moment in the Southern half of the castrum.
In 1927, visiting the castrum, I found a piece of brick with the seal of the V Legion of
Macedonia. The inhabitants used to say that in the ground there could be found bricks that seem to
be, some of them, of 1 m long and 0.60 m wide and 2-6 cm thick and others of 20 cm long and 20
cm wide and 6 cm thick, as well as tiles of about 50 cm long and 30 cm wide, and 6 cm thick.
In 1927, with the occasion of a trip made with the officers of Regiment 7 Dorobanţi on the
place of the castrum, the young George Mateescu of the Sfârleanca hamlet presented us a silver
coin found within the castrum during the working of the grape. This coin is a roman silver dinar of
the years 103 – 112, a reading after a reproduction in red wax:

Obverse: IMP TRAIANO AUG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P. The laureate head of
Traian to the right;
Reverse: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI. A standing concord to the left, holding on the right side
a palm twing and on the left side a crown directed in front.
This coin dates thus immediately of the defeating of the Dacians during the first war after
which Ţrian took the title of “da-cicus” (Paribeni).
The former mayor of the Mălăesşti commune, the respectable old man Mateiu Dumitru,
(Mateescu Dumitru – named Baghiu*) native of the Sfârleanca hamlet and even the owner of a
part of the land on which the castrum is situated, made us the following remarks regarding the
thickness of the layer of the rests found in the ground inside the castrum: “to the surface there can
be a layer which can be ploughed of 30 – 40 cm; - then there is a layer of 60 cm of ruins; and
finally under this layer the walls continue in natural ground on a depth of 1 m; so the entire
archaeological layer is about 2 m deep besides the places where there were cellars and where the
layer is much deeper.
And to tell you the truth – says the brave old man Stere Diaconu, I was the first who fallowed
and broken the fortress first; I found various devilries but I didn’t pay any attention to them; the
hell with them; - I thrown them as I found them. – Anywhere you plough you must keep well in
your hand the plough handles. And do not try to introduce the plug more than this (and he shows
the measure) because it won’t work. Following the plough there come out fragments, rubble,
hollow tiles, and gloves making you wandering what kind of hands did the Tartars have.”
 The place in front of the Northern gate is named “Pe Podul de Aramă”. Probably there was a
bridge over the moat before the castrum’s wall and the stones of which would have been connected
between them by bronze cramps.
It is also interesting the name “Lacul lui Irimia” or “La Eleşteu” given to the place in front
and to the left, meaning to the North – West of the “copper bridge”; some of the inhabitants even
say that they know the time when in the pond there was lots of water. – It could have been a
natural pond or a built one or the water could have been gathered in a hole made after the ground
was pulled out for the needs of the castrum.
Considering the fact that around and near the castrum, on the terrace, there cannot be found
any drinkable water source, it is possible that water was brought from the Scăioşilor Hill by
conduits which, being interrupted by the diggings made during time in the place named “La
Eleşteu”, the water could have continued on flowing and thus the pond formed.

In front of the North side of the castrum and in front of the eastern side of the Southern side,
some sides on which the castrum’s wall do not lean upon the margins of the terrace on which the
castrum is situated, the defensive power of the castrum was strengthened with moats which in front
of the eastern side of the Northern side seam to have been double. Moreover, it can be noticed that
between the two moats the land has an intense reddish colour, which would prove the fact that in
this place not only the moat was double but also the castrum’s wall was doubled by a parapet, built
between the two moats.
 Considering all the probabilities, the Southern side of the castrum seems to have been curved
towards outside, if this sign was not produced by overturning the central part of the wall towards
outside.
These are all we can have and we can say about the castrum.
Besides the castrum there were found the following ruins:

On the occasion of the diggings for the railway Ploieşti – Slănic there were found the
foundations and the lower part of two buildings situated under the margin of the terrace to the
North – West of the castrum. These walls were built of “stone quarry splinters”. Most of the walls
were pulled out by the owner of the place and the material resulted was used to new buildings.

In the meadow from the East side of the castrum, named Lunca Vânătă, and under the margin
of the terrace there is a channel hoed in the ground named “Islazul Tătarilor”. The direction and
the position of this channel are those shown on the sketch. – It is 200 m long – 1,50 m – 2,00 m
deep and 2,50 – 3,00 m wide at the bottom and 5 -6 m wide at the mouth.
This channel is hoed in the body of the second terrace, which I called the middle terrace and
which contains the Teleajen River in this spot, as compared to the present pond which is hoed in
the body of the lower terrace or in the meadow of Teleajen river.
In the point where the so called Pond of Tatars descends from the middle terrace on the lower
terrace, the place has the height necessary for the building of a mill. Here there are in the ground
stone building foundations.
 On the point named Moara Veche, in contrast to Moara Nouă and Moara lui Mitruş, there can
be seen the sign of a channel that crosses the middle terrace letting the water of the Pond of Tatars
flow into the Teleajen River. I believe this channel was built by the Romans in order for the water
of the Pond of Tatars to flow into the Teleajen River when the mill needed repairs, which is made
at present for each mill.
The importance of this mill installation is obvious and shows us enough that in this place
there was developed a stable roman life.
Old man Alecu, at the moment the oldest man in the village, showed me that in the yard of
his house from the Vărbilău side it is found a hole called “La Moara Tătarilor”.
Besides these obvious signs found around the castrum, researching the land’s topography and
the alteration degree of the ground composition by rests of ruins, there are found the followings:
In general the land from the North side of the castrum and within the terrace up to 350 m
away has an altered composition, here by pebble mixture, further with brick and tile pieces, here
and there with vessel fragments – and more rarely with mortar signs. Especially on the ground
brow from North – Eastern side of the castrum, starting even from the margin of the moat there is
found a strong pasture of brick, tile, vessel fragments, mortar and pebble, with an aspect like the
land inside the castrum. At about 350 m far to the North of the castrum it appears again the pasture
but less strong.
Nearby the Halta Mălăeşti, in the people’s orchards coming from the Vărbilău River there
can be seen some waste lands and the people say that inside them there are foundations of noble
houses. In the yard of the old tavern of the former mayor Matei Dumitru there was discovered a
basement built of roman brick. One of the bricks of this basement has a hole made especially
before the burning where it seems like there was introduced the head of an iron bar.

