Type: | commune |
County: | Gorj |
Polovragi | |
Subdivisions: | Polovragi, Racovița |
Leader Name: | Gheorghe Epure[1] |
Leader Party: | PSD |
Leader Term: | 2020 - 2024 |
Coordinates: | 45.1833°N 71°W |
Elevation: | 546 |
Area Total: | 84.95 |
Population Total: | auto |
Postal Code: | 217365 |
Area Code: | +(40) 253 |
Polovragi is a commune in Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Polovragi and Racovița.
The commune is located in the northeastern part of Gorj County, from the county seat, Târgu Jiu, on the border with Vâlcea County. National road connects it to Târgu Jiu and Drobeta-Turnu Severin to the west and to Râmnicu Vâlcea to the east.
Polovragi is situated in a hilly area at the foot of the Southern Carpathians, at an altitude of . It lies on the banks of the river Olteț, which has its source in the, and carves a -long gorge just to the north of Polovragi village. In the gorge, some above the river, is the, where about 300 horseshoe bats roost. The cave is said to have been home to Zalmoxis, a divinity of the Getae and Dacians; the "Dacian Oven" and "Zalmoxis' Throne" are among the rock formations that can be found here.[2]
The was built in 1505 by ktitors Radu Comisul and Pătru Spătaru, the sons of boyar Danciu Zamona.[3]
Andruță Ceaușescu (1886–1969), Nicolae Ceaușescu's father, was the descendant of a family of shepherds from Polovragi.[4]