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Craiovas History

Craiova is one of the oldest human locations from Romania and also from Europe. Itwas mentioned in documents for the first time in 225 A.C., under the name Palendava.

Legends and disputes about the actual name of the city

The name of this town is a controversial subject. One thing is sure: it derives from theword krajl which means king. Some opinions are different: some sustain that the namecomes from the lord Iovan that became for a short period emperor of the Wallachian-Bulgarian Empire, others sustain there is a local legend concerning someone namedIovan, who was digging for a fountain on the Saint Dumitru Hill, found a treasure whichhelped him become a king.

The location appears for the first time under the name Craiova on an inscription foundon the tomb of Vladislav I.

One of the most important Gaeto-Dacian settlements around Craiova was namedPelendava that means "the place near water".At the end of the 15 th century , Craiovawas a fair laying on the land of the powerful boyars Craiovescu. After the half of the16th century, Craiova was frequently named town..

Attractive points

Landscape architecture monuments

One of the most important attractive points in Craiova is the People's Park. The park isunique in Romania and it represents one of the most interesting achievements of thiskind in Europe.

Nicolae Romanescu had the initiative of this urban work. The project, masterpiece ofthe French architect E. Redont was awarded with the Gold Medal at the InternationalExhibition in Paris, in 1900. The workings lasted 3 years, there were planteddistinguished species of trees, there was achieved a rich romantic environment by itspicturesqueness and its poetical atmosphere (the suspended bridge, the castle in ruin,bridges over the river, stone imitations, shelters, bridge parapets imitating trees, theisland for swans.. There is also a zoo where people can see various species of nativebirds and animals, but not only...

The Botanic Garden was arranged at the request of the botanist Al. Buia from Craiova

to serve as study material for the students of the faculties of agronomy and horticultureand also as pleasure zone.

The Meadow of Jiu Riveris another important vegetal zone, lied on over 60 hectareson the left bank of this river.

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Monuments of old architecture

Among the old buildings around Craiova we can see today, certified as the oldest oneis the Jitianu monastery. It belongs to the category of the monumental religious

constructions of Wallachia. Unfortunately, aside from the church, there is no otherbuilding we can see today.

Most of the buildings were destroyed by the internal or external enemies and set on fire,the other ones were destroyed by natural calamities, as the overflowing of the Jiu andmany earthquakes. From the architectonic point of view, the church is built in theWallach style. The church of the Jitianu Monastery is also known as Serban Voievod'sfoundation.

The art ofCraiova at the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th centuryis characterized by the Brancovan style, the brilliant synthesis of the Romaniantraditional art, the eastern (Byzantine) elements, especially the Venetian ones. Some ofthem keep many traces of the Brancovan art, such as the wonderfully ornamentedwoodworks with the Byzantine eagle. Such churches as the Saint Ilie, the All Saint'sChurch , the Saint Gh.Vechi Church, the Obedeanu Monastery, the Mantuleasa Church,the Saint Nicolae - certify the masterlines of the builders of this city.

As a conclusion, Craiova is full of many interesting, valuable and beautiful places. Fromvegetal zones as parks and gardens to old churches, from Marin Sorescu Theatre to oursweet University, from pubs to restaurants, from heavy traffic to silent paradise of Jiuriver, Craiova is unique for each of us , Craiova is a mixture between romanticism andreality, between life and fantacy.