The signs of roads coming and leaving the castrum are hard to establish as the terrace on
which the castrum was situated is a filling up diluvian terrace, meaning that its body consists of
diluvian pebble. For this reason, for establishing the directions and the roads with which the
castrum was connected, we can only rely on the gates projected in the surrounding walls of the
castrum, as well as the slopes found in the edges of the terrace on which the castrum is situated and
on which the roads were descending in all the directions, as it can be seen very well on the
sketches.
It is hard to say where these roads lead but considering the wide geographical lines of the
region where this castrum is situated I believe we are not wrong when we say that these roads lead:
- One on the Vărbilău stream towards the salt mines of Slănic and towards the riches of the
hill and mountain area of this stream, a road very closely controlled, as it passed nearby the
castrum and it went towards the open plain of the Mislea – Podeni depression, right here in front of
the castrum;
- The second road leads up on the Teleajen stream in order to go either on the Drajnei stream
to the castrum of Drajna de Sus, and from there over the Vârful lui Craiu Mountain to the Tabla
Butii pass (Tatar’s Pass) and further on in the Higher Stream of the Buzău river – either on the
stream of the Teleajen river through the Boncota (or Boncuţa) Pass still in the Higher Stream of the
Buzău river – or through Plaiul Serban Vodă towards the pass of the Sfântul Ilie and Grohotiş
mountains.
- The third road, down on the Teleajen stream towards the Danube – This road can be noticed
on the field between the Boldeşti commune and the Lipăneşti commune passing by a hole named
by the inhabitants “Puţul Tătarilor”.
- The fourth road lead probably towards the East, through Podeni towards the stream of the
Cricov River and from there through the stream of the Nişcov river into the stream of the Buzău
river.
- And finally the fifth road also probably toward the West, towards the oil zone Buştenari –
Câmpina – Băicoi – Ţintea and towards the stream of the Prahova River.
 In order to finish the description of the roman habitation of this place, we only have left to
talk about those found on the portion detached by the so called gorge, from the body of the terrace
on which it is found the castrum, and which appears, as I said before, in the form of an isolated
plateau with rhomboidal perimeter.
There are actual signs that allow us believe that the habitation around the castrum also
extended on this plateau, this plateau being used together with the nearby castrum, on a common
defence.
Up on the isolated plateau, the ground has a much altered constitution and is mixed with
brick, tile fragments, vessel fragments and pebble, as well as the land from the North side of the
castrum. And the people say that in the ground there is money.
A particularity of the topography of this place consists of the fact that the road from the
fortress, after descending the edge from the gorge of the castrum, climbs in the same sinuous way
on the isolated plateau from South. Also this plateau has in its Southern side a very wide slope
projected in the edge, a slope that starts from the basis of the edge and lasts until the middle of the
plateau, where there was found the carved building stone.
A last very interesting detail is the statement made to be by the mill’s owner, that, on the
occasion of the diggings he made to pull out the building stone he also found a brick written with
“figures as those of the clock” which he has no longer in his possession. 1

1. Extract of the work “the Roman castrum of Malaesti of Prahova County” by colonel
Constantin Zogorit – 1940

The history of Dumbravesti commune begins with the archaeological discoveries made
accidentally or occasionally.
The age of these territories is given by the unwritten sources attesting the presence of the
human being in the Dumbravesti zone, the oldest proof of habitation consisting of the Neolithic
habitation discovered in the “La Rapa” point of the Malaestii de Jos village, with an age of over
6000 years.
The most valuable archaeological discovery of the IV – V centuries B.C. is the golden helmet
of Cotofenesti, a hamlet which belonged to the former Malaesti commune. The golden helmet was
found during the autumn of 1927 by the child of Traian Simion, born on the 29.07.1913, the son of
Alexandru Simion, who died at the end of 1941, in the Timosevka locality, being a lance corporal
in the Romanian army, the 24th battalion of the mountain corps.
One afternoon of august 1927, four children between 12 and 14 years, were climbing on the
Buduiului stream of the Malaiesti hill, behind the flock of sheep and goats driving them to pasture
on the highest peak of the Malaiesti hill. The names of these boys were: Chitu V. grigore, 14 years
old, simion A Traia, also 14 years old, Roman Dumitru, 13 years old and Vrabioiu P. Ilie, 12
years old. Arrived in the ursoaia Mare blind alley, the boys let the cattle pasture, as they played
near the fountain of Dobresc. One moment, Traian simion, seeing that the animals were not
nereby anymore, immediately went to look for them, towards “Coama Schitului, he arrived in
“Drumul Piscului” that goes towards the peak of the hill towards “Cuibul Corbului”. Looking for
the goats, Traian Simion sees on the edge of the road something shiny. To find out what that was
he took the knife and started drilling the ground. He pulled out a kind of hat of yellow metal, as a
fireman helmet, he cleaned it as he could with the knife and then he put it on his head and he
started screaming to the other three boys – “come on here, guys, I found a treasure!”. Going
home, Alexandru Simion, the father of Traian, understanding that it was something valuable, took
the helmet and hided it under the bed. The next day in the morning he put it in a bag and went to
Ploieşti. He had here a former companion with whom he fought against the Germans, in
Marasesti, in the First World War. This one was the merchant Ion Marinescu Moreanu who had a
wine warehouse, in Cuza Voda Square no. 8, where today it is built the “OMNIA” store. The
buying of the helmet of 860 g of golden was made by Moreanu, who gave to alexandru Simion an
advance payment of 15000 lei, he he had to pay him subsequently the difference of 35000 lei.
During the spring of 1929, the priest of the village, Gheorghe Marinescu and the teacher Mihai
Vasilache found out from the children in the school that other children had found a golden helmet
on the Malaiesti hill and that some of them took pieces of it. The police soldier of the commune
also found out about this situation, during this time Alexandru Simion had made some
improvements in his homestead of the Cotofenesti village. His fellow citizens were wondering
“where does he have money as he is a poor man?”, but the money was from the golden helmet
sold to Moreanu of Ploieşti. On 14.04.1929, the priest and the teacher accompanied by the police
soldier found other 6 pieces of the same helmet. These pieces were given to the prosecutor’s office
together with the statement of the father of the child who found the helmet. The prosecutor’s office
of Prahova filed the documents to the Headquarters of the Police of Ploieşti under no. 6887,
ordering to research the house and the wine warehouse of Ion Marinescu Moreanu. But a kind
policeman informed Moreanu that there will be made a housesearch to him as it is believed that he
bought a golden helmet of great historical value. Moreanu, finding out about the housesearch,
immediately went to Bucharest by train together with the golden helmet. He went straight to the
antique museum and handed over the valuable piece to the legal ones receiving a reward
certificate. After Moreanu handed over the golden helmet, to the National antique Museum of
Bucharest, the professor Ion Andriesescu, the director of the museum, went to the Cotofenesti
hamlet and during several days made researches and diggings on the spot where there was found
the helmet but he did not find anything. Regarding the helmet, the following remarks are made:
that this piece dates from the period of the Thracians and the Scythians and it seems like it was
carried by the chief of a tribe. The decorative elements on it: a warrior, animals all over him, and
in the forehead two eyes with wings. The present remarks say: the Thracian golden helmet of
Poiana – Cotofenesti, V century B.C.

VRABIOIU P ILIE
(picture made in 1978)
 The professor Constantin Moisil says: - the golden helmet of Cotofenesti has a form totally
different from the other antique helmets. It is a golden cap with seven parallel rows of conical
buttons, on the inferior margin it has a frame of spiral pointed lines, which border four plates
covered with sculptures. The front one represents two eyes, with double curved eyebrows,
inspiring fear. The back one, separated into two registers, presents in the superior register fantastic
people, with legs in the shape of snakes, and in the inferior one, fantastic animals following one
another.
The two lateral plates represent sacrifice scenes, priests wearing tiaras. These representations
clear us the nature of the golden helmet, it is not a helmet for fighting, but a precious tiara used to
the big religious ceremonies. Its execution of thin and fragile golden plate shows that it was meant
for peaceful utilization, not war ones. The conception and the artistic execution of the sculptural
representation on the helmet are the same as the Scythian monuments of Agighiol.
For the Romanian country, the golden helmet of Cotofenesti constitutes not only an
archaeological piece of first rank, the valuable thing of the national antique museum but also an
extraordinary cultural vestige of the far past of our country and of the habitations of the Malaiesti
hill.

