Craiova Region
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Craiova (, also , ) is the largest city in southwestern Romania, the seventh largest city in the country and the capital of
Dolj County Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)-Jiu River, Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to ''Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova. Demographics In 2011, ...
, situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central
Oltenia Oltenia (), also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions – with the alternative Latin names , , and between 1718 and 1739 – is a historical province and geographical region of Romania in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Da ...
. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the
Southern Carpathians The Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps; ; ) are a group of mountain ranges located in southern Romania. They cover the part of the Carpathian Mountains located between the Prahova River in the east and the Timiș and ...
(north) and the
River Danube The Danube ( ; see also other names) is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea. A large and historically important riv ...
(south). Craiova is the chief commercial city west of
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
and the most important city of Oltenia. The city prospered as a regional trading centre despite an earthquake in 1790, a plague in 1795, and a
Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...
assault in 1802 during which it was burned. Eight villages are administered by the city: Făcăi, Mofleni, Popoveni, Șimnicu de Jos, Cernele, Cernelele de Sus, Izvoru Rece, and Rovine. The last four were a separate commune called ''Cernele'' until 1996, when they were merged into the city.


Etymology and names

There are two possible etymologies for Craiova:
Old Slavonic Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic ( ) is the first Slavic literary language and the oldest extant written Slavonic language attested in literary sources. It belongs to the South Slavic subgroup of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European ...
''
kral Kral, Král or KRAL may refer to: * Kral (surname) * Král (surname) * Kráľ (surname) * Kráľ, a village in Slovakia * KRAL, an AM radio station licensed to Rawlins, Wyoming, U.S. * Riverside Municipal Airport, Riverside, California, United S ...
'' ("king"), which has been borrowed in Romania as ''
crai Crai may refer to: * Crai (village), Welsh village and community ** Afon Crai, a river that runs through the Welsh community * Crai (supermarket), Italian cooperative society * Crai (record label) Sain (Welsh for ''Audio'', ), in full – ''S ...
'', and Slavonic ''
krajina Krajina () is a Slavic languages, Slavic toponym, meaning 'country' or 'march (territory), march'. The term is related to ''kraj'' or ''krai'', originally meanings ''land'', ''country'' or ''edge''Rick Derksen (2008), ''Etymological Dictionary of t ...
'' ("border" or "edge"). Since no source prior to 1475 mentions the city, it is impossible to tell which of the two words is the real etymology.Laurențiu Rădvan, ''At Europe's Borders: Medieval Towns in the Romanian Principalities,'' Brill, 2010, , p.272 In Hungarian, the town is either referred to as , a remnant of the city's Hungarian rule during the
Árpád dynasty The Árpád dynasty consisted of the members of the royal House of Árpád (), also known as Árpáds (, ). They were the ruling dynasty of the Principality of Hungary in the 9th and 10th centuries and of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 130 ...
, or as . The German name of the city is .


