Matei Băileșteanu House (Gogu Matei House)

It is a monumental building, located close to the very center of Craiova. Over time, it hosted the headquarters of the Union of Students' Associations from the University of Craiova in the 1960s, or the Children's Palace, somewhat later, but the youngest know it as the site of the Court of Appeal after the' 90s.

In the List of Historic Monuments in Dolj County, the house is named Matei Băileşteanu and dated from the end of the 19th century. It is supposed that Matei Băileşteanu might actually be this Gogu Matei, recorded somewhere, in any act, with this name.

The house has a built-up area of 400 sqm and bears the imprint of architect Paul Smărăndescu, the author of several neo-Romanian style buildings. It was built in the years 1914-1915 on Smârdan Street, at no. 18, on the land on which there were some old houses with a single floor, that used to belong to Ghiţă Urdăreanu, the grandfather of Nicolae Titulescu. The new houses of Gogu Matei were among the largest in Craiova, as shown by a painting of the 27 buildings in the city that had heating facilities, on August 16, 1918.

Gogu Matei, who used to call himself Mateescu, had an estate in Predeşti and was one of the founding members of the Banat Bank in Craiova.

By 1937 it is recorded that the property was in the possession of the Naiculescu family.

Source: craiovadeieri.wordpress.com, monumenteoltenia.ro