Deva is a Romanian city situated on the left bank of the middle course of the Mures river. The name Deva is considered to come from the ancient Dacian word „dava” meaning fortress (e.g -Pelendava, Piroboridava, Zargidava etc). Other theories trace back the name to a Roman Legion, II Augusta, transferred around Deva from Castrum Deva, now Chester in Britain. On medieval maps, Deva (Diemrich or Schlossburg in German and Déva in Hungarian) appears on as Deva or Dewan.
Documentary evidence of the town's existence first appeared in 1269 AD. Under Voevode (Duke) John Huniady (Iancu de Hunedoara or Ioan Corvinul in Romanian, Ioannus Corvinus in Latin, Janos Huniady in Hungarian) Deva became an important military and administrative centre. Partially destroyed by the Turks in 1550, was rebuilt and the fortress extended. In 1621 Prince Gabriel Bethlen transformed and extended the Magna Curia Palace also known as the Bethlen Castle in the Renaissance style.
Today, Deva is the capital of Hunedoara County, with almost 100.000 inhabitants, including the subordinated villages. Mining, food, civil engineering and power industries are present here. Also, a private University of Ecology and Tourism was established here in 1990, and the academic centres of Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca, opened here branches. Deva is dominated by Citadel Hill, a protected nature reserve thanks to its rare floral species and the horned adder. Perched on the top of the hill are the ruins of the Citadel built in XIII century.