History

Craiova, which occupied the site of the
Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus ro ...
n and
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
city '' Pelendava'', was formerly the capital of Oltenia. Its ancient '' bans'', the highest ranking
boyars A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including First Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russian nobility, Russia), Boyars of Moldavia and Wallach ...
of the
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
n state, were initially those of the
Craiovești The House of Craiovești (), later House of Brâncovenești (), was a boyar family in Wallachia who gave the country several of its Princes and held the title of Ban of Oltenia (whether of Strehaia or Craiova) for ca. 60 years. History The fir ...
family. The ''bans'' had the right of
minting coins A mint is an industrial facility which manufacturing, manufactures coins that can be used as currency. The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. In the beginning, hammered coinage or cast coinage were the chief means ...
stamped with their own
effigies An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...
– the origin of the
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
word '' ban'' as used for coins. The economic power of the Craiovești family at the end of the 16th century was about 100 villages (182 financial goods). This power gave them a statute of political autonomy so big, that the
hospodar ''Gospodar'' or ''hospodar'', also ''gospodin'' as a diminutive, is a term of Slavic origin, meaning "lord" or " master". The compound (, , , sh-Latn-Cyrl, gospodar, господар, ) is a derivative of ''gospod'' / ''gospodin'', , or when spe ...
s ruling at that time were not able to keep in power without an alliance with this powerful dynasty. From the Craiovești family there were chosen a lot of hospodars to rule the country:
Neagoe Basarab Neagoe Basarab (; – 15 September 1521) was the Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between 1512 and 1521. Born into the boyar family of the Craiovești (his reign marks the climax of the family's political influence) as the son of Pârvu Craioves ...
, Radu de la Afumați,
Radu Șerban Radu Șerban (? – 23 March 1620) was a Wallachian nobleman who reigned as the principality's ''voivode'' during two periods from 1602 to 1610 and during 1611. Biography A supposed descendant of Neagoe Basarab, he attained high office during ...
(1602–1611),
Matei Basarab Matei Basarab (; 1588, Brâncoveni, Olt – 9 April 1654, Bucharest) was the voivode (prince) of Wallachia from 1632 to 1654. Reign Much of Matei's reign was spent fighting off incursions from Moldavia, which he successfully accomplished in 1 ...
,
Constantin Șerban Constantin II Șerban (died 1682) was the prince of Wallachia from 1654 to 1658. He was an illegitimate son of Radu Şerban. According to custom, being born out of wedlock did not disqualify Constantin from becoming prince. Reign He was an ...
,
Șerban Cantacuzino Șerban Cantacuzino (), (1634/1640 – 29 October 1688) was a List of rulers of Wallachia, Prince of Wallachia between 1678 and 1688. Biography Șerban Cantacuzino was a member of the Romanian branch of the Cantacuzino family, Cantacuzino noble ...
,
Constantin Brâncoveanu Constantin Brâncoveanu (; 1654 – August 15, 1714) was List of Wallachian rulers, Prince of Wallachia between 1688 and 1714. Biography Ascension Constantin Brâncoveanu was the son of Pope Brâncoveanu (Matthew) and his wife, Stanca Can ...
. In 1395 Craiova was probably the scene of a victory won by the Wallachian Prince
Mircea I of Wallachia Mircea the Elder (, ; 1355 – 31 January 1418) was the Voivode of Wallachia from 1386 until his death in 1418. He was the son of Radu I of Wallachia and brother of Dan I of Wallachia, after whose death he inherited the throne. After the dea ...
over
Bayezid I Bayezid I (; ), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt (; ; – 8 March 1403), was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. He adopted the title of ''Sultan-i Rûm'', ''Rûm'' being the Arabic name for the Eastern Roman Empire. In 139 ...
,
Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
of the
Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
(''see
Battle of Rovine The Battle of Rovine took place on 17 May 1395. The Wallachian army led by Voivod Mircea the Elder opposed the Ottoman invasion personally led by Sultan Bayezid I the Thunderbolt. The Turkish force heavily outnumbered the Wallachian troops. ...
''). Frequently referred to as "a city" after the first half of the 16th century, the Craiova area was always regarded as an important economic region of