During the period of the establishment of the feudal relations, and the constitution of the first
Romanian formations before the state, the inhabitants develop a rich economic, social and political
activity. In a study regarding the famous Posada from 1330 when Carol Robert de Anjun lost his
seal in the battle with Basarab I, the lamented professor Dl. Sarandescu of Breaza does not exclude
the hypothesis that this Posada can be not necessarily on the stream of the Olt River but on the
stream of Prahova river or on the stream of Teleajen River, arguments connected to the fact that
Targsorul, an old commercial centre, is certified from the period of time of Mircea cel Batran in
1413, and the big voivode Mihai Viteazul organized his military camp also in the famous forests of
Vlasiei not far away from Ciobanesti (the nowadays Malaiesti and Dumbravesti), it is not
important if we agree or not with this points of view, but we can certainly say that Mihai Viteazul
who governed various villages also governed in the Prahova county the villages and the estates of
Baicoi, Cocorastii Mislii, Piscani, Plopeni, and subsequently in Ploieşti, where he also had a
princely Court.
 The position of the Plopeni and Ciobanesti village in the connection point of the Teleajen
River with the Varbilau River, which is the same with the road of Teleajen and the road of Sarii, it
appears the first mention of the commercial road in 1421, the year of the commercial treaty
concluded between the voivode Dan the 2nd with the people of Braşov. In the letter of Jupan Albu
of 1431, to the people of Braşov, it was requested “to let the roads free, so that the people can carry
any merchandize to Braşov and from Braşov”.
Among the written documents attesting the existence of the habitations of the stream of
Varbilau River, and of the Slanic River it dates from 1429, when the voivode Dan the 2 nd
strengthens the government of the Ciobanesti and the Poienile Varbilaului villages of certain
aristocrats.
In 1476, in a document given by Vlad Tepes, the people of Braşov were informed of the fact
that the roads were free for them anywhere on Rucar, Prahova, teleajen, and the stream of Buzău
River.
In March 1532, in the document written by Tudor logophete in the Targoviste Castle, it
appears the mention “GOLD” a toponymic name found also on this date in Malaiesti village.
The action of Mihai Viteazul of strengthening of the prestige of the Romanian Countries
produced new hopes for the inhabitants of the habitations of the stream of Varbilau, especially
because during the preparations for the action in Transilvania, the voivode remained mostly on the
territory of Prahova.
Even since 1659 Mihai Viteazul summoned the country army of the Reds and the riders in
the instruction centre of Gherghita, the instruction of the army for passing in Transilvania being
made nearby Ploieşti, Targoviste, Buzau, Gherghita, Floresti and Brasov.
The main army forces began on the 04.10.15999 of Ploiesti; most of the historians believe
that the army went through Braşov, then on the stream of Teleajen River, on the stream of Drajnei
River, on the stream of of Zeletin River, up to the Buzău River, then on the stream of this river up
to Transilvania; the voivode with part of his soldiers went over the mountains on the 05.10.1599
says P P Panaitescu on the shepherds’ roads. But their shortest road was Serban Voda slope says
Constantin Savulescu placed on the nowadays Bertea commune.
The same road was used by Radu Serban for the passing of his army on July 1611, in the
fight with Gabriel Batori in Braşov.
“On 1624, July 24th, by the wish of God, I, Alex VV and voivode of all the land of Ugro-
Walachia, the son of Radu Voivod, I myself gave this order to Popa Vilsan with the sons of
dumitru and Neacsa and Stana and their sons to be their estate in CIOBANESTI, Saac county”.
The disagreements between the freeholders that possessed the estates on the Teleajen River
and on the Varbilau River on the 7.04.1665 “came to an agreement, “divided the fathoms, pointing
out the part of each of them with top boundary stones, dividing first the fathoms of the hermitage
near the limit of Malaeasca, connecting each estate to the other and each fathom” was registered in
the surveying sheet.
Even with the settlement made in 1665, various aristocrats occupy by force a part of the
freeholders’ estates.
On 1681, April 23rd, the priest Vlad of the Coslegi village, priest in Varbilau, bought from
Dobra, the wife of deacon Vasile of Fundeni and from her sons 2 ½ grape acres in the
Ciobanestilor hill with her house and aedicules for the price of 39 thalers.
The priest Vlad builds at Ciobanesti an hermitage dedicated to the Mithropoly of the
Romanian Country, with all its fortune, after the death of the priest Vlad, the Mithropoly of the
Romanian Country passes the hermitage of Ciobanesti to the Zamfira monastery.
On 1693, May 29th, - Dragomir of Fundeni sells to priest Vlad 40 fathoms of the estate in the
Sfarleanca border
On 1694, April 28th – the Judgement Book – Constantin Brancoveanu V. v decides after the
judgement that priest Vlad should own the grapes of the Ciobanesti hill, bought from Stoica of
Bereboiesti,
 On 1697, June 25th – Deed by which Sima and his brothers, Dumitran and Stan, sell to priest
Vlad an acre of grape and an acre of fallow on the Bucov hill for the price of 37 thalers.
In 1702, May 25th, - Vlad Izgorea of Poienile Varbilau sells to priest Vlad 2 and a half acres
of grape with cellar place, on the Ciobanesti hill for the price of 17 thalers.
On 1703, June 26th, - Deed by which priest Vlad of Ciobanesti assigned to the Mithropoly of
Bucharest the wooden hermitage of Ciobanesti and his entire fortune.
On 1706, July 18th, - priest Valeanu requests the establishment of the top boundary stones for
620 fathoms, estate borders belonging to the hermitage. “there were made part of the hermitage,
estates of Stanciuleasa, on half, 402 fathoms, along the Teleajen river, up to the margin of the
stream of the Radai River, they also chosen an estate near 218 fathoms, which is entirely part of
the hermitage, 620 fathoms. And this long estate, goes together with that on the border, in the
Radai stream, which extends up to the stream of Runcu river”.
On 1709, September 6 - Deed by which Dragomir of Fundeni sells his part of the estate
between Teleajen and Varbilau (Malul Vinetii) to his uncle or the monk Bogoslav, to the priest
Vlad of Ciobanesti.
On 1710, December 12th, mister Serban Cantacuzino judges the cause and gives to Stanciul
the part of Visa, bought before him by Matei Stolnicul, voivodal book for the estate of Moranelu
(Malaestii).
On 1734, April 10th – Stana the wife of priest Vlad of Slanic, daughter of Radu Piticu
Bodcescu of Stefesti, sells to the bailiff of Izvoare a place of 45 fathoms of the Stefesti village,
down side of Valea Glodului, with 11 thalers, am estate bought from the sons of Vlad Virjoghie.
The document of June 6th, 1741 – the judgement book by which Alecsie vel clucer Za
Margine (a village disappeared belonging to the Malaescii commune) deputy ot South Saac,
strengthens to Constantin Sin Gheorghe, prefect of Bucharest, a grape on the Cuib, inherited from
his mother and which his uncle Dima had sold while he was in foreign countries.
On 1750, May 22nd, Deed by which Radu the logophete of Stilpul sells to priest Vlad a place,
as well as half of those in front of the houses.
On 1752, January 21st – the testimony of several peasants of Ciobanesti regarding the gift
made by the priest Vlad to the hermitage and its assignment to the Mithropoly of the Romanian
Country.
On 1752, January 24th – the book of the mithropolite priest Neofit to the aristocrats by which
Stefan Egumenul of the Ciobanesti hermitage is obliged to pay the rent.
The document of 1780 mentions the fact that several freeholders of the Teisani village owned
properties in the Malaesciilor Hill on which there were planted grapes and press houses and wine
cellars for keeping the wine produced.
On August 6th, 1780 - Deed by which “I tanase Turcu ot teisani gave my deed to my uncle
Patru Turcu for three large baulks and a smaller one of grape, the part of the nun, in Malaescii to
hold them and to make a sarindar for the monks”.
On 1797, June 12th – Anaphora – Dear Lord, pious abbot of the saint monastery Valenii, of
South Saac, chir Gherasim complained to your Highness saying that the saint monastery has an
estate in South Saac, named Valea Stalpului, both inalienable as well as other places blocked by
gift and purchase, and this estate – they say – borders on two other frontiers, namely: Stanciuleasca
and Malaiasca. After his claim, the Divan bailiff, on Your Highness’s order, brought it before us,
in front of Stavar zet Popa Cernat I with Voinea and with Constantin, the Stilpeni freeholders,
being bailiffs also to other participators of there, whom, asking them what they had to say on the
request of the abbot, they showed us the claim they made to His Highness, by which they show
that they had an inheritance estate named Stilpenii and Stanciuneasa and Malaieasca and within its
borders there was also the saint monastery Valenii, buyers with deeds.
On 1797, November 18th, - South Saac it is mentioned “Tanase should own a baulk of grape
of Malaestii, which he received from his uncle Ion free of charge on the conscription of 1757,
April 20th” from the judgement, it was decided: “Tanase remains in peace and peaceful and to own
everything as there were owned until now – registered in the county’s register - / ss / Nicolae
Archivist”.

