Places

The Dolj branch of the National Bank of Romania is housed in a historical monument of local interest, located in the center of Craiova, on Calea Unirii, at no. 6. The building is located near Constantin Vălimărescu House and opposite to the Evangelical Church.  The building, dating from the end of the 19th century (1887-1888), was built to serve as the office of the county branch of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), an institution founded in 1880. The development of the fabric of BNR agencies began in 1891 and ended throughout the entire country in 1900, triggering a massive expansion of the Romanian banking movement.  Returning to the headquarters of the Dolj branch of the BNR, the building is distinguished by the architectural style specific to the late 19th century, which combines European eclecticism and neoclassicism with Art Deco influences (neoclassical style, late baroque and freely interpreted French style). Responsible for the construction of the building were entrepreneurs Dimitrie Nedelcu and Domenico Costa, those who had already built the headquarters of the Galaţi branch of the institution during 1885-1886. Nedelcu had also taken part in the construction of the Casino Minerva Hotel and Carol I High School in Craiova, while Costa had built the Stock Exchange Palace (currently the National Library) and the Parliament Palace (currently the Patriarchal Palace) in Bucharest. Set on a single floor, the brick and carved stone building impresses with its total area (1,500 sqm), the height of the rooms (the central lobby has a height of 7 m) and the grandeur of the interior decorations (doors, windows, chandeliers, furniture, mosaics). In the basement there is the Bank's Treasury, which has long been used as a cash desk.  The building houses the same institution as it did 125 years ago, the Dolj branch of the National Bank of Romania. Apart from the administrative offices and the management of the institution, there is also an office of the National Agency for Consumer Protection and the Bank Inspection Service of the branch. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro/banca-nationala-a-romaniei-filiala-dolj/  Photo: https://www.bnr.ro/Sucursala-Regionala-BNR-Dolj-19532-Mobile.aspx

The so-called ”White House” (on one side of the central garden - English Park - made in the style of a London square) was built in the 20's of the 20th century, according to the plans of architect Constantin Iotzu. The building is the first apartment building in Craiova, was called the New Palace and belonged to the Bank of Commerce, and the street was called the New Street. According to the project, the building was supposed to have 44 apartments for the Bank of Commerce officials and to contain an elevator. The White House was built by Giovanni Batista Peressutti, together with the construction company of Carlo Dalla Barba. Source: audiotravelguide.ro Photo: www.facebook.com

The N.D. Popescu apartment building is built in Neo-Romanian style in the 1920s by architect State Baloşin.

Foto: Monumentalist

Bania House, a monument of medieval architecture and the oldest civil building in Craiova, was built in the late fifteenth century by the Craioveşti noblemen and it was rebuilt in 1699 by the prince martyr Constantin Brancoveanu. From the initial construction done by Craioveşti only part of the cellar is preserved. In the midst of history, the old foundation was burned many times, it passed through different dominations and administrations and "suffered" architectural changes, additions and deletions according to their needs. Thus, between 1718 - 1739, in Baniei House is based the austrian administration, which strengthens it for defense. In 1750, the building is transferred by ruler Grigore Ghica to the Diocese of Râmnic. Since 1850, the building became headquarters for various institutions of the city: Craiova’s Court, Buzeşti Brothers’ High School, the Local Seminar, the State Archives. Since 1933, the building will house the Museum of Oltenia until 1948, when its use is switched to the Metropolitan Church of Oltenia. Since 1966, the old brancovenian architectural monument hosts the Department of Ethnography from the Museum of Oltenia.

The Bengescu House seems to have been built in 1880 by Gheorghe Bengescu (diplomat, historian and publicist of Romanian and French languages, a full member of the Romanian Academy) and sold to the Orthodox Society of Romanian Women, around the year 1915. In the building, the Orthodox School for Girls used to function. Also, the first cinema in Craiova, "Popular Cinema", was operating in Bengescu House. After the revolution, it was returned to the National Orthodox Society of Christian Women, which donated it to the Archdiocese of Craiova. Source: www.facebook.com/Monumentalistul/

This remarkable work of landscape architecture was built between 1901-1902, at the initiative of Mayor Nicolae Romanescu, according to the plans of the French architect E. Redont. One of the main attractions of the park is the Gheorghe Bibescu House, known as the Artists' House. After the restoration of Gheorghe Bibescu House, the buiding turned into an exhibition and conference centre, sheltering art workshops and becoming an important attraction for the park visitors. Source: primariacraiova.ro/ro/monumente-de-arhitectura Photo: www.facebook.com/CraiovaMyBeautifulCity

