History & Legend

Legend and first records

Local tradition holds that the name Ploiești comes from Moș Ploae, a householder who, together with a group of seven families, is said to have founded the first houses on the edge of the Codrii Vlăsiei (Forests of Vlăsia). The legend speaks of people who came “from who-knows-where”, fugitives or displaced by hard times, who found here oak forest, plenty of water, fertile soil and quiet.

In historical interpretation, the settlement formed at a natural crossroads between plain, forest and the trade routes that linked Transylvania to Wallachia. The first definite documentary mention appears in 1503, when carters from Ploiești are recorded in the registers of Brașov, a sign that the locality already had commercial activity.

In the following decades, the name of Ploiești reappears regularly in documents (1503–1545), pointing to a growing village, well connected to the trade routes of the time.

The Legend of the City

“Ploiești – like almost all our towns – were born from a village.
The origin of this village is lost in the distant past.

Legend tells of a group of seven houses, hidden in a clearing of the Vlăsia forests, under an old man – Ploae.
The founders of the village of Ploiești settled at the edge of Vlăsia long ago, in harsh times, for otherwise they would have chosen places not so densely wooded.

The seven householders had fled from somewhere – struck by foreign soldiers, hunted by some lord, cruelly punished by tax collectors at the stocks and choked with red-pepper smoke. Sooner or later, the peasants led by old Ploae came from who-knows-where with their beehives and their cattle.

The beginnings of the village of Ploiești blend with the harsh work of clearing the forest. The descendants captured this toil perfectly in the coat of arms of Ploiești: two lions uprooting an oak tree.

Some researchers of Ploiești’s past believe that this village (perhaps even town) dates from before 1400. There was a small wooden church in the village – a nuns’ hermitage, as tradition has it. On the site of the hermitage, Matei Basarab is said to have built the Princely Church in 1639, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.

The village did not stay isolated. Trade ties between Ploiești and Brașov go back a long way. The carters of Ploiești brought goods from Brașov first along the Teleajen road, then along the river Prahova.

Thus, in the records of the town of Brașov for the years 1500–1550, several Ploiești carters appear on the payment lists: in 1503 Radu, in 1543 Dragoi, in 1545 Berivoi, Tudor, Avrut, Draghici and Neagu.

By a document from 1567, Voivode Petru – son of Voivode Mircea – acknowledges to the chancellor Coresi the purchase of five strips of land from Avrut of Ploiești…

The growth of the Ploiești fair-town

The Ploiești fair-town is linked to the name of Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) – the one who rose against the Turks and who, for a moment, united all the Romanian provinces in a single body. Mihai Viteazul gave permission for a fair to be held at Ploiești.

To the marketplace came merchants and craftsmen with their wares, who unloaded their packs and laid out their goods on the ground. Sheepskin coats and short fur jackets were spread out, alongside sparkling adornments for women. Haberdashers, peddlers and quilt-makers appeared. And to the cattle market came the “produce”. Carts arrived loaded with fish, wood and wine. Selling was done from the cart. Cattle were sold nearby.

That is how the Ploiești fair-town was founded, and that is how all Romanian fair-towns came into being – and how they still come into being right before our eyes…

After 1600, two weekly fairs were held between the Teleajen and the Prahova rivers: one at Târgșor and one at Ploiești.

The growth of Ploiești continued steadily. By the middle of the 18th century, Ploiești is described as a “leading town”.

“In Ploiești now resided – writes Mr Zagorit – the heads of Prahova County, the ispravnici (county prefects). The mosneni (free peasants) continued to hold the estate and the Ploiești fair-town undisturbed…”

“Monografia orasului Ploesti” – Mihail Sevastos

From village to princely fair-town

In 1599, in the context of his military campaign towards Transylvania, Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) raised the village to the rank of princely fair-town. That moment marks the beginning of urban development, through the granting of commercial and fiscal privileges. The current coat of arms of the city, inspired by the ruler’s seal, is also based on the tradition of this episode.

In 1639, Matei Basarab built the Princely Church, the oldest monument preserved in the city today, on the site of an older wooden hermitage mentioned by local tradition.

The 19th century: oil and modernisation

In the 19th century, Ploiești becomes one of the world’s first oil-producing centres. The area was already known for early exploration, but after 1850 the real economic boom begins:

• private refineries and local entrepreneurs appear;
• the first modern installations are developed;
• after 1860, the major oil companies emerge: Astra Română, Steaua Română (nearby), Fabricile Lumina, etc.;
• the city’s urban pace changes, attracting craftsmen, merchants and new infrastructure.

This is the period in which Ploiești earns its reputation as the “Capital of Romanian Oil”.

1870 – The Republic of Ploiești

On 8 August 1870, Ploiești became the scene of a unique episode in Romanian political history. Against the backdrop of tensions between the radical liberals and the regime installed after 1866, a group of local leaders organised an anti-dynastic revolt. The movement, led by Alexandru Candiano-Popescu, C. T. Grigorescu and Radu Stanian, was quickly suppressed, but its political consequences were significant.

The Republic of Ploiești paved the way for the maturing of Romanian parliamentary life. Often caricatured, it remains a symbol of the critical, civic and independent spirit of the people of Ploiești.

The First World War

In 1916, in order to prevent the oil infrastructure from falling into the hands of the Central Powers, the Allies coordinated sabotage operations against the refineries in Ploiești, Moreni, Băicoi and the wider Prahova area. The economic consequences were enormous, but the operation succeeded in keeping the energy resources out of the hands of the German army.

The city and its oil industry thus became a strategic point for the entire south-eastern European front.

The Second World War

Ploiești is one of the most heavily bombed cities in Romania, due to its importance for the oil industry. Between 1941 and 1944, the area was successively targeted by Soviet, British and American aviation.

Key moments:

• 12 June 1942: the first American air raid on German-controlled Europe, targeting the Prahova refineries;
• 1 August 1943 – Operation Tidal Wave: one of the most spectacular air raids of the war, with American bombers attacking at very low altitude, around 40 metres;
• 1944: Ploiești is targeted in 22 of the 50 Anglo-American bombing raids on Romania.

The city suffered heavy losses, but kept its strategic industrial role.

1945–1989: industrialisation and modern city

After the war, Ploiești enters a phase of rapid industrialisation. The oil and energy platforms expand, new neighbourhoods, boulevards, schools, hospitals and social facilities appear. Mechanical, chemical, light and food industries diversify.

In 1948, the Petroleum and Gas Institute is founded (today the Petroleum-Gas University), an essential nucleus for training specialists in energy, engineering and economics.

1990–present: diversification and urban renewal

After 1990, the city diversifies its economy. The Ploiești West Park platform becomes one of the largest logistics parks in Romania, while the wider Prahova area attracts foreign investment in energy, services, retail and construction.

On the cultural side, the city’s museums are consolidated and the Palace of Culture becomes a hub for county institutions. Since 2024, the summer programme “Republica de sub Castani” (The Republic Under the Chestnuts) has brought the historic promenade back to life, with 21 weekends of music, art and community events.

Today, Ploiești is reinterpreting its industrial past in a contemporary key, preparing for a new era of urban regeneration and progress.