Alba Iulia

Introduction to Alba Iulia

Alba Iulia, in old Romanian Bălgrad, (in Hungarian Gyulafehérvár, translated as the White Fortress of Julius, in medieval Latin Alba Iulia; in antiquity, the site of the current fortress was home to the Roman castrum Apulum) is a municipality and the capital of Alba County in Romania, located in the southwestern part of Transylvania, on the banks of the Mureș River.

The city served as the residence of the princes of Transylvania between 1541 and 1711, thus becoming the political capital of the Principality of Transylvania.

Historical Significance

Political Leadership

Between 1595-1596, under Sigismund Báthory, and between 1600-1601, under Michael the Brave, it was the residence of the political leader of Moldavia, Transylvania, and Wallachia, which were in personal union.

Key Events

• On December 1, 1918, it was the venue for the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, which popularized the union of Transylvania and Banat with the Kingdom of Romania.
• In 1922, the official coronation ceremony of the kings of Greater Romania, Ferdinand I and Maria, took place in Alba Iulia, marking the city's symbolic importance due to its role as a historical capital.