It is a historical monument of local value, that belonged to Dr. Mihai Cănciulescu, one of the representative figures of the Oltenian medical community in Romania during the interwar period. It is located at the intersection of Simion Bărnuţiu Street and January 24 Street, opposite of the "Sf. Archangels Mihail and Gavriil" Church. Cănciulescu House has a three-level height regime (basement, ground floor and attic) and an internal courtyard enclosed by a cement and iron fence. On the exterior of the house there is the richly ornamented decoration around the windows and cornices, with decorative plaster, the sheet metal roof with windows and skylights and the main entrance covered with an awning. Photo source: monumenteoltenia.ro, gds.ro

It is a historic monument building, dating back to the end of the 19th century.

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.

Construită în stil eclectic la începutul secolului XX în imediata apropiere a Palatului Poștei și centrului comercial al Craiovei, casa intra în anii `30 în proprietatea Băncii Eskenasy. Sursă: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1199466494339458&set=a.983924029227040&locale=ro_RO  Foto: RASUB Construct Engineering

Construită între anii 1909-1911 de către antrepriza constructorului italian Adotti Pietro. Sursă: https://www.facebook.com/Monumentalistul/?locale=ro_RO Foto: Monumentalist

Foto: Monumentalistul

Glogoveanu House is an architectural monument of national interest located in Craiova, on Brestei Street, no. 12. Built by the Glogoveni boyars' family in 1802 on the foundations of an 18th-century edifice, the building hosted the Craiova City Hall and then, until 2016, the Dolj County Courthouse. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Gologoveni boyars moved to Craiova, Cerneți and Râmnicu Valcea in order to be better aware of what is happening in the political, economic, social and cultural life of society. The Glogoveanu House, bought by the Overseer (vornic) Matei in 1724, remained the property of the Glogoveni boyars for almost two centuries. The end of the century coincided with bringing the young Tudor Vladimirescu to the Glogoveni house in Craiova, to learn together with the son of boyar Ioniţă Glogoveanu, Nicolae. In 1801, the building burned, but its walls were completely restored. During the Russo-Turkish wars of 1806-1812 and 1828-1829, Glogoveanu House was transformed into a hospital for Russian soldiers. The building was affected by the earthquake of 1838, after which the edifice underwent some transformations and additions. The second part of the 19th century was sprinkled with visits by King Carol I to Craiova, during which he was housed in what was then called "Glogoveanu Palace". In 1908, Nicolae Romanescu erected the northern wing of the building. The house was sold by Nicolae Glogoveanu in September 1913 to the Craiova City Hall, together with some of furniture. In this building the City Hall functioned until 1943. Between 1943 and 2016, the Dolj County Courthouse carried out its activity in the Glogoveanu House. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro Photo: www.monumenteoltenia.ro

Foto: Monumentalist

The Ionel (Iancu) Pleșia House is an architectural monument of the late 19th century in Craiova, located in the historical center of the city, near the former Victoria Store. An architectural jewel both on the outside and the sumptuous interiors, Pleşia House is hosting the headquarters of the Omnia branch of the National Library of Romania. Ionel Plesia House was built between 1890-1892 in an eclectic style of neoclassical predominance at the façade and neo-baroque at the interior. The architect is unknown, but the impressive building is supposed to be the work of the Frenchman Albert Galleron, who also designed in Romania the Romanian Athenaeum and the Palace of the National Bank of Romania in Bucharest, the Constantin Vălimărescu House in Craiova, the Dimitrie Ghika Palace in Comăneşti and numerous boyars' houses in Bucharest and the province. According to other sources, the Ion G. Pleșea houses were built in 1905 following the plans of the architect Iohan Goetz. The building was seized in the 1950s by the Romanian state. After the seizure, the building had different purposes. In September 1989, a conference presided by Zoia Ceaușescu was held in the Mirrors Hall of the Pleșia House and, fascinated by the beauty of the building, she would have proposed to Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu to turn it into their third residence in Craiova (along with the Barbu Drugă House and the Jianu House). Apparently, an investment of 2-3 million lei was immediately approved for the preparation of the house in order to begin the redevelopment, which lasted until December 1989 when the works were stopped by the coming of the Revolution. After the fall of the communist regime, upon receiving a fund of books donated by the EquiLibre Association and following countless petitions from a group of people of culture in the city (Marin Sorescu - editor-in-chief of Ramuri magazine in Craiova), Craiova City Hall provided a space for their hosting at the ground floor of Pleșia House. This is when the prestigious cultural institution, which is today the French Omnia Library, was set up. On May 25, 1990, following the order signed by Andrei Pleșu, then Minister of Culture, the Omnia Library became a subsidiary of the National Library of Romania. The official inauguration of the library took place on July 23, 1991, in the presence of prestigious guests, personalities of the cultural and political life of Craiova, from the country and from abroad. Since 2000, the building has returned to the patrimony of culture following a Governmental Decision. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro/ Photo: www.monumenteoltenia.ro

