University of Craiova, former Palace of Justice

The building of the University of Craiova, originally built to serve as the Palace of Justice, is an architectural monument of national interest and one of the most representative buildings in the city. Designed in 1890 by the architect Ion Socolescu, the building is an illustration of Neoclassicism in architecture. It is located downtown, on Alexandru Ioan Cuza Street, no. 13.
The building was built between 1894 and 1912.
From the very beginning, were visible both from the outside and the inside, arechitectural elements borrowed from classicism, such as the triangular pediment and the peristyle of the three-door main entrance, surrounded by four composite columns (with corinthian and ionic elements).
The palace was surrounded by a fence with a wrought iron grid fixed on a concrete foundation, with pillars from place to place.
Between the building and the fence, on all sides of the building, is a green space.
The initial form of the Palace of Justice building was a quadrangle crossed in the middle by a central structure that corresponded to the main entrance, dominated by a classic pediment, from where you can admire a group of statues picturing "The Blindfolded Justice", removed after 1948.
After the change of the building's destination, the word "UNIVERSITY", written in capital letters, was placed under its pediment. In 1912 there was a partial inauguration of the building, and another one took place in 1914, when the palace already had 4 levels.
Later, the edifice was extended, repaired and modernized successively, reaching 5 and 6 levels.
The projects concerning the additions from the interwar period, through which a wing of the building was built, were drawn by the architect Iancu Atanasescu.
The plans for the expansion of the building that was completed in the 1970s (1972-1975) were conceived by the architect Petre Falcon. The Palace of Justice was built to serve as the headquarters of various courts of justice in Craiova.
Between 1941 and 1944, the palace was occupied by German troops. With the departure of the Germans, the courts of law (the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal) returned to this place until 1951.
In 1948, the first higher education institution in Craiova ( The Agronomic Institute) has been established here.
At the same time, the western side of the palace was occupied by local administrative institutions (The County Seat).
Between 1951-1958, the eastern wing of the building sheltered the second higher education institute, the Institute of Machinery and Electrical Devices (The Technical Institute).
For a short time, between 1958-1959, the Palace of Justice became the home of the regional, district and city courts, the prosecutor's office and the bar.
Staring with 1966, the imposing building has been in use and has become the property of the newly established University of Craiova.
Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/ucvro/