The natural conditions that Craiova has benefited as a settlement have permanently encouraged the living of the population in these places and the?? succesion of the civilisations: pretracica, traco - dacian, geto - dacian, daco - romano - bizantin and, later on, romanian.

THE FIRST DOCUMENTARY ATTESTATION

One of the most important geto - dacian settlement of the Craiova aeria (Mofleni zone) was called Pelendava, dating since the period 400 - 350 B.C. as the archaeological findings indicate. At the beginning of the second century A.C. the Romans have built here a Roman camp, made from hard soil, afterwards made from rock and bricks (during the time of Hadrian, 117 - 138). Due to the favourabile geographical position, the protection of the Roman camp and the military garrison,the Roman Pelendava has known a thriving life. The settlement is mentioned in the "Tabula Peutingeriana"- a map of the Roman empire, made at the request of the Roman emperor Caracalla. The year 225 (when this map was finished during Severus Alexander time) is considered the first documentation mentioned of the oldest settlement from the nowadays city area.

The?? XV - XVI - th CENTURIES

At the end of the XV th century Craiova was a market town settled on the powerful boyards Craiovesti estate. After the second half of the XVI century, Craiova is frequently called a city. The economical power of the Craiovesti family at the end of the XVI century was about 100 villages (182 financial goods). This power gave them a statute of political autonomy so big, that the hospodars ruling at that time weren't able to keep in?? power without an aliance with this powerfull corvee dinasty. From the Craiovesti family there were chosen a lot of hospodars to rule the country: Neagoe Basarab (1512 - 1521), Radu de la Afumati (1522 - 1529), Radu Serban (1602 - 1611), Matei Basarab (1632 - 1654), Constantin Serban (1654 - 1658), Serban Cantacuzino (1678 - 1688), Constantin Brancoveanu (1688 - 1714). In the last decades of the XV-th century there was created "Marea Banie de Craiova" which?? became in a short period of time the second most powerful political institution after"the reign". Old Romanian institute, the"Banie"was at the beginning a local, villagish, derived from the teritorial community. When Neagoe Basarab was the ruler, in 1512,"Marele Ban"recives for the teritories from the right of the river Olt the atribution of his reign benefiting of an office from which there were typed documents. In the second half of the XVI-th century"Marea Banie"has a crise moment due to the Turkish agressive tentation for setting up an effective domination?? the Romanian Country. Mare Banie becomes again a powerful?? institution during Mihai Viteazul's reign. In his time,Craiova, knew a powerful thrive prezenting the city as an important military and political centre. Craiova asserts itself in the Romanian politics of centralization as a pozitive factor giving the central power a loyal boyerish and a powerful army, which took part at all the main events of the three Romanian Countries union. In 1593 Mihai becomes the ruler of the Romanian country , and the duty of"Mare Ban"is entrusted to Preda Buzescu. In the Middle Age Craiova was a centre with an important millitary and strategic role being a place of grouping?? and regrouping of the millitary forces and a place of taking antiotoman decisions. At Craiova tere was a special military group orderd by the "Marele Ban", made from the military forces of the pesants on the boyers estates, free pesants and mercenaries.

The XVIII - th CENTURY

In 1735 in Craiova there were 836 families, reprezenting over 4000 inhabitants. At the beginning of the XVIIIth century, a way of ensurance of the domination of the"Otoman Gate"on the Romanian countries were the Phanariot reigns. Nicolae Mavrocordat was the ruler of the Romanian country; being welcomed with hostility by the boyers. After the defeat of the Otomans and the peace from Passarovitz (1718), the boyers saluted the Austrian domination of Oltenia (1718 - 1739), but in 1726 when Gheorghe Cantacuzino ("Ban") was descharged, the boyers from Craiova began the actions against the Austrian administration. The Austrian domination in Oltenia has determend a seriously agravation of the economical system of the urban and rural producers. The outlaw scope has determinated the Austrian administration to create corps of menials to asure the order in the province. In 1734 in most of the Oltenian counties?? there were instituted groups of panduri. At Craiova there existed a corp of dorobanti, under the lidership of a iuzbasa. There took part important changes in the institutional domain. Craiovas banie wasn't?? an institution any more which was competing on the political plan for the country's rulership. In 1761 the permanently residence of the"Bans"was chosen by the ruler at Bucharest. In 1770 - 1771, due to the war situation (Bucharest was desputed betwen the Russian an the Turkish armies), the"Ban Citadel"also had the role of the capital of the Romanian country,the ruler Emanuel Giani Rosett watching from here the development of the hostilities. The region economical and Craiova's prosperation has registered?? often traumas in the XVII and XVIII cenuturies. The demografic balance has suffered at the end of the XVIIIth cenutry due to the city's transformation in combat zone, due to the diseases and fires; and also the distruction and invasions of the pasvangii from beyond the Danube (the soldiers of the Pasa of Vidin,Pazvan Oglu) in 1799, 1800, 1801.