Sima the Parish Clerk sin Stoica Isbasa ot Valenii with his son and his grand children from
his daughter selles to Pana the prefect sin Soare his cousin and to the priest Vlad zet to Dragomir,
his cousin, his part of the estate of the Ciobanesc border, next to Malaescii, an estate which
descends from Balan Bugheanu, for the price of 37 thalers – year 1801, September 25th.
Nicolae Protopopescu of Valenii is called on September 19th, the next year, to appear together
with Tudorache of Malaescii in the cause he has for debt – August 15th, 1845.
Ionita and Tudor Vrabioiu of Malaescii show to the county’s leadership that, due to the fact
that Nae Nicolau of Valenii did not do his duty as bailiff, they abolished him and they request to
the leadership to oblige him to give them back all the documents handed to him – May 22nd, 1849.
On 1851, August 15th – the proof “We the undersigned, inhabitants of Valenii I of the
Malaescii village, give this document to the logophete Nicolae Protopopescu and to the mother of
Alexandru sin Gh. Pana, to be known that Marin Arsene and Dumitrascu Blidaru have been their
adscripts since they took the possession of the Ciobanesti estate and until now, paying the tax for
the property as usual. This is true and for confirmation we signed with the finger;” And those of us
who are educated, we signed in writing, asking the village’s representatives to put the seal of the
village, besides our signatures, for confirmation. – I Vilsan sin Stan Paraschivoiu – I, Ghinea
Istratoiu, certify – I, Mateiu Mazilu, certify – I, Soare sin Dumitru, certify – I, Mateiu sin Ionita
Vraboiu, certify – I, Mateiu Fasole, certify – Malaescii, I know they were adscripts, I Ionita
Sumitrescu – know they were adscripts. Writer of the statement of the above mentioned persons –
Z. C. Mazilu.
In the first half of the XIX century there took place several social disturbances in the region,
also influenced by the hammers and the maglas of the salt-mines of Slanic, who even since 1813
have revolted. An important moment of the fight against the discontents was the revolution of
1848 which, as we know, was leaded by Nicolae Balcescu. In the county there activated several
propaganda commissioners among the leader being the teachers David Almasan, Ion Gherasim
Gorjanu, I D Petrescu etc.
In the entire county of Prahova the administrators of the villages changed, as prefect was
appointed by the order of Nicolae Golescu, I D Negulici, prefect appointed by the order 3753 of
the Minister of Home Affairs, sent to Malaesti under the notification 4337 dated June the 1st 1848
requesting the inhabitants “according to the desire of the Interim Government - - - that during the
current year he should observe the mutual obligations according to the old decisions, until the
enforcement of the new laws”
On the occasion of these special events of 1848, several villagers of Malaesti enlisted in the
National Guard /Guardia Nationala, used to patrol the village in order to provide the public order.
Moreover, in August, Nae – the leader of the village Malaestii along with Ion Rotaru, Sandu
Rotaru and Herea Hircea, urged the inhabitants to disobeyance and revolt.
The administrator Campu reported with the notification 4613 to the administrator of the
county of Prahova, that as a result of the order received under 1939 traveled to the estate of
Malaestii to settle down the conflict between the villagers and the estate's administrator, the
peasants had found out about the dissolution of feudal obligations during the revolution, refusing
the performance of the agricultural works on the estate of Malaestii. By August 28th 1848 the
conflict was not ended, for such reason Sotir Papadopolu, the administrator of the estate addresses
to the Lieutenant Domnesti a new complaint showing that up to the present the inhabitants have
fulfilled the agreed obligations, but most of them refuse to work, arguing that the masters have
dissolved the compulsory service. The peasants refused to pay their cash duties, the loans taken
during the winter, both with zapis and catastih.
Though the news were difficulty spread, the peasants of Malaestii, Zanoaga, Sfarleanca,
were aware that in Ploiesti, the peasants raised to battle, that the ones in Valeni had left with the
country's flag in order to support the revolution.
 The peak of the revolution of 1848 in Prahova was attained on the days of 7, 8 September
when in the presence of huge masses of people the Organic Regulation had been burnt out.
The following years, though difficult years, represented years during which the fight for
national ideals, the unity and the independence would not cease. It is to be noticed that the peasants
of Malaesti were aware of their choices for delegates and deputies in the Ad-hoc assembly and
election assembly.
In 1856, when the union committees were established, the first village meetings were
organized. The newspaper “Concordia” of April the 26th 1857, that appeared also in the county of
Prahova, accurately described the situation and the desire of unity of the villagers.
The inhabitants of Malaiesti went in two directions and contributed in the Union of the
Principates and of the reforms during the age of Alexandru Ioan Cuza.
Firstly the inhabitants of the village Malaestii waited for the elections “communities of
ploughmen” consisting in approximately 25000 ploughmen. Their representative was Ene
Cojocaru from Filipestii de Padure, the one elected in 1848 in the Ownership Commission. Still in
1857 in the first part had been clarified the issues related to the elections for the Ad-hoc assembly
and the Town Assembly, while during the second part the lists for electors have been finalized.
In the rural part, 14 places had been allotted for the Town Assembly.
In the county of Prahova the board consisted in 6 persons, the district's administrator, two
magistrates and three citizens with right for voting in elections.
The elections for the Ad-hoc assembly were organized from 7 to 16 September 1857. The
first days were in Dumbravesti, Malaesti and Plopeni .
In the elections, 16268 peasants took part in the county of Prahova who elected 536 delegates
from 268 villages.
On January the 5th 1859, Alexandu Ioan Cuza had been elected Ruler of Moldavia, on
January the 24th 1859 being elected also Ruler of Walachia /Tara Romaneasca, the news of his
election filled in with joy the hearts of all Romanians.
In the evening of January the 24th 1959 the joy spread in the entire county of Prahova, the
crown manifested by patriotic songs, meetings and discussions.
On the travel of Alexandru Ioan Cuza to Bucharest, he stopped for the night in Ploiesti. The
inhabitants of the village of Malaiesti contributed in the reception of Alexandru Ioan Cuza and on
February the 7th 1859, the rulers stayed in Ploiesti for one night and promised to return for the
organization of the military camp of Floresti, in the spring of 1859.
The events that took part shortly after the merging of the Romanian Principates had been the
conquering of the independence on May the 9th 1877.
If, until now the inhabitants of the village Malaestii contributed more or less in the
achievement of secular wishes, the independence brought “in front of the history” the soldier
Grigore Ion.
Romania, by the voice of Prince Carol I, put on the throne on May the 10th 1866 tried to
avoid the war, approaching the diplomacy way finding that there is no need for a strong, free and
independent state in the Balcans.
The Russian – Turkish war, prepared and started by Russia determined us to sign the
agreements of Livadia and Bucharest establishing that Romania gets into war for conquering the
independence.
From Prahova, the highly important area of Romania, emerged lots of heroes of our nation in
the war for independence and unity of 1877 – 1878.
The most famous military units of Prahova that acted in 1877 are : the Military unit 7
Dorobanti and Battalion 2 Hunters
The peasant Grigore Ion in the village of Malaesti, village Dumbravesti, born on June the 5th
1850 has been recruited in the pedestrian army and allotted to the battalion II Hunters.
In the spring of 1871, by the mid March, when the snow was still laid on the hills, aged
around 21, the son of Ion and Ilinca Olteanu of the village Dumbravesti, left with his bag on his
shoulder, containing a few boiled eggs, ham, smoked prunes, nuts and a piece of boiled polenta,
that would suffice for two days, until Ploiesti and then to Bucharest, and to fulfill his duty for the
country. The 4 years of military service – with the hunters, difficulty passed, the officers and the
military superiors being demanding in preparing for battle their soldiers. In 1875, Grigore Ion is
discharged; with the same rank they entered the Battalion II Hunters, i.e. soldier.
It is true that he was not very educated; he barely knew how to write his name that he had
learned from the teacher Matache Radulescu, in 1860. One year after his discharged he joined a
woman for life, the daughter Olteanu in the village of Dumbravesti.
But the happiness of his home did not last for long, because meanwhile the situation of the
countries in the Balcanic peninsula became more and more pressing, due to the Turkish Empire
leadership. In the evening of April the 1st 1877, the ministry of war sent a telegraphic order to the
territorial divisions’ leaders, instructing them to call all the reserves of the permanent army,
keeping all troops prepared, to put them in motion upon the first order.
The division IV, under the ruling of the general Gheorghe Manu, of which the IInd batallion
Hunters was part of, on 9/21 May left the town of Oltenita and directed to Bucharest, where he got
on May 10/22. On 13/25 May, the troops of these divisions had been reviewed by the ruler Carol,
on the high hill of Cotroceni.
On the right flank of the carefully arranged troops were the Battalion II Hunters, considered
elite troops both from the point of uniforms and pedestrian arms.
Out of the units forming the IVth division, the battalion II Hunters has been temporarily
retained in Bucharest for the garrison service, until this service has been entrusted to the City
Guard. The beautiful uniform of the Hunters and their wisdom made him worthy of such honor.
During the stay of the Battalion II Hunters in Bucharest, the Russian Emperor Alexandru II visited
our capital.
The Batallion II Hunters started from Bucharest to Corabia on June 17/29, Friday, at dawn
and reached the destination on June 26th /July the 8th , on the second Sunday in the evening, after
nine walking days.
The first battle for conquering the reinforcement of Plevna, had been run by the Russians
with a few units of the IXth body, that had suffered great losses in the two battles and had been
beaten and obliged by the Turkish troops to withdraw. Eventually, the great Russian major state,
had his army in a desperate condition, fearing that Osman Pasa shall experience a certain victory,
addressed to the ruler Carol the following telegram:

