Deva

Deva: Bethlen Castle

Deva, city, capital of Hunedoara județ (county), west-central Romania, on the banks of the Mureș River, at an elevation of 590 feet (180 m). The town is dominated by Citadel Hill (1,217 feet), shaped like a truncated cone, which affords a commanding view of the Mureș valley. Atop the hill are the ruins of a citadel, built in the 13th century at the time of the Mongol invasions. The city grew in the protective shadow of the citadel during the 13th and 14th centuries, but an explosion of an arsenal in the early 19th century destroyed the structure. At the foot of the hill rises Bethlen Castle, also known as Magna Curia, built in 1621; it now houses the regional museum. Deva has little industry, but there is some food processing, and nearby are small copper and andesite mines. Pop. (2007 est.) 67,508.