Statue

The decision to erect a statue of Ioan Maiorescu was taken in 1909. The funds required were obtained by public subscription, the names of the donors being published in the Ramuri Magazine. The execution of Ioan Maiorescu's bust (bronze) was entrusted to the sculptor Ion Iordanescu. The work of art was finished in 1911 and the inauguration took place on January 7, 1913. Initially placed in Bibescu Park, in 1928 it was moved in front of the Carol I National College. After the earthquake in 1977 it was relocated on the square in front of Elena Cuza National College. The bust is cast in bronze, and the base is made of stone from Câmpulung. A male torso (the symbol of time) is detached from the socket rock, wrapping in a curtain, with both arms, the shoulders of the bust. On the stone socket is engraved: "To Ioan Maiorescu 1811-1864". On the back of the socket is a paragraph from one of the great Romanian diplomat speeches. Source: memorielocala.aman.ro Photo: www.monumenteoltenia.ro, www.audiotravelguide.ro

The bust of the painter Theodor Aman, work of art of the sculptor Ion Jalea, was cast in bronze in 1962. The bust showing Theodor Aman holding the brush in his right hand and the painting palette in his left hand, is placed in the courtyard in front of the Museum of Art in Craiova, hosted at the Jean Mihail Palace. At the bust base it is engraved: "Theodor Aman 1831-1891" along with the signature of the sculptor. The bust of Theodor Aman was part of the consolidation and restoration project of the Jean Mihail Palace, initiated at the end of 2009. On this occasion, the bust was cleaned and the foundation, the socket and the plywood in travertine were restored. Source: http://www.monumenteoltenia.ro Photo: http://www.monumenteoltenia.ro

The bust was made by the sculptor Marcel Voinea and was unveiled in 2014 in the presence of the officials and the citizens of Craiova. The bust was created as a sign of gratitude for the contribution to the development of Craiova, especially for the founding of the University of Craiova and of the Oltenia Philharmonic. The bust of King Michael I is located in the National Flag Square, Craiova. Source: audiotravelguide.ro Photo: audiotravelguide.ro

The monument was erected in the memory of Petre Ivanovici (September 4, 1898, Băileşti - February 1, 1936, Cornereva), one of the most famous Romanian aviators of the interwar period. He was a flight instructor at the Romanian Aeronautics Training Center (military) in Tecuci and at the ARPA Civil Flight School. He participated in several aerial acrobatics demonstrations, being one of the first members of the Red Devils (Dracii Rosii) club. Source: audiotravelguide.ro

The sculptural ensemble is located on the Danube's waterfront, on the positions held by the former "Stephen the Great" artillery battalion in the spring of 1877. It is an original creation of the sculptor Bucur Pavel and was unveiled on August 21,1980. Consisting of two distinct elements, the pedestal and the statuary group, the monument impresses mainly by the total height (