Mărăscu 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

Foto: Monumentalist

Casa Nicolae Romanescu este un monument de arhitectură de interes național din municipiul Craiova, situat pe Calea Unirii, lângă Biserica Mântuleasa. Casa, ce a aparținut familiei Romanescu, poartă numele celebrului om politic Nicolae Romanescu (consilier, primar al Craiovei, deputat și senator timp de 48 de ani), cunoscut mai ales pentru înființarea parcului ce azi îi poartă numele.  Clădirea şi anexele interioare ale curţii au fost construite în mai multe etape, în cursul secolului al XIX-lea (cea dintâi mărturie despre casă datează din 1833), ajungând la configuraţia definitivă, care este şi acum, în anul 1903, datorită arhitectului I.D. Berindey şi antreprenorului C. Roschovsky.  Cu un an înaintea morții, Nicolae Romanescu a hotărât să lase orașului său casa în care a trăit și toate colecțiile sale.  În jurul anului 1935 casa a fost închiriată unei bănci particulare, încăperile de la parter devenind birouri cu pupitre, seifuri și ghișee. La etaj locuia familia directorului I. Dondoe.  În 1939, aici și-au găsit adăpost temporar refugiați polonezi (funcționari militari) și familiile lor.  După 1941, la demisolul clădirii au fost depozitate lăzi pline cu documente de arhivă, în speranța conservării până la sfârșitul războiului. La mansardă erau adăpostiți refugiați din Basarabia și din nordul Ardealului.  În iarna anilor 1943-1944, în dormitoarele improvizate la mansardă au fost găzduiți copiii de la orfelinatul Liceului Ortodox de Fete din strada Brestei.  În Casa Romanescu a mai funcționat o vreme Banca Românească, care și-a încetat activitatea după naționalizarea din 1948. Administrația comunistă a schimbat numele Căii Unirii în strada Vladimir Ilici Lenin, iar în casă se organizau întruniri politice și ședințe muncitorești.  Ulterior, în Casa Romanescu s-a instalat o școală cu profil financiar, iar din 1956 până în 1974, aici a avut sediul Casa Pionierilor.  Mai târziu, în Casa Romanescu avea să funcționeze Institutul de Cercetări Socio-Umane al Academiei Române, în paralel cu Casa Universitarilor.  Din 1974, Casa Romanescu mai este cunoscută și drept Casa Universitarilor, spațiu activităților cultural-științifice organizate de cadrele didactice de la Universitatea din Craiova.  În prezent, sălile Casei Romanescu găzduiesc evenimente ale Universității din Craiova: susțineri de teze de doctorat, ceremonii academice restrânse, lansări de carte, conferințe științifice, microexpoziții de artă, cenacluri culturale, întruniri colegiale și aniversări oficiale.  În prezent, Casa Universitarilor este închiriată unei firme având ca activitate restaurant unde Universitatea din Craiova poate să - şi organizeze în continuare activităţile enumerate mai sus. Sursa: www.monumenteoltenia.ro; www.ucv.ro  Foto: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1506713899467445&set=pb.100063565119237.-2207520000