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
and Romania at large. During the 1718–1739
Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
occupation of Oltenia (see
Banat of Craiova The Banat of Craiova or Banat of Krajowa (; ), also known as Cisalutanian Wallachian Principality () and Imperial Wallachia (German: ''Kaiserliche Walachei''; Latin: ''Caesarea Wallachia''; Romanian: ''Chesariceasca Valahie''), was a Romanian-in ...
), Craiova's status declined due to economic pressures and increased
centralism Centralisation or centralization (American English) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning, decision-making, and framing strategies and policies, become concentrated within a particular ...
, partly leading to an increase in ''
hajduk A hajduk (, plural of ) is a type of Irregular military, irregular infantry found in Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries, especially from Hajdú–Bihar Count ...
'' actions, in parallel with protests of Craiovan
boyars A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including First Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russian nobility, Russia), Boyars of Moldavia and Wallach ...
. In 1761, under Prince
Constantine Mavrocordatos Constantine Mavrocordatos (Greek language, Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Μαυροκορδάτος, Romanian language, Romanian: ''Constantin Mavrocordat''; February 27, 1711November 23, 1769) was a Greeks, Greek noble who served as List of rul ...
, the ''bans'' relocated to Bucharest, leaving behind ''
kaymakam Kaymakam, also known by #Names, many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been reta ...
s'' to represent them in Craiova. Under Prince Emanuel Giani Ruset, Wallachia's seat was moved to Craiova (1770–1771), viewed as a place of refuge during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774. A large part of the city was burned down by the rebel
pasha Pasha (; ; ) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitary, dignitaries, and others. ''Pasha'' was also one of the highest titles in the 20th-century Kingdom of ...
Osman Pazvantoğlu Osman Pazvantoğlu (; 1758 – January 27, 1807 in Vidin) was an Ottoman Bosnian soldier, governor of Vidin after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule. He is also remembered as the friend of Rigas Feraios, a Greek revolutionary poet, whom he ...
in 1800. During the
Wallachian uprising of 1821 The uprising of 1821 was a social and political rebellion in Wallachia, which was at the time a Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire, tributary state of the Ottoman Empire. It originated as a movement against the Phanariotes, Phana ...
, inhabitants of the present-day
Dolj County Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)-Jiu River, Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to ''Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova. Demographics In 2011, ...
joined
Tudor Vladimirescu Tudor Vladimirescu (; c. 1780 – ) was a Romanian revolutionary hero, the leader of the Wallachian uprising of 1821 and of the Pandur militia. He is also known as Tudor din Vladimiri (''Tudor from Vladimiri'') or, occasionally, as Domnul Tudor ...
's
Pandurs Pandurs were a type of light infantry unit raised in Central Europe. The first was Trenck's Pandurs, used by the Kingdom of Hungary from 1741, fighting in the War of the Austrian Succession and the Silesian Wars. Others to follow included Vlad ...
in great numbers, contributing to the expedition on Bucharest. During the first two decades of the 19th century, Craiova witnessed economic prosperity, centered on
handicraft A handicraft is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid material ...
trades and public services. During
Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...
n occupation and the early stages of ''
Organic Statute An organic law is a law, or system of laws, that form the foundation of a government, corporation or any other organization's body of rules. A constitution is a particular form of organic law. By country France Under Article 46 of the Constitut ...
'' rules (1828–1834), the city increased its economic output; in 1832 there were 595 shops, 197 of which were made
barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...
and 398 were houses built of brick. At the time, Craiova exported wheat, furs, leather, live animals and other products into the
Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...
and
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
