piata

Piata is the Romanian word for market; when spelled with diacritics, Piața, it denotes a public square or marketplace and is a common element in Romanian toponyms. The term reflects the historical role of central public spaces in towns as sites of commerce, assembly, and social life; in non-diacritic contexts, it is often written as Piata.

In Romania and Moldova, Piața appears in many place names to indicate a central square or significant public space. The best-known examples are Piața Unirii (Union Square), Piața Victoriei (Victory Square), and Piața Revoluției (Revolution Square). Several Romanian cities feature Piața Unirii, including Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, and Timișoara, among others.

Outside of these generic uses, Piata can appear as a toponym in smaller towns and neighborhoods, where the square serves as a focal point of local life. The diacritic form Piața is typically used in Romanian-language maps, signage, and publications, while Piata appears in contexts that omit diacritics, such as older records or international databases.