city, capital of Argeş (Argeș) judeţ (county), south-central Romania. It lies 70 miles (110 km) northwest of Bucharest and is situated in the Argeş River valley, there sheltered by surrounding hills. Piteşti developed in the Middle Ages as a trading centre between the mountainous Transylvania region and the Danube Plain. It is first documented in 1388, though Roman coins and relics have been found in the area. Before 1939 the only industry was a textile mill at Găvana, a suburb; but in the 1960s an industrial district was built northwest of the city proper. Automobile production has become the most important industry; other manufactures include footwear and wood and metal products. Pop. (2007 est.) 168,958.