The Administrative Palace

Built between 1898 and 1907 in the middle of a city caught in the fever of the innovations of the early twentieth century, the Mihail Palace stands out by the execution details that have the distinction of a meticulously crafted jewellery. Thus, it reflects the exigencies and social status of one of the richest men of that time, and the ambition and the spirit of competition which helped him make a fortune. So, as Gh. Grigore Cantacuzino, nicknamed the "Nabob", in Bucharest and the royal advisor Vălimărescu, across the street, assigned the building of their houses to the famous architect Albert Galleron who had also made the projects of other important buildings in the Kingdom - the Romanian Athenaeum, Constantin Mihail could accept nothing less for himself. He contracted another famous name at the time, Paul Gottereau - the architect of the Royal Court and the creator of the Royal Palace, of the Palace of the "Carol I" University Foundation, the CEC Palace etc. Reflecting on the prevailing trend of the time, that of an eclecticism which successfully combined the rigor of the French academicism with late Baroque elements, the plan of the construction has many similarities with the plan of the Cheverny Palace in the Loire Valley, recognized as an example of architectural balance and elegance. The exterior details and the ornaments on the facade, the window frames and the ironwork of the balconies, prepare the viewer's eye for the exquisite grandeur hidden inside. In the hall of honour, in the reception lounges and in the music room, in the living rooms, but also in all other areas not necessarily having a specific destination for social events, the building materials were of the highest quality: Carrara marble, Murano crystal and Venetian mirrors, decorative ironwork, Lyon silk, gilded mouldings, furniture and art objects, generally purchased from Vienna with the aid of the rich Dumba family, with which Constantin Mihail was closely related. But not only these standards of luxury are impressive. We should also mention the skylights and the large windows, designed to provide the space with as much natural light as possible, and also the technical equipment used to provide comfort all around the house, all exceptional for that period of time, including electricity and the "Roman type" heating system with pipes inserted in the walls and floors. The Palace has 29 rooms (plus annexes) of which the most spectacular is the Hall of Mirrors Inaugurated in 1909 by the two sons, Nicolae and Jean - as Constantin Mihail had died the year before, the Palace began its representation mission, which was intended from the beginning. Jean Mihail was a cultivated man and a person with broad views. He had studied law in Paris, wanting to devote to a political career. Being a prominent member of the high society and part of the restrictive circle at the Royal Court, he hosts the royal family in his palace in 1913, at the inauguration of the monument "That's the music that I love", called so after the remark of Charles I when hearing the cannon shots that marked the start of the War of Independence in 1877. The monument was destroyed immediately after the communists come to power. Two years later, King Ferdinand and Princess Mary are welcomed at the palace together with General Averescu, who were coming to visit the Military Hospital in Craiova. In 1936, Jean Mihail, the last descendant of the family, dies, leaving his entire fortune to the Romanian state, by will. And it really was an impressive fortune considering that, during the economic crisis of 1929-1933, he guaranteed with it the loans contracted by the Romanian state from the foreign banks. His gesture reflects a high civic sense and a patriotism of the noblest kind – and this is why the building remained in the public consciousness as the Jean Mihail Palace. At the beginning of World War II, when Romania generously housed Polish refugees, the Polish President Ignacy Moscicki with his family and Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły - the chief commander of the Polish armed forces, were housed at the palace. Furthermore, here, in 1940, Romania and Bulgaria signed the Treaty of Craiova by which the Quadrilateral is ceded to Bulgaria. The palace was first opened to the public between the 24th and the 31st of October 1943, during the "Week of Oltenia" event under the patronage of the Royal Cultural Foundation and during which some of the works of Constantin Brancusi were exposed for the first time in Craiova, (Head of a boy, Head of a girl and The Kiss). From 1945 to 1950, the palace became the headquarters of ARLUS (Romanian Association for Tightening the Relations with the Soviet Union), and then of the Regional Committee of the RMP in Oltenia, whose secretary was Nicolae Ceausescu (probably out of sentimental reasons he later decided, after having become the General Secretary of the Communist Party and the President of the Romanian Socialist Republic, to preserve and restore the building after it had been severely damaged during the earthquake of 1977). Since 1954, following the decision of setting up an art collection, the building was transferred in the patrimony of the City People's Council heritage and became the headquarters of the Art Museum of Craiova. Part of the "Alexander and Aristia Aman” Pinacoteca was moved here, including, besides the library, furniture and paintings belonging to the Dutch, Flemish, Italian and French schools from the XVII-XIX century, paintings and graphics by Theodor Aman, Romanian and foreign decorative art. Its patrimony was extended during the interwar period through purchases made by the city and due to the donations from the great noble families of Craiova: Mihail, Romanescu, Cornetti, Glogoveanu etc. The acquisitions continued in the post-war period and transfers have been made from the National Museum of Art and the central state funds. Currently, the patrimony of the Museum consists of over 8,000 works of European and Romanian art. The collection includes the most important names of the Romanian painting and sculpture: Theodor Aman, Nicolae Grigorescu, Nicolae Tonitza, Ștefan Luchian, Gheorghe Petrașcu, Theodor Pallady, Eustațiu Stoenescu, Ion Țuculescu, Gheorge Anghel, Dimitrie Paciurea. The most valuable works of art from those held by the museum are six pieces from the works of the titan of the universal modern art, Constantin Brancusi: Vitellius, Head of a girl, Head of a boy, Torso Fragment (or Thigh), Miss Pogany and The Kiss.

