Dudeștii Vechi

Dudeștii Vechi
Stár Bišnov
Banat Bulgarian Roman Catholic church in Dudeștii Vechi (Stár Bišnov)
Location in Timiș County
Dudeștii Vechi
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 46°03′N 20°29′E / 46.050°N 20.483°E / 46.050; 20.483
CountryRomania
CountyTimiș
Government
  Mayor (20202024) Bono Cucalan (PNL)
Area
190.62 km2 (73.60 sq mi)
Population
 (2021-12-01)
3,827
  Density20/km2 (52/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
307150–307152
Vehicle reg.TM
Websitedudestii-vechi.ro

Dudeștii Vechi (until 1964 Beșenova Veche; Banat Bulgarian: Stár Bišnov; Hungarian: Óbesenyő; German: Altbeschenowa; Serbian: Стара Бешенова, romanized: Stara Bešenova) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Cheglevici, Colonia Bulgară and Dudeștii Vechi (commune seat). It also included Vălcani until 2005, when it was split off to form a separate commune. Dudeștii Vechi is mostly populated by Banat Bulgarians (Palćene), a regional minority group of ethnic Bulgarians that profess Roman Catholicism, who came from northern Bulgaria, and who are descendants of Paulicians that settled in the area around 1738.