“TO HIS HIGHNESS RULER CAROL AT POIANA:”

“Help us. Cross the Danube wherever you want, as you wish but come quickly to help us.
The Turkish are ruining us, the Christian cause is at a loss”

When the ruler Carol received this worrying telegram he did not expect to regulate the
mutual relations between the two armies, but he ordered the Ivth division, on June 20th / August
1st to cross at Nicopoli and head for Plevna;
On the other hand, the chairman of the Council of Ministers IC Bratianu, went to the quarter
of the Emperor Alexandru and great Duke Nicolae.
The same day, the IInd battalion Hunters was sent to Nicopoli and the next day, after having
crossed the Danube, was sent to reinforce the troops at Muselin – Selo, to Plevna, from the heights
behind the village Saicova.
 On July the 27th /August 8th, the battalion II Hunters, the Front regiment 7 and an artillery
troop, formed the avant-garde of the IVth division, heading from Saicova to Kapriva and
occupying the position at Brislani.
On August 5/17, the avant-garde of the IVth division under the command of the kernel
Grigore Cantili is heading from Brislani to Calisovatu.
On August 27th, when the redan of Grivitei enters into the possession of the Romanians, the
Battalion II Hunters was in the IInd line.
In three days, the brave hunters of Ploiesti were on the first line;
According to the order of the day, under number 54 of August the 29th 1877, given at
Verbita, a town located 8 km North East of Plevna order that on August the 30th /September 11th
put in motion the army to enter in the history of famous battles of Grivita for conquering Plevna in
Bulgaria, the order being signed by the general Cernat, the commander of the active army.
The battalion II Hunters, without a commander, the major Alexandru Candiano – Popescu
has been appointed in command. His desire to command the IInd battalion Hunters without
commander has been met at 8 in the morning of the day of August 30 / September 11 and at 12
hours, even on the day of the assault he was introduced to the troop by the kernel Grigore
Boranescu.
Right after his introduction the major Candianu Popescu held an inflamed speech:
“OFFICERS, SUB-OFFICERS, CORPORALS AND SOLDIERS”
“In a great day, but a day of danger, I was appointed your commander. I am proud of the trust
of my superiors, their trust inme is grounded on my trust in you. There are ages since the
Romanians have not seen a more beautiful day than today; in front of us there is the pagan enemy,
and next to us there are the Russians, allies that have faith in the cross just as us. And we are
fighting with courage, so that the world could see that we are worthy of our ancestors, that we are
true fighters, of a country fighting for defending our homes and its independence.
 TUESDAY, AUGUST 30th , 1877
MAJOR ALEX. CANDIANO – POPESCU SPEAKS TO THE SOLDIERS OF THE
IIND BATTALION HUNTERS, BEFORE THE START OF THE BATTLE FOR
CONQUERING THE REDOUBT GRIVITA