The main objective of the activity of the County Centre for Nature Protection, Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development Dolj is to ensure the management and the exploitation of the Dolj county`s natural heritage by fulfilling the tasks of the Dolj County Council regarding the management of Natura 2000 sites and the protected natural areas, improving the quality of life in rural areas through sustainable development and tourism promotion in Dolj county.

Calafat-Vidin Bridge is a rail and road bridge on the Danube that connects Calafat (Romania) and Vidin (Bulgaria). The bridge is part of the Pan-European transport corridor linking Dresden to the city of Istanbul, Turkey, and the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. According to the project, the total length of the road was set at 1,440 meters and the railway line at 2,480 meters. Photo: Cosmin Andreescu

Stadionul „Ion Oblemenco” este un stadion multifuncțional din Craiova, România cu o capacitate de 30.983 de locuri. Construcția arenei a început în 2015 și a fost finalizată în luna noiembrie a anului 2017. Acesta este folosit în principal pentru fotbal, aici evoluând în meciurile de pe teren propriu clubul Universitatea Craiova. Foto: Bogdan Dănescu

Dotari: -4215 locuri , din care 109 fotolii VIP -6 vestiare sportivi -3 vestiare arbitri -2 sali de recuperare dotate cu sauna si jacuzzi , cu access direct la vestiare -sala de fitness dotata cu aparate performante -sala de incalzire cu 3 culoare de atletism -cabinet medical si centru anti-doping -centru media dotat pentru transmisia datelor in timp real, pentru transmisii Radio si TV, 25 de posturi de presa cu internet, fax, priza TV precum si monitoare cu imagini in timp real din sala de competitii -sala pentru conferinte si interviuri -sala pentru federatii -monitoare amplasate pe culoarele de acces in tribune , cu imagini in timp real din sala de competitii -135 de difuzoare amplasate pe coridoare, in vestiare si in birouri -18 boxe de putere mare (1000W) pentru competitii

The Popova Fountain in the Romanești district of Craiova is also known as the Basarabeşti Fountain. It dates back to the beginning of the 17th century, a fact confirmed by a document dating back to 1613. It was restored in 1651 by Matei Basarab (from whom it was also named Basarabeşti Fountain), and in the second half of the 18th century by Alexandru Ipsilanti. The fountain was built according to a square plan, each side having a niche, and on the southern and western sides there were two inscriptions, one with Latin letters and one with Cyrillic letters. Source: fantanilecraiovei.wordpress.com/istorie/

Swineherd`s Fountain (or the Elca Square Fountain) is a public monument in Craiova, located on Matei Basarab Street, no. 11. The water fountain is in Elca Square (The Old Square), the old downtown and commercial area of the city, near Puțureanu Inn and Bania House, the Cathedral of St. Dumitru and the ruins of Hurezi Inn. The fountain was built in 1818 by Pavel Teodor and Kir Marin Bulugbasa (or Miron Bulucbasa, according to other sources), pig merchants. Although initially the fountain was the only water supply for the inhabitants of the area, its importance diminished at the beginning of the 20th century, when Craiova was provided with water supply systems. Swineherd`s Fountain has been repaired several times in time, and the renovations turned the current form completely different from the original one. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro

The Dr. Mendel House is built in the late 19th century and is located in the central area of Craiova on Simion Bărnuţiu Street at no. 27. It is considered a historical monument and is included in the list of historical monuments of Dolj county.

Puţureanu Inn is a heritage building located in the old historical centre of Craiova, in the Old Square (Elca Square), near major monuments and tourist attractions - the former Central School of Girls (today the Oltenia Museum), Madona Dudu Church, Hurezi Inn , The Swineherd's Fountain, the St. Dumitru Cathedral and the Bania House. The edifice, erected by merchant Niţă D. Puţureanu, is a wonderful building with an architecture specific to 19th-century mansions, that unfortunately reached an advanced stage of degradation. Puţureanu Inn was set up and built by merchant Niţă D. Puţureanu, born in 1845 in a modest peasants family from Puţuri village-Dolj. Alcohol and tobacco business, lending, renting properties that they buy over time, turn him into one of the representatives of the great bourgeoisie of Craiova. At his death (in February 1910), the inn and the outbuildings remain in the care and administration of his son Mihail, lawyer, clerk and librarian at Dolj Bar. Despite the competition represented by the newer and more spacious hotels, offering luxurious facilities,like Minerva Hotel and Geblescu Hotel (Hotel New York), set up at the beginning of the 20th century, the inn was still in use until the First World War. After 1918, for 30 years, Mihail Putureanu rented his father's shops to various merchants and the inn's rooms to new tenants. In the spring of 1945, Red Army officers will occupy several apartments of the inn. The building was nationalized in 1950, following the Decree no. 92 regarding the nationalization of some buildings. In 1996, by court order, the former owners acquired the ownership of the building. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro/hanul-putureanu-craiova/ Photo: www.facebook.com/Craiova-veche-in-imagini-259281224357, artmarkhistoricalestate.ro