The XIX - th?? CENTURY

The main feature of the?? Craiova city in the first two decades was the economical thrive, urban, of the multiplication?? of the preocupations of the inhabitants in the brances of handicraftsmans, of the trade, of the public services. Comparative with the other big urban centres, Craiova is situated as a comercial knot, cultural and administrative, of first rang. In the XIX century the Romanian Countries continued to be the favourite combate zone of the Russians and Austrians. Reestablishing the city after the dezastre of the biginning of the century there?? came in the fourth decade when after the peace of Adrianopol (1829, after the Russian - Turkish war... 1828 - 1829), there were a lot of posibilities for more years of peace in the Romanian countries. During the tzarist ocupation ( 1828 - 1834), Craiova has important economical developments.The city is maintaining as a comercial centre of Oltenia; exporting in Austria and Turkey cereales, skins, wax, animals, tallow. The groth of the demands of the exports has determined the establishment at Craiova in 1846?? of the first?? Romanian society on actions for the trasnport of the cereals by ship on the Danube, to Braila. In the year 1848, the population of Craiova was about 20000 of inhabitants. Craiova's intellectuals were situated in the first lines of the renovations. A decisive rol in the preparations and the progress of the 1848 revolution was to have?? the professoral corp from the centre school of Craiova lead by Ioan Maiorescu. Among the revolutionares that had a noteworthy role in the progress in the revolutionary events at Craiova were Gheorghe Magheru and Costache Romanescu which entered in the secret society with a political caracter:"Fratia (The Brotherhood)". It wasn't by chance that Craiova was chosen as a meeting place for the temporary goverment, before it got in Bucharest. It was confirmed that the city prezented a special importance for the ideological movement during 1848, that having Craiova on the new changing would asure a strong base for the whole Oltenia. At the middle of septembre the inhabitants of Craiova rose up in?? order to declare their simpathy twoards invading armys. On the 30th of November 1848, on the eve of entering Craiova of the first Ottoman division of about 10000 soldiers being commanded by Hussein - Pasa,?? thousands?? of villagers around Craiova and the inhabitants of the town armed with guns, spears , axes and scythes met the foreign invading troops not taking into account their great number. After the retreat?? of the czarist troops from Oltenia, in may 1854 the revolutionary spirit of the masses grew up. In february - march?? 1855 a powerfull rebellion took place in Craiova, being considered by the historians as the highest moment of tension that had ever existed between the Romanian people and their invaders between 1854 - 1856. One of the geatest boyard families- the Bibescu family- gave the Romanian Country the last two rulers: the Gheorghe Dimitrie Bibescu brothers (1842 - 1848) and Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei (1849 - 1856). The emancipation of the gipsys slave in 1844 and?? 1856 and?? the union of the custom house of Moldova and the Roamnian country (1848 ) -?? is the first step twoards the two country's union - twoards the preparations for?? strenghing up?? the defence of the two countrys, etc., all these acts show the good cooperation of the two rulers in imperative times. When the time was to change for a new social organization, conceived in 1848 and afterwords in 1857 - 1859, the two rulers oposed. In the spring of the year 1857 the Union Comitee was formed at Craiova, which had members like the ex-fighters from 1848: Petrache Cernescu, Emanoil Chinezul, Gheorghe Chitu, and others... On the 9th of October Adunarea Ad-hoc of the Romanian country voted in unanimity for the two countrys union. The following day, in the evening, over 5-6000 people from all of the society classes gathered around their torchs and cheered. Participating at this historical event, the painter Theodor Aman would have to immortalized it in his famous picture. When the two countrys were united?? Craiova had about 25000 inhabitants, being the second city, after Bucharest, with a big population. Even at hte begining of the preparation for entering the Independence War (1877 - 1878), when the Romanian troops were called up at the Danube, there took part troop from Craiova as well. Craiova was placed right in the middle of an area that was affected by the antiotoman war. It was, by its position, an important centre, where the necesary measure were taken to support?? the future military operations.

The XX - th CENTURY

At the end of the XIXth century, Craiova had over 40.000 inhabitants, it had small factories and chemestry shops, textiles, tannerys, etc.. Its population grows, so that in 1910 in Craiova were attested 51404 inhabitants. It was the second largest city, after Bucharest, in Romania. In 1913 at Craiova,?? during Titu Maiorescu goverment, is signed the treaty of peace which ended the Balkan War, treaty known in history as The Peace from Craiova. The begining of the first World War, in 1914 - 1918, was received different by the inhabitants of Craiova. The majority was condamning the war as a bringer of misery. After two years of neutrality, 1914 - 1916, Craiova?? become a powerfull military center, here being the general headquarters of the first Army. In august 1916, when Romania entered the war, the 1st Army had 134 400 soldiers. The courage of the Romanian armys wasn't enough to strike the ofensive of the German and Austro-Hungary armys, well prepared, well equiped and having an experience of two years of fighting. After heavy battles the Romanian army is forced to retreat, Craiova being ocupated by the German and Austro-Hungary troops on the 21st november 1916. For two years, as long as the German administration?? lasted, the whole economical life of Craiova was paralized. During the inter-war period, the city, situated in an area eminenty agricultural, advances too slow on the industrialization path, comparatively with other urban areas of the country. The highest landlords from Oltenia, the depositers of some significant capital, will invest their fonds in banks and comercial institutes, in unproductive stocks. The number of those who gathered around the institutes was extremly small. The specifical economic of the city, productionless from the factory industry, is the significant weight of those who were working at home. The population of the city is growing: 63.215 inhabitants in 1930, 84.574 in 1948, 96.897 in 1956, 194.235 in 1974 (being the 7th largest city in Romania at that time). At the begining of the 60' the city is becoming a powerfull industrial centre; the car and equipment, airplanes, chemestry, the construction materials, the electrotehnics industrys are dezvolting. In 1968 Craiova is declared a municipality. All those 300.000 inhabitants of Craiova participates actively and with enthusiasm at the events from december 1989, showing their wish to strt a new life, a wish to built a new society, a real democratic one.