Summer Tour #HereAtHome. Cultural getaway in Dolj
Our county has a lot to offer, and if you have a few free days, you can even take a tour of the places to see in Craiova and the county. They tell our story, everyone's, and help us understand better who we are, but also to introduce ourselves as an open book to those who want to get to know us. Shall we start?
Craiova Museums
Craiova has many museums that we are proud of, both in terms of the collections it hosts and the buildings where they are exhibited.
The Art Museum, the impressive "Jean Mihail" Palace, is a destination not to be missed in Craiova, being one of the most imposing buildings in our area and even in the country. Indeed, the Craiova Art Museum and its collections, including the Brâncuși Cabinet, could not be in a more appropriate place.
In the immediate vicinity of the museum, there is also the "Constantin Brâncuși" Center, a unique construction in the world, designed by architect Dorin Ștefan, which uniquely integrates the influences of the forms approached by Brâncuși in his works. Inside the center there are beams brought from Paris, from Brâncuși's workshop, by the historian V.G. Paleolog. Also, inside we can find out the story of Brâncuși's life, but also of his passage through Craiova, during his youth, for the few years in which his path stopped in our city. The institution always hosts cultural events, exhibitions or concerts, and the access to its interior is free.
The Oltenia Museum, with its three sections, History-Archaeology, Natural Sciences and Ethnography (Casa Băniei) is another important cultural institution that you should visit in Craiova. Its exhibits tell our local stories and reveal history in its raw form, as left by our ancestors, those who lived throughout the centuries in Dolj and Oltenia. In addition, Casa Băniei is the oldest civil construction in Craiova, the Craiova boyars having built it in the 15th century. Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu completely rebuilt it in 1699, and the building still preserves its original cellars.
The Museum of the Romanian Book and Exile is the most recently opened museum in Craiova, housed in the magnificent Tache Dianu House, an architectural gem from the early 20th century, built in an eclectic style. This museum brings together the collections of over 40 romanian cultural figures who created in exile, including Barasab Nicolescu, Mircea Eliade, Emil Cioran, Andrei Șerban, Ileana and Romulus Vulpescu, George Banu and many others.
The "Elena Farago" Memorial House, recently restored and opened to the public, is another place worth visiting in Craiova. Here, you can find objects that belonged to the poet and enter the universe of the one who fascinated all of our childhoods and who, through her assiduous work, contributed enormously to the cultural life of Craiova.
A walk in Dolj
The towers of Dolj, semi-fortified buildings once used for observation and defense, but also for housing, have been highlighted in recent years, through their restoration and transformation into sections of the Oltenia Museum. The two buildings are located in the communes of Brabova (Izvoranu-Geblescu Tower) and Cernătești (Cernăteștilor Tower), and can be visited by all those who wish to learn about our history and culture. Also, by organizing festivals right in their vicinity (Brabova Traditional Music Festival, "Film in the Village" Festival or other cultural events), they were opened even more to the public and promoted in a unique way.
The "Amza Pellea" Memorial House is another necessary stop on this tour of the cultural points in Dolj, having also been restored and revalued. Visitable as an entity managed by the specialists of the Oltenia Museum, the house presents personal objects of our dear man, Amza Pellea, a genius actor and good human, who still blesses us with his energy, beyond time and space.
All the mentioned cultural institutions are under the care of the Dolj County Council, which over more than the past ten years has invested considerably in culture, accessing European funds and revitalizing these spaces that, annually, give everyone the opportunity to come and get to know us exactly as we are. Moreover, in the coming period, the house where the poet Alexandru Macedonski grew up, from the Goiești commune, will also be rehabilitated and opened to the public, also through the involvement of the county authority.
Don't miss our stories and beautiful places. We are waiting for you, here, at home, with the best we have!