Craiova

There are two possible etymologies for Craiova: Old Slavonic kral ("king"), which has been borrowed in Romania as crai, and Slavonic krajina ("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. In Hungarian, the town is either referred to as Királyi, or as Krajova. The German name of the city is Krajowa.

Craiova, which occupied the site of the Dacian and Roman city Pelendava, was formerly the capital of Oltenia. Its ancient bans, the highest ranking boyars of the Wallachian state, were initially those of the Craiovești family. The bans had the right of minting coins stamped with their own effigies – the origin of the Romanian 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 hospodars 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, Radu de la Afumați, Radu Șerban (1602–1611), Matei Basarab, Constantin Șerban, Șerban Cantacuzino, Constantin Brâncoveanu. …

Under the Köppen climate classification, Craiova has a humid continental climate (Dfa), bordering on a humid subtropical climate (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.

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 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. 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. …

Madona Dudu Church – built between 1750 and 1756, renovated in 1844, after being destroyed by an 1831 earthquake. Murals were completed by Gheorghe Tattarescu. 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. …

Public transportation in Craiova started in September 1948 with only 2 buses, received from Bucharest. The buses connected the Craiova railway station with the Nicolae Romanescu Park. The tram was first introduced in 1987, on an 18.4 km (11.43 mi) 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 RAT Craiova, a corporation run by City Hall. There are 190 buses and 35 trams serving the city today. Craiova is also a major railway centre and is connected to all other major Romanian cities, as well as local destinations, through the national Căile Ferate Române network. …