Here he lived the prefect of Dolj county (1914-1915) and then mayor of Craiova (1919), Constantin N. Popp (1877-1958), together with his wife, Antoaneta, who is descended from two of the great boyar families of Oltenia, Brăiloiu (after her father) and Glogoveanu (after her mother). The house will remain to their daughter, Veronica, married to Ion Caletzeanu. The Art-Nouveau-style house was built in 1875, number that is carved above the entrance. It is believed that the man who built the house was the father of Costică Popp, the banker Nae T. Popp (1848-1920), born in the suburb of Old St. George, Frăţia Street (today Petre Carp Street). In the absence of documents certifying this fact, this statement remains merely a hypothesis. The building had a ground floor and an upper floor. The walls of the ground floor rooms were gilded with golden Cordoba leather, and the ceilings were painted with scenes that matched the rooms’ purposes. In the back there was a small building where the kitchen and pantry were located, and at the back of the courtyard were stables, warehouses and staff accommodation rooms, next to which were flowers and grass. Next door was the "old house" bought by N.T. Popp from the Bengescu family, a house described by Al. Kiriţescu in the play "Gaiţele" (”The Jays”). In Nicolae Popp's house, after August 23, 1944, the Military Tribunal was established and the family members were forced to move to the old house where they lived until the summer of 1948 when they were evicted even from there. Source: www.facebook.com/craiovadeieri/ Photo: www.facebook.com/craiovadeieri/

The Pencioiu House, a historical monument, is located in the central area of the city. Situated near the Adventist Church of Craiova and the former headquarters of the conference, the building on Mitropolit Firmilian Street, no. 18, proved to be the ideal place that fully meets the current needs of the Adventist Church from the Oltenia region. In the building used to live D.G. Pencioiu, lawyer, literary critic and Romanian translator. He temporarily served as mayor of Craiova (1918) during the German occupation. Photo: www.monumenteromania.ro

The Poenaru House was built in 1890-1895 by the Italian company Adotti and belonged to a family that had large estates, namely that of Constantin Poenaru. The sumptuous building was built with the help of architects Ion Mincu, I.D. Berindei and Duiliu Marcu. The Students' House functioned in the building. The building is a monument where elements of the late French baroque style and neo-classical French style come together on the exterior, and the late Baroque and Rococo styles are intertwined in the interior. From the Great Hall of Honor, a T-shaped marble staircase allows, to the east and west, access to the basement. On the left and right of the staircase there are two large mirrors made of Venetian crystal. At the end of it was the Honor Chamber, accessible through a wide door with four sashes. From here one can pass to the other rooms through ornate doors. Source: https://audiotravelguide.ro

The Grigore Puiu Pleşa (Pleşia) House (Palace) was built between 1905 and 1910 on the site of the former Buzeşti boyars' houses, after the plans of architect Petre Antonescu. The building, called the Pleşa House, had various destinations, including the headquarters of the Trade Unions and the Court of Accounts of Dolj. Foto: Monumentalistul

The Rusănescu House in Craiova is a historic architectural monument from the end of the 19th Century, located in the central area of the city, at the intersection between Ştirbei Vodă Boulevard and Calea Unirii. The House, belonging to the Craiova boyar Ştefan D. Rusănescu, is now known as the Marriage Registry Office and hosts several sections of the Community Public Service for the Evidence of Persons in Craiova (Civil Status, Tutelary Authority). The Rusănescu House has a built area of 579 sqm with a height regime without basement, but with ground floor, upper floor and attic, and an interior courtyard. The house is a blend of styles, including features of Art Deco, late Baroque or Viennese style. At the exterior, there is a rich ornament around the entrances, windows and cornices, with decorative plaster made of cement mortar, an enclosed balcony above the main entrance and a skylight tin roof. Inside, the building features decorative panels on the walls and ceilings, painted in oil on the wall, and in oil on wood in the carpentry, an upstairs stained glass above the hallway and the stairwell, and a monumental staircase accessible through the secondary entrance (through the inner courtyard). The house was restored in 1999, with the works being performed in order to rebuild interior finishing (paintings, stuccos in golden leaves, ceilings, mirrors and skylight). Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro Photo: www.monumenteoltenia.ro; https://audiotravelguide.ro