Do not be afraid of death, soldiers! To me happiness means dying today, for I am fighting for
the law and for our beloved Ruler, our high and heroic leader. Do not be afraid of death, soldiers,
cause the fate has written a name on each bullet; wherever you hide, if you are doomed to die at a
bullet, it will find you; one can stand in a rain of bullets, and not be touched, unless you are
doomed to die of bullet.
You, soldiers of the Battalion Hunters, have been the first during peace, be the first during
war. Do not forget that many of you, besides being Romanians, you are from Ploiesti; therefore the
glory of this town depends on you. With trust in God and in our fate, with a strong will and heart
we meet our fate and duty on the battlefield. If we are to die, we shall be remembered by our
people to whom we assure the life by the our blood and if we are to survive, we shall be awarded
and honored by the country”
The attack has been set for 3 in the afternoon, the Battalion II Hunters had several attempts
for conquering the redoubt Grivita but it had suffered huge losses due to the Turkish battery
located on the road.
The soldiers, exhausted, damaged by the enemy’s fire had gathered around the flag, strongly
defended by the flag or corporal Lovin Costache. The others were in front of the enemy redoubt
when the officers thrown themselves in the middle of the soldiers shouting “Ahead, children! The
Christian God is stronger than the Pagan God, the Turkish are laughing at us and take our redoubt.
Do not give up, children!”
As a result of the attack of the Battalion II Hunters on the redoubt Grivita, the soldiers get
into it and a life and death battle is conducted .
 TUESDAY, AUGUST 30TH 1877
BATTALION II HUNTERS ATTACK THE REDOUBT GRIVITA

A part of Turks surrendered, a part fled to Plevnita with the leader of the redoubt, colonel
Sevfet. But they admitted later that they fled not for fearing death, but for not losing their lives for
nothing, cause the other dies in vain, ordered by Sevfet to fight to death.

The Turkish flag had to be taken to Plevnita, the ones in charge to its protection removed it
earlier, before the redoubt was occupied by the hunters. And it was then that the Turkish flag
holder was striving in the crowd, keeping away from the Russians standing in his way, they closed
its way, and he turned with the face to the Romanians.

The flag was folded on a stick not to be seen and recognized by anyone.

While keep running, the Turkish flag holder stumbled and fallen on the ground. During this
time the flag unfolded.

The soldier Grigore Ion seeing the Turk at the ground with the flag of the redoubt, ran to him
and shot him. The Turk, a strong man, 40 years of age was not touched, he stood up and strongly
grasped the hunter putting him on the in the mud.

But when he was preparing to shoot, Grigore Ion, a short man, quickly raised and stick the
bayonet in his chest.
 The Turk felt he was going to die and kept his flag at his chest, Grigore Ioan other two Turks
got on him to bring back the flag, but fortunately the sergeant Stan Gheorghe and the corporal Nica
Vasile, both of the Battalion II Hunters, come to help the Romanian soldier. They put the Turks at
the ground and the flag is conquered by Grigore Ion, in reserve – “glotas” as he was called, in the
village of Malaesti village Dumbravesti, Prahova. The soldier Grigore Ion, besides the flag got his
hunter hat hit by three bullets and the tuft broken in two by the 4th bullet.

GRIVITA 30th AUGUST 1877

THE ATTACK OF THE SECOND BATTALION OF HUNTERS
THE SOLDIER GRIGORE ION FIGHTS TO CONQUER THE TURKISH FLAG
 THE THREE BRAVE MEN
THE SERGEANT STAN GHEORGHE
THE CORPORAL NICA VASILE AND THE SOLDIER GRIGORE ION
THE CONQUEROR OF THE TURKISH FLAG FROM GRIVITA

The soldier Grigore Ion did not only fight with the Turks for the flag's redoubt, but after he
had conquered it he had also had to fight with a captain who wanted to snatch the flag from
soldier's hands.
Withstanding, the soldier Grigore Ion was so strongly hit with the hilt of the sword in his
chest by the captain, that he fell down, but still holding closely the flag with his hands.
The captain's name was Negoescu Petre and he was leading the third company from the 16th
regiment of Dorobanti.
According to the poet George Cosbuc, it was a big flag made of green silk, with golden
tassels and with golden edges.
In its center there was the symbol of the Turkish law, the Moon having the form of a reaping-
hook, sewn with golden threads and surrounded by Turkish letters representing quotations from
Mohammed's bible, all of them made of gold. It was an old flag, and once you saw the unweaven
edges, you could conclude that it had been carried in many wars.
Grigore Ion, a simple soldier from the second batallion of Hunters, a peasant living in the
hamlet Dumbravesti, the commune Malaesti, Prahova, won laurels in the memorable day of 30th
August 1877. His name was praised by all Romanian and Russian soldiers, from the Russian tsar
and the Romanian leader to the last soldier fighting in the trenches, and even the whole country
found out and cherished the two Romanian names of the soldier: Grigore Ion.
For us, the Romanians, Grivita led to the definitive autonomy as a nation, while for the
Ottoman Empire, it meant the beginning of its collapse.
At 1st September 1877, the commander of the fourth division ordered to the major Candiano
Popescu to go with the Turkish flag and the three brave men to Poradim, the sovereign's
headquarters, where King Carol accompanied by the Great Duke Nicholas of Russia, the
commander of the Russian army, received them.
According to the soldierly custom, the major and the three brave men put down the flag in
front of the sovereign's feet, who, very touched, said: “This flag is the bridge that you pass, not to
earn my esteem, because you have always had it, but to get to my heart.”

THE TURKISH FLAG IS PRESENTED TO THE KING CAROL I AND

TO THE RUSSIAN TSAR, ALEXANDER II, BY THE SOLDIER GRIGORE ION

After that, the soldiers were decorated with military honours, and the sovereign ordered to
the conquerors to present the flag, the following day, to Alexander II of Russia.
When the presentation took place, there were many Russian troops; after having looked to
the flag, the tsar looked at the soldier Grigore Ion and observing his hat pierced by three bullets,
came closer, took it in his hands, and deeply touched, he addressed to Carol:”Eminence, the hat
has the same value with the flag”, and after requesting for permission from the Romanian leader,
he decorated this three brave men with “Saint George's cross”.
According to the order released by the king Carol in 5th September 1877, the flag will be laid
in the Romanian arsenal.
After signing the peace treaty, the sergeant Grigore Ion turned back to his native place, and
on the strength of the patent n 2039 of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he received a small lifetime
allowance (12 lei/month). He was decorated with the most important and famous military honours
and medals that were confered to the troop for the Romanian Independence War.
He was the only Romanian soldier who was decorated by the Russian tsar Alexander II with
“Saint George's cross”.
 THE THREE BRAVES, AFTER 25 YEARS SINCE THE WAR
THE HEROES WITH CHESTS FULL OF DECORATIONS
THE SERGEANT GRIGORE ION BETWEEN THE SERGEANT STAN
GHEORGHE AND THE CARPORAL NICA VASILE

