The House of Banat is the oldest construction that we can see today in this town, achieved in 1699 according to the art historians opinion; it is the continuation of another oldest building of the XV-th-century built by Barbu Craiovescu. Restored by Constantin Brancoveanu, the House of Banat has two levels; there are rooms with brick archways at the ground floor and rooms with balconies at the first level. It was achieved by important talented architects of the ruler, in a folk style. The divan of Craiova gathered here and during the Austrian rule, it was the residence of the rulers administration. Later, the building was successively the quarter of Murtaza Pasa (1737-1739) the private dwelling of the bishop, the premises of the first school of Craiova (1750), the premises for the tribunal, the premises for the; Fratii Buzesti; Gymnasium (1896-1914) and for the preparatory school for teachers, the peace for the Oltenia Museum (1934-1948) and for the ethnography section (1967). A slow but strongly modernization process of the city happened after 1780. The roads were arranged with bridges of beams and a network of drinking water fountains was developed.
The most important wells were:
- the Jianu well (the Iancu Jianu street) built around 1800 by the boyar Hagi Stan Jianu.
- the Purcarului well, built by the pigs merchants Pavel Teodor and Chir Miron Bulucbasa in 1818.
- the Popova well (Romanesti district), known under the name of the Basarabescu's well. It exists from the beginning of the XVII-th-century, according to a document from 1613. It was restored in 1651 by Matei Basarab and by Alexandru Ipsilanti during the second half of the XVIII-th-century.
Besides all these wells, there are others in the Chiriac and Mantuleasa market, unfortunately the others were silted (the Buzescu's well, 7 wells, Valea Fetii, Obedeanu etc.). There was a certain trial of systematization of the city after 1800; the main streets were paved with artificial basalt, gritstone from Yvoir or porphyry brought from Switzerland, France, and there were planted trees on their sides. In 1854 was introduced the public lighting by lamps with rape oil, then from 1858, there were used lamps with kerosene, and in 1887, at the Thodorini Theatre the first electric bulbs were used. From 1896 there is a power station in Craiova (with AEG equipment). Craiova was the first city from Romania that was supplied with electric power from motors with internal combustion. The sanitation services were introduced in 1896 and there were built many objectives of public use to improve the city life. There were built many edifices of public use and private buildings, many parks and gardens, there were erected monuments. New edifices were built in various styles: Renaissance, baroque, classical, neoclassical, romantic by French, Italian, German or Romanian maters. The architectural fine arts were dominated by the features of the European eclecticism, especially the French academism. The Jean Mihail Palace (today's Art Museum of Craiova) is an illustration of this style; it was achieved between 1899-1907 by the French architect Paul Gottereau at the request of Constantin Mihail - one of the richest persons of Romania at that time. The palace was meant to be private dwelling. For its construction there were used best quality materials. The expensive moulding partly gilded, the lighting apertures, the Venetian glasses, the painted ceilings, the candelabrums of crystal of Murano, the columns, the stairs of marble of Carrara, the walls hung with tapestry from Lyon, the panelings, the furniture style granted the rooms an elegant aspect and refined taste. The palace was covered with slate and it was endowed with electric power installation and central heating from the very beginning. Constantin Mihail died in 1908 and the palace was inherited by his younger son, Jean Mihail. The Vorvoreanu's House - the present premises of the Metropolitan Church of Oltenia is a palace with monumental aspect, achieved according to the plans of the architect D. Maimarolu; it presents a late influence of the French Renaissance, characterized by mansard roof, by a multitude of ornaments and mouldings, richly decorated interiors. The achievements of the??past Palace of Justice (today's central premises of the was planned in 1890 by the architect Ion Socolescu. The edifice is an illustration of the neoclassical style in the architecture. Another important building is the edifice of the past Trade Bank, today's premises of the?? Town Hall of Craiova. Planned by the architect Ion Mincu, it was finished in 1916 by his student Constantin Iotzu. The building has a richly decorated interior with mouldings, colored glass windows, Venetian mosaics, and lattice works of wrought iron.
The past Administrative Palace, today's premises of the?? Prefecture and of the County Council is an interesting vigorous building with folk architectural features. Work of the architect Petre Antonescu this building was achieved between 1912-1913. After the first world war the endeavor of affirmation of the national elements in art continued. During this period, there was built the so called White House in Craiova (near the English Park - achieved in the style of a London Square), according to the plans of the architect Constantin Iotzu. From among the contemporary achievements, we have to recall the edifice of the National Theatre inaugurated in 1973. It was achieved by the architect Al.Iotzu (the son of Constantin Iotzu) who presented its own work in an interview in the "Contemporanul" magazine (15.11.1972):"the new building from Craiova is conceived so as so it can adjust the stage and the house to the production of the play in one of the 3 modalities (Elisabethan, Italian and in the arena); among the massive buildings around it, the theatre has its own personality characterized by the long horizontal line, continued with a pavement and the park - in contrast with the milieu; it is an edifice with modulated edges, creating inlets and prominence and the smooth surfaces represent emphases on this sculptural work covered with white-yellowish travertine... The theatre is endowed with a very long stage (over 40m depth)."
The sumptuous edifice is a pride of Craiova and of the Romanian theatre (roughly speaking).

Of course, the list of the most important architectural monuments of Craiova can continue, but we invite you now to discover...!

DICTIONARY: ACADEMISM
A kind of artistic vision, dominated by the concordance with the rules of the academically art teaching based on the study of the classical art.

DICTIONARY: THE BRANCOVAN STYLE
The denomination was given to the art of Wallachia at the end of the XVII-th- century and the beginning of the XVIII-th-century, from the name of the ruler Constantin Brancoveanu (1688-1714) who, by his patronage of art, contributed to the creation of a new climate auspicious for the development of arts. The mark of the Brancovan style is carried by all genes from the architecture to the silver ware and embroidery. This style is characterized by the intensification of certain structure and elements that entered the art tradition of Wallachia long time ago and that were gathered in an unitary vision under Matei Basarab (1632-1654). To all these, there was added an important formal decorative rush, came from various channels, mostly mediated, rarely direct
(Transylvania, Dalmatia).