The Schina House in Craiova, nicknamed "The Little Louvre", is a historic architectural monument located near the central area of the city. The building is located on Calea Unirii, at no. 70, near Feraru House and opposite of Teodoru House. Built at the end of the 19th century in the Renaissance style, the house belonged to Dr. Constantin Schina, who is said to have been the chief physician of Craiova for a period of time. Schina House was sold after 1943 by the descendants of the doctor to a Craiova lawyer named Popescu. Between 1979 and 1996, the Museum of History of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Gomoiu" functioned in the building, founded by prof. Dr. Mihail Şcheau based on the "Pharmacy History Collection" organized in 1963 by pharmacists Gheorghe Cismărescu (1900-1964) and Nicolae Zahacinschi (1919-1988). The core of the museum, donated by Dr. Viorica Gomoiu in 1972, consisted of museum pieces gathered during his life by the great physician and historian of medicine Victor Gomoiu. Among the collections of the museum were two works by Constantin Brâncuşi, " Écorché" (one of the four or five existing copies, and the second remaining in Craiova, apart from the one preserved at the Carol I National College) and the bust of General Carol Davila. After 1996, lawyer Popescu's descendants claimed ownership of the building in which the museum was functioning. In 1997, they won the building in court, the collections of the museum being evacuated. The management of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova and the "Victor Gomoiu" Foundation decided to transfer the collections to the University of Targu Jiu in order to establish a medical faculty. The pieces are now located in the building of the Faculty of Medical Assistance, Dental Technique, Art and Physical Culture in Târgu Jiu. Later, in the former Schina House functioned a research institute. Currently Schina House is privately owned. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro Photo: www.monumenteoltenia.ro

Is located on General Dragalina Street, at no. 1, and is built in the 1900s.  It is included in the list of historical monuments of Dolj County. Photo: https://ro.pinterest.com/pin/321585229660576192/

The Stoilov-Bolintineanu House is a historic architectural monument of local interest, located in the center of Craiova, on Calea Unirii, no. 5 (near Valea Vlăicii), opposite to the Constantin Vălimărescu House. The building, dating back to the end of the 19th century, belonged to General Simion Stoilov, the father of the great Romanian mathematician Simion Stoilov. The Stoilov-Bolintineanu House has a three-level height (basement, ground floor and attic). On the exterior, the main entrance stands out (from Savinesti street), covered by an awning, as well as the decorations and frames of the windows on the facade facing Calea Unirii. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro/casa-stoilov-bolintineanu/

Constantin Vălimărescu House is a historical monument of local interest architecture, located in downtown Craiova, on Calea Unirii, no. 4. The building is surrounded by other significant historical monuments in Craiova, including the Stoilov-Bolintineanu House, the National Bank of Romania - the Dolj headquarters and the All Saints Catholic Church. The building dates back from the end of the 19th century (1892-1893) and was built by the entrepreneurs Costa and Nedelcu, according to the plans of the French architect Albert Galleron. The building has four levels (basement, ground floor, floor and attic), a monumental entrance and a spacious courtyard with several access ways (pedestrian and car). The main gate leads to the main entrance to the building, crossing the courtyard through a paved alley. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro

The Vârvoreanu House is one of the buildings included in the list of historical monuments of Dolj County, being built at the end of the 19th century. Today there is a kindergarten functioning in the building. Photo: Monumentalist

Vernescu House is a historic architectural monument from the beginning of the 20th century, located near the center of Craiova. The house is located on Metropolitan Firmilian Street, at no. 20, and is neighboring another local architectural monument, Pencioiu House. The house belonged to Dr. Dumitru Vernescu, one of the representative figures of the medical community in Romania in the first part of the 20th century. Vernescu House has a three-level height scheme (basement, ground floor and attic) and an internal courtyard surrounding the house, enclosed with a cement and iron fence (facing the street). On the exterior of the house, some elements stand out: a decoration of apparent brick, decorations around the windows and cornices, decorative plaster with intricate letters D and V, tin roof with windows and skylights, brick baskets and the balcony on the western façade. The door and window framing is wooden. The visible facades (western, eastern and southern) are degraded, with the plaster missing on large areas. Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro/casa-vernescu-craiova/ Photo: Mihai Murărețu