s. Costache Romanescu, a citizen of Craiova, was among the leaders of the Provisional Government during the
1848 Wallachian revolution The Wallachian Revolution of 1848 was a Romanian liberal and nationalist uprising in the Principality of Wallachia. Part of the Revolutions of 1848, and closely connected with the unsuccessful revolt in the Principality of Moldavia, it sough ...
. Wallachia's last two rulers,
Gheorghe Bibescu Gheorghe Bibescu (; 26 April 1804 – 1 June 1873) was the '' hospodar'' (prince) of Wallachia between 1843 and 1848. His rule coincided with the revolutionary tide that culminated in the 1848 Wallachian revolution. Early political career Born ...
and
Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei (), also written as ''Stirbey'', (17 August 1799 – April 13, 1869), a member of the Bibescu boyar family, was a hospodar (Prince of Wallachia) on two occasions, between 1848 and 1853, and between 1854 and 1856. ...
, came from an important boyar family residing in Craiova – the Bibescu family. Around 1860, there were 4,633 buildings in Craiova, which were 3,220 houses, 26 churches, 11 schools and 60 factories and workshops. In all, the city also housed about 90 industrial establishments, of which 12 were mills, 3 breweries, 2 gas and oil factories, 4 tanning yards and 2
printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...
es; 57% of the total number of craftsmen of
Dolj County Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)-Jiu River, Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to ''Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova. Demographics In 2011, ...
lived in Craiova (1,088 craftsmen, 687 journeymen and 485 Apprenticeship, apprentices). The period following the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878, Independence War was a time of economic and cultural progress. As a result, at the end of the 19th century, the city of Craiova, with its 40,000 inhabitants, had developed small factories (producing chemicals, farming utilities, and construction materials) and textile factories. On October 26, 1896, the Craiova power station entered service (with AEG (German company), AEG equipment working at 310 CP, supplying 365 streetlights on 39 streets, forming a 30 km-long network); Craiova was the first city in the country to be supplied with electric power by internal combustion engines. In 1900, Craiova had 43.1% of the industrial units of
Oltenia Oltenia (), also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions – with the alternative Latin names , , and between 1718 and 1739 – is a historical province and geographical region of Romania in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Da ...
; these numbered 924 industrial companies (including 20 large industrial establishments, employing 1,078 workers). The number of large industrial establishments rose to 40 by 1925. Banking also developed at the beginning of the 20th century (when 6 banks and 2 Bureau de change, bureaux de change were already operating). In the interwar period, Craiova, as the centre of an agricultural region, experienced little further industrialization; the number of industrial workers remained comparatively small. In 1939, Craiova had 7 industrial units with over 100 workers: the clothing industry companies ''Oltenia'' and ''Scrisul Românesc'' were well-known all over the country and abroad. The Treaty of Craiova was signed here on 7 September 1940; under its terms, Romania ceded to Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria the territory of Southern Dobruja, which Romania had gained after the 1913 Second Balkan War. In the early 1960s, under the Communist Romania, Communist regime, the city became a centre for the Automaker, automotive and engine building industries, as well as for Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace manufacturing, chemical industry, food industry, construction, electrical engineering, mining and the electrical power industry. The construction of housing estates also begins at this time, with Brazda lui Novac being one of the first in 1967–1968, followed by Siloz-Valea Roșie in the same years. Later on in the 1980s the Craiovița Nouă, Rovine, 1 Mai, Sărari and Lăpuș-Argeș housing estates are built. After the Romanian Revolution, 1989 Revolution brought the re-establishment of a free market and decentralisation in overall management, several industries became subject to privatisation, while the market opened itself to private initiatives. Industry, although affected by economic changes, remains an important branch, representing circa 70% of Craiova's output.