In December 1911 upon the initiative of the newspaper “Universul”, a list of public
subscription opened in order to help the brave sergeant Grigore Ion.
Thanks to this subscription, was collected the sum of 20.000 lei, that was handed over to
the hero. At the same time, the newspaper “Universul” built him a house in the small village
Dumbravesti, next to the parental house on a plateau from where the look hugs all the valley
Varbilaului TowardsSlanic and that of Telejenului towards Ploiesti.
 THE HOUSE BUILT BY THE NEWSPAPER “UNIVERSUL” BY PUBLIC
SUBSCRIPTION IN 1911,
IN THE VILLAGE DUMBRAVESTI – PRAHOVA FOR THE HERO SERGEANT
GRIGORE ION

The hero Sergeant Grigore Ion, called Buriasu the veteran of the national independence
war from 1877, closed his eyes, according to the death certificate no 35, of September the
22nd, 1915, on September the 19th at about 6 o-clock in the afternoon, in his house from the
small village Dumbravesti, widower at the age of 65 years old, worker, born and resident in
the commune Malaesti, son of the deceased Ion Burias.
 THE HERO SERGEANT GRIGORE ION
CAME TO HIS OLD AGES BUT WITH HIS CHEST FULL OF DECORATIONS

The death statement was made by the following witnesses:

Mr Tache Ion Burias, of 55 years old, and Ion Dumitru of 68 years old, both workers,
resident in the commune Malaestii, Prahova County, relatives to the dead man, the
document being signed by Grigore Ion Dumitru mayor and registrar of the commune
Malaesti, Prahova County.
The newspaper “Universul” no. 263, on Wednesday, the 23rd of September / 6th of
October, 1915, on page I a, with the photo,:

“THE DEATH OF GRIGORE ION”

“From Malaesti comes the sad news of the death of the veteran Grigore Ion, one of the
heroes of the assault of Grivita, the brave sergeant that took the flag of the enemy, depositing
it at the feet of the ruler.
The brave deed of Grigore Ion determined the admiration and the love of the whole
Romanian people. His name being written in the King Carol’s memoirs.
Grigore Ion, had: The Romania’s Star “STEAUA ROMANIEI”, The Military Honor
“VIRTUTEA MILITARA’ and all the other distinctions offered to the brave people, in the
independence war. ………………………………………………………….…….........................,
Grigore Ion will always be the most beautiful example of bravery for the Romanian
solder..
With Grigore Ion disappears another brave man, as disappeared so many, of those who
built Romania Independent.
Happier than many who disappear without trace, Grigore Ion leaves a name, an
everlasting name, related to the most glorious era of his country. – Happy him! “ –
MESTUNGEAN
The hero Sergeant Grigore Ioan, was buried in the day of Thursday, the 24th of
September / 7th October 1915 in the cemetery of the church from the small village
Dumbravesti.
 THE GRAVE OF THE HERO SERGEANT GRIGORE ION
OF THE CEMETRY OF THE VILLAGE DUMBRAVESTI

The military honors were given by a police solders platoon, under the command of
mister Major Soiculescu.
Mister commander Henri Coanda, prefect’s deputy put the crown on the bier of the
deceased man.
On behalf of the Prahova county participated: Mister Spirea N. Sorescu, president of
the district delegation, Ion Apostolescu, district advisor and the administrator of the district.
Every year, after the end of the independence war, on the 10 th of May, the brave
sergeant Grigore Ion, defined in front of the platoon of veterans of the war form 1877 / 1878,
on the Independence avenue from Ploiesti.
The name of the sergeant Grigore Ion is written with golden letters in the History of our
Country, his deed being transmitted from generation to generation, remaining for the
Romanian solder the most beautiful example of bravery.
 HONOR AND GRATEFULNESS TO THE HEROES OF OUR PEOPLE

Walking the district form one corner to the other, there is almost no commune where
exist evidence in stones, wood and bronze, of the gratefulness of people for those left from
among them, monuments dedicated to the heroes of the wars given along the years.
In a small number are the monuments built exclusively for the heroes of the
independence war from 1877 – 1878, and here we mention the monument of the Hunters of
Ploiesti and the monument of Grigore Ion from Dumbravesti.
The monument of Independency of Ploiesti, situated at the starting point of the old
avenue, guarded by the gorgeous chest nut trees.
The monument with its base, obelisk and giant eagle, having a total height of 14 m, with
the four bronze statues, representing the hunters that vanquished on the 30 th of August 1877,
the most powerful Turkish conning tower - Grivita – from the defense system of the famous
fortress Plevna of Bulgaria. This monument being located in front of the railway station of
South Ploiesti. The face of the statue situated on the second pedestal with the face towards
the Eminescu street, in position “for honor present the weapons`” situated towards the BIG
shop is identified with the hunter hero sergeant Grigore Ion, the hero that, in the fights from
Grivita, helped by another two comrades of him, succeeded in capturing the first Ottoman
flag from the independence war.
On the La 30th of August 1937, when 60 years passed from the conquest of the Grivita
conning tower, the regretted professor – Ion Georgescu – Arvatu, born in the commune
Malaesti build for Grigore Ion a beautiful wooden roadside crucifix, worked by the plan of
the architect Toma T Socolescu, the roadside crucifix being situated in front of the general
school with classes I-VIII of the village Dumbravesti, school that was given to in the year
1936.

ROADSIDE CRUCIFIX BUILT IN THE MEMORY OF TH EHERO SERGEANT

GRIGORE ION
IN THE MONTH SEPTEMBER 1937 BY THE PROFESSOR IOAN GEORGESCU –
ARVATU
 PROFESSOR IOAN GEORGESCU – ARVATU

In Dumbravesti, on the 23rd of May 1971, it was also inaugurated a stone bust, made by
the sculptor Nicolae Kruch of Ploiesti.

THE MONUMENT OF THE HERO GRIGORE ION OF THE VILLAGE

DUMBRAVESTI INAUGURATED ON THE 23RD OF MAY 1971
 On the marble plaque was sculpted the inscription: Grigore Ion – 1850 – 1915,
monument situated at the crossing of the district road Ploiesti – Slanic with the communal
road Fundeni – Sfarleanca – Dumbravesti, in the hereby of the town hall of the commune
Dumbravesti.

THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION

Ever since the 1700's, the inhabitants of Ciobanesti (Malaiescii) used to exploit fuel oil
from pits, at the place so-called “La pucioase”.
The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century market a period of
great development of the industry and especially of crude oil processing industry.
In 1894, on the first place was also the plant of Fr. Bossel in Plopeni, that started with
three distillation boilers – discontinuous system, and in 1907 entered in the patrimony of the
company “Columbia”, being equipped with a discontinuous battery, continuous battery
consisting in 4 boilers with pre-heaters, four gas oil refineries and two for oil, two distillation
tubes for gasoline oil rectification and two boilers for oil manufacture
Compliant with the balance of 1908, the refinery “Columbia Plopeni” is on the 6 th place,
according to the distillation capacity calculated in tons /year. Continuous distillation system
14048 tons/year, discontinuous distillation system without pre-heating – 324 tone/an.
In 1904 as per the distribution of the processing of lamp gas, the situation is the
following:
Refineries:
1. “Steaua Romana” = 47,09%
2. “Aurora” = 20,35%
3. “Societatea de petrol – Plopeni” = 16,28%
In 1907 – 1908, the classification in group I of the refineries with capacity of
processing “Columbia” Plopeni Prahova holds the 6th place with the following performances:
Processing capacity - 143720 tons/year
Processed crude oil - 23742 tons/year
Extracted gasoline - 6583 tons/year
Lamp oil - 5420 tons/year
In 1898, for the supply of the refinery the first gas oil duct was built under the name
“the first duct Bustenari - Plopeni” the Anonymous Company for the Transport of Crude oil
and commerce of gas oil – manager Ozinca.
During the First World War this refinery was subject to bombing attacks and was
almost entirely destroyed.
In the end of the first war, the existing materials and machinery are used for rebuilding
the refineries “Cometa” and “Pacura romaneasca” in Ploiesti and the refinery “Latina” in
the village of Plopeni, located in front of the railway station (currently on this area there is
the packing section of the Mechanical Plant of Plopeni).
The owners of the refinery – Gheorghe Mateescu and Cezar Nerj failed o finish the
works and sell it to the company “Titeiul”.
This company commissions it and manages to process 20 wagons of crude oil in 24
hours.
Eventually, the refinery gets in the possession of the company “Petrol Latina Plopeni”.
This company continues to exploit the refinery by 1934 when the economic crisis forces it to
shut down, leaving 300 workers without a job. This has been recorded by Vasile Moroita and
Androne Calin in the village of Plopeni who worked in this refinery.
Another issue to state concerning the range of the industrial and commercial business
of the town is the activity of the People’s Bank Saint Dumitru, bank established on March
the 12th 1908.
 On June the 4th, 1923, under the document authenticated under no. 3786 and recorded
at A 1060/1923 of the Law Court Prahova, division I a, signs and certifies the establishment
of the Anonymous Oil Company “Lutetia Romana” with the place of business in Bucharest
in the purpose of exploiting the oil resources of the village Malaestii.
We mention that the founders of the anonymous company “Lutetia Romana” were the
following:

Engineer Henri Coanda, P Popescu Pretor, Ion A Apostolescu, G. A. Zinculescu, Nae

Marinescu, and Mrs. Clara Mace a la Panzoni (of French origin).
The contract published in the Official Journal no. 212/27 September 1924, signed
between the group of adherents, owners and assignors of the underground of oil lands in the
village Malaestii county of Prahova, was intended to drill 30 pumping units (the shaft 1
existent also at the time at the place “La moara Zinculescu”), the shaft 3 existent at the place
“La Gogoasa - pucioase”.
In 1936 the village “Stejarul” located in the forest Margineanca, that belonged to the
village Plopeni, by legal decree, is established the worker colony Margineanca, nearby
started the building of the plants “Margineanca”, with military scope, belonging to the
Ministry of the Army’s equipment / Ministrului Inzestririi Armatei.
The decree law for the organization and administration of “Plants Margineanca” as
public independent administration.
The art. IV states “After having drafted the aforementioned agreement at art. I and art.
II, to be concluded later on, on March the 1st 1940 the “Plants Margineanca” enter into the
exclusive ownership of the Ministry of Army’s Equipment /Ministerului Inzestrarii Armatei,
it is organized as Independent Public Administration with the place of business in Bucharest,
the Law for the organization thereof being entirely valid, law promulgated by the King's
Decree no. 1493/31.03.1939, under the name “Independent Public Administration of
Plants /Administratia Publica Autonoma a Uzinelor Margineanca”.
The administration of the plants “Uzinelor Margineanca” was under the supervision
and control and was intended for the Ministry of Army’s Equipment /Ministerului
Inzestrarii Armatei.

February the 12 th 1940

CAROL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF

MINISTERS
GHE. TATARASCU

MINISTER OF THE ARMY’S EQUIPMENT

VICTOR SLAVESCU

MINISTER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND

DOMAINS
GHE. IONESCU-SISESTI

MINISTER OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY

C. ANGELESCU

MINISTER OF FINANCES
M. CONSTANTINESCU

MINISTER OF JUSTICE

I. STRATERNICESCU
In 1968, by the new territorial organization law, the colony Stejarul
(Margineanca), passes from the administration of the village Plopeni establishing the town
Orasul Plopeni.
In 1968- 1989 – the village Dumbravesti, because of Communist laws, was considered
a sub-urbane village of the town Plopeni, with a surface of only 79 ha, compared to the
village Dumbravesti with a surface of 2995 ha, consisting of 6 villages with a population of
3800 inhabitants, 4 elementary schools, 4 kindergartens, 5 churches.
Starting with 1958 - 1962, the entire village crossed the most difficult period of
history, the land owners being obliged to unconditionally deliver their lands to the state or to
get registered in CAP.
For this period, each town can write its own history in order to inform the young
generation born after 1989 and of the generation to be born, so that the youth would never
accept the return of those years .
Starting with 1990, the village Dumbravesti experienced an economical growth, as well
as at the social and cultural level, several investments being made in the citizens’ benefit.
HEAD OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE DUMBRAVESTI,
COUNTY OF PRAHOVA

GEO-PHYSICAL MAP OF THE AREA

 The continuous supply of water of the villages Dumbravesti, Gavanel ,
Plopeni, Sfarleanca, Malaestii de Jos;
The modernization of the communal roads by stone paving and asphalt, construction of
the bridge over the river Varbilau, providing the connection between the villages
Dumbravesti and Sfarleanca,
Building the public utility hall in the village Plopeni, intended for cultural organization,
library and cabinet,
The modernization of the two elementary schools I- VIII Dumbravesti and Plopeni by
equipment and computers, heat plants and interior toilets;
Assembly of a digital phone line with 600 numbers useful for the entire town, and cable
television
The purchase and arrangement of a new medical centre in the village Dumbravesti,
since the old dispensary was operating inside an inadequate building built in1921
The modernization of the residence of the Town Hall of the village Dumbravesti,
the asphalt paving of the communal road 16 Dumbravesti Fundeni for 2 km and
pursuance ofthe project for the remaining 3.7 km to the village Malaestii de Sus \
The reconstruction of the Church of the village Dumbravesti, that had been destroyed
in the earthquake of 1977, under the name of “the Church of the Heroes – Ascension of the
Lord”; its graveyard contains the grave of the sergeant hero of the Independence War 1877
– 1878 – Grigore Ion
The modernization of the public lightning system indended for the security of the
inhabitants and properties thereof
The development plans of the village Dumbravesti extend until 2010, taking into
account that on 01.01.2007, both the new inhabitants of the village Dumbravesti, and the
inhabitants of Romania, accede in the large European Community and that our country
must meet the economical, social and cultural European standards.

Material gathered and arranged by the mayor State Valentin,

Typed – consultant – Suciu Robert