The Palace is located in Craiova, Frații Buzeşti Street, no. 10. Here, more than 100 years ago, Gogu Vorvoreanu, a well-known landowner and attorney-at-law, laid the foundation for his future family residence. For this purpose, the boyar has used the finest materials and the most talented craftsmen, desiring with all the urgency that the new construction will successfully pass through time his family crest and legacy. "Vorvoreanu" Palace was built at the beginning of the 20th century, between 1905-1910, according to the plans of famous architect Dimitrie Maimarolu. The harmony of shapes, authentically woven in a pure Renaissance style, brings together the delicacy and the finishing touches of an interior rich in ornaments with the impetuosity of the outer forms and bas-reliefs. Between 1916 and 1918 the German Military Command functioned in this palace. Vorvoreanu Palace and many other properties and assets of the family were nationalized by the Communists. Assets in the palace were not alienated. However, the sacrifice of the forerunners did not remain unpaid, and on May 31, 1964, after repeated attempts made by the representatives of the Craiova Archdiocese to the State Council of the Socialist Republic of Romania, the ”jewel” at Fratii Buzeşti Street no. 10 passed into the property of the Church, in exchange with the House of the Bania. In the old Vorvoreni courtyard, a beautiful wooden church was displaced from Tălpăşeşti, Gorj, in 1975. The holy place, dedicated to "All Saints", is more than 260 years old and was founded by the monk Daniil of the Tismana Lavra, with the support of the Tălpăşeşti population. Today it functions as a metropolitan chapel, with a liturgical daily program. Source: www.mitropoliaolteniei.ro Photo: www.monumenteromania.ro

Casa Vrăbiescu is a historical architectural monument from the middle of the 19th century, located near Craiova`s downtown. The house is located on Calea Unirii, no. 100, and is right next to another local architectural monument, Casa Caleteanu. The house belonged to the Vrăbiescu family, its most representative owner being Iulian Vrăbiescu, jurist and politician, prefect of Dolj, deputy and chairman of the Senate in 1931. House Vrăbiescu has three levels (basement, ground floor and floor). On the northern side it is bordered by Casa Caleteanu, the eastern façade is on Calea Unirii, and the western one on Str. Gheorghe Doja. The main entrance is through a covered gang, closed with tin gates, leading to the interior yard. Above the entrance is a closed balcony with windows fixed in metal structure. From an ornamental point of view, the eastern façade of the building is distinguished by a rich ornamentation and delicate, artistic details such as those above the upstairs windows and the cornice. The windows carpentry is made of wood, while the ornament above the entrance gate, the balcony structure and the balcony-style fences from the upstair windows are made of metal. The exterior façades (eastern and southern) are extremely degraded (fallen plaster, pierced by bars of iron concrete reinforcement, broken windows). Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro

The Dianu Houses are a small architectural jewel of Craiova. Located right in the city center, they have always been some of Craiova's most attractive buildings. Spacious and solid, they amazed the locals when they were finished in 1902. The facades loaded with floral ornaments and balconies in the Art Nouveau style with wrought-iron railings, were enjoyed so much by the local aristocracy that they began to be copied. The Dianu House has a single upper floor and is beautifully decorated with window-frames, with a masonry corner balcony and another forged iron balcony towards A. I. Cuza Street. It has a steep slope roof with a truncated pyramid shaped dome on the corner and another pyramid shaped dome above the alleyway towards A. I. Cuza. On the side towards Panait Moșoiu Street, there is a truncated pyramid shaped dome exactly at the middle of the building. On this side there is another wrought iron balcony and another masonry balcony towards the area called the "Small Crossroad". On the ground floor there were always two or three shops of little importance, visited by those who descended towards the "Small Crossroad". In the summer of 1934, in Craiova it was held the trial of the railwaymen and oil miners who had organized big strikes in the previous year. During the trial, a "defense committee" was set up and the newspaper "Defense of the Railwaymen" appeared. The headquarters of the editorial office were initially in the house of lawyer Costel Dianu (A.I. Cuza Street, no.16) opposite to today’s National Theater. The Dianu House was later the headquarters of the Craiova Committee against the Imperial War of Looting and Conquest, which included Mihail Cruceanu, Eugen Constant, av. Nicu Popilian and av. Costel Dianu. The facade of the house was renovated in 2014, following the City Hall's decision of renovating the aspect of the entire historical center of Craiova Source: vladimirrosulescu-istorie.blogspot.com/2016/05/casa-dianu-aicuza.html Photo: https://www.facebook.com/craiovadeieri/

The Charmed Castle of Craiova is located in the most famous and popular park in the city, the "Nicolae Romanescu" Park. However, the fact that it is in a less visible place, being hidden among the trees, has made it less known to tourists, until a few years ago. The Charmed Castle was built in 1905 with the purpose of concealing the water tower in the park. It was built in a romantic style and was one of the meeting places of the Craioveni. The castle is located near the Suspended Bridge, another popular park sight. It separates two hills and is above a water.