Geography


Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Craiova has a humid continental climate (''Dfa''), bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''Cfa''). This results in a combination of occasional cold winters, but too mild of a climate to contain permanent snow cover, along with long and hot summers. Annually, Craiova experiences 64 days with fog, more frequently in winter than other seasons. The city also experiences 34 days per year with thunder, and 1 day with hail.


Demographics

, 234,140 inhabitants live within the city limits, a decrease from the figure recorded in 2011, making it the Cities in Romania, 7th most populous city in Romania. Ethnic composition (2011): *Romanians: 241,176 (89.5%) *Romani people in Romania, Roma: 5,291 (2.0%) *Other: 808 (0.3%) *Data unavailable: 22,231 (8.2%) Ethnic composition (2021): *Romanians: 190,634 (81.4%) *Romani people in Romania, Roma: 2,639 (1.1%) *Other: 922 (0.4%) *Data unavailable: 39,945 (17%)


Economy

In the first two decades of the 19th century, Craiova was characterized by economic growth and the increased presence of trade, commerce, and public services. Similarly to other large urban areas, Craiova became a commercial, administrative and cultural centre. During the Russian Empire, Tsarist take-over (1828–1834), Craiova experienced significant economic growth. In 1832, there were 595 shops, of which "187 [were] of wood and 398 of stone wall". The city was the commercial centre of
Oltenia Oltenia (), also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions – with the alternative Latin names , , and between 1718 and 1739 – is a historical province and geographical region of Romania in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Da ...
. It exported cereal, skins, wax, animals, tallow and services to Austria and Turkey. As a consequence of the permanent high demand for exports, Craiova was the site of the first Romanian society for shares in cereal shipping on the Danube to Brăila, established in 1846. Around 1860 in Craiova there were 4633 buildings, of which 3220 were houses, 26 churches, 11 schools, and 60 factories or workshops. There were also approximately 90 establishments with an industrial character, of which 12 were wind mills, 3 beer factories, 2 gas and oil factories, 4 tanneries, and 2 were printing houses. Statistics show that Craiova was home to 57.7% of the total number of craftsmen in
Dolj County Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)-Jiu River, Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to ''Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova. Demographics In 2011, ...
(1088 craftsmen, 687 journeymen and 485 apprentices). Towards the end of the 19th century, the city of Craiova had small factories and workshops with chemical products, agricultural machines, graphic design, tanneries, textiles, construction materials, among others. On 26 October 1896, Craiova's power plant (using AEG (German company), AEG equipment) began operations, supplying 365 lamps on 39 streets in a network. Craiova was the first city in the country powered by electricity based on internal combustion engines. In 1900, Craiova held 43.1% of the industrial units in Oltenia, having 924 industrial firms (of which 20 establishments belonged to heavy industry, using 1078 workers). In 1925, the number of heavy industry establishments had increased to 49, and in 1930 the number of workers was 5530. The banking industry was also present; at the beginning of the 20th century, there were 6 banks and 2 bureaux de change. In the Interbellum, inter-war period, the city, situated in an eminently agricultural area, was considered to be industrialising too slowly in comparison with other urban areas of Romania. In 1939, there were only 7 industrial units with over 100 workers in Craiova: the "Oltenia" clothing factory, the "Scrisul Românesc" ("The Romanian Writing") publishing house, the "Concordia" macaroni factory, the "Barbu Druga" bread and macaroni factory, the "Semănătoarea" factory and the "Traiul" bread factory. The only branch of industry at the same level of development as other centers of the country was graphic art. The two printing houses "Ramuri" and "Scrisul Românesc" were well-known all over Romania and abroad. Starting in the 1960s the city became a powerful industrial center; it developed industry in machinery, tools, aircraft, chemicals, food, light industry, construction materials, electronics, extraction, and energy. The Romanian Revolution of 1989 led to important changes in the economy, with the introduction of a free market and decentralization of the management of all national economic sectors. In industry, an overall drop in production capacity was noted, caused by an inability to anticipate the impact of change and the economic shocks that followed the change of system. Nevertheless, industry continues to represent the largest sector of the city's economy (70%).


Politics

The Craiova Municipal Council, chosen at the 2020 Romanian local election, 2020 local election, is made up of 27 councillors, with the following party composition:


Craiova Group

The Craiova Group, inspired by the Visegrád Group, was founded on 24 April 2015 in Craiova by Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia. Greece later joined to the organization in 2017.


Landmarks

* Madona Dudu Church – built between 1750 and 1756, renovated in 1844, after being destroyed by an 1831 earthquake. Murals were completed by Gheorghe Tattarescu. * Cathedral of Saint Demetrius, Craiova, St. Demetrius Cathedral * The Church of Coșuna Monastery – the oldest building preserved in Craiova, dating from 1483. * Băniei House – the oldest non-religious building that exists in Craiova, dating from 1699. Today it hosts the Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art. * Craiova Art Museum – the building that houses the museum was built in 1896, following the plans of the French architect Paul Gotereau. Its main attraction is the art gallery dedicated to Constantin Brâncuși, exhibiting six of his early sculptures (including variants of his best-known works) * Museum of Oltenia – founded in 1915 and divided into three sections: ethnography, history and natural science. The collection is based on donations made in 1908. * Nicolae Romanescu Park (formerly Bibescu Park) – the largest and most well-known park in Craiova. Through the initiative of Nicolae P. Romanescu, the mayor of Craiova at that time, the park was designed by French architect Émile Rendont. Plans for the park were awarded the gold medal at the Exposition Universelle (1900), 1900 World Fair; work began in 1901 and was completed in 1903. * Botanical Garden of Craiova, Botanical Garden – The garden was laid out by the botanist Alexandru Buia and was opened in 1952. * Jiu (river), Jiu River meadow


Education

The first school in Craiova was founded in 1759 by Constantin Obedeanu. In the spring of 1826 Obedeanu's school took the name ''Școala Naţională de Limba Română'' which means ''National School of Romanian Language''. This was the second Romanian high school after ''Saint Sava'' high school in Bucharest (founded in 1818). Universities: * University of Craiova * University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, University of Medicine and Pharmacy


Sport

The first football teams in Craiova appeared in 1921, Craiovan Craiova and Rovine Griviţa Craiova. They merged in 1940, forming a team, FC Craiova, that won the unofficial war championship. Later, another team from the city, CS Universitatea Craiova, Universitatea Craiova, became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982-83 UEFA Cup, 1982-83. *CS Universitatea Craiova – Football (soccer), football team *FC U Craiova 1948 – Football (soccer), football team *SCM U Craiova (basketball), SCM CSU Craiova - Divizia A (Baschet Masculin), Divizia A is a basketball team play in Polyvalent Hall (Craiova), Polyvalent Hall *SCM CSU Craiova (handball), SCM CSU Craiova - Liga Națională (Handbal Feminin), Liga Națională is a Team handball, handball team play in Polyvalent Hall (Craiova), Polyvalent Hall *SCM U Craiova (men's volleyball), SCM U Craiova - Divizia A1 (Volei Masculin), Divizia A1 is a volleyball team play in Polyvalent Hall (Craiova), Polyvalent Hall


Transportation

Public transportation in Craiova started in September 1948 with only 2 buses, received from
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
. The buses connected the Craiova railway station with the Nicolae Romanescu Park. The tram was first introduced in 1987, on an double-track line, as a result of the state's intention of keeping energy consumption low. The public transport in Craiova today consists of 3 tram lines and 17 bus lines. It is operated by the , a corporation run by City Hall. There are 190 buses and 35 trams serving the city today. Craiova is also a major railway Craiova railway station, centre and is connected to all other major Romanian cities, as well as local destinations, through the national Căile Ferate Române network. There are daily trains with service from Craiova to:
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
(3 hours), Brașov (6 – 8 hours - via connecting service), Cluj-Napoca (8 – 10 hours - connecting service), Sibiu (4 – 7 hours), Sighișoara (8 – 11 hours - connecting service), Timișoara ( 5 hours) The city is served by Craiova Airport, which has recently been modernised.


Twin towns — Sister cities


Notable people


Gallery

File:Primaria Craiova 2.jpg, Town Hall File:Biserica "Sf. Dumitru" Craiova.jpg, St. Demeter Church File:Craiova_-_Teatrul_National.jpg, National Theatre File:Casa Baniei.jpg, Băniei House File:Craiova_-_Centrul.JPG, Downtown File:Craiova_-_Universitatea_de_Medicina_si_Farmacie.JPG, University of Medicine and Pharmacy File:Universitatea din Craiova.jpg, University of Craiova File:Nicolae Romanescu Park in Craiova, Romania.jpg, Nicolae Romanescu Park


Notes


References

* ''Istoria Craiovei'', Titu Georgescu, Constantin Barbacioru, Florea Firan, Virgil Joița, Constantin Mocanu, Luchian Deaconu, Ion Dogaru, Editura Scrisul Românesc, 1977 * Florea Firan, Alexandru Firescu, ''Craiova , Ghidul orașului'', Editura Sport-Tourism, 1982 * ''Documentare statistică privind evoluția economică și socială a municipiului Craiova'', Dolj County Statistical Office, 1992


External links

* * {{Authority control Craiova, Populated places in Dolj County Localities in Oltenia Cities in Romania Capitals of Romanian counties Place names of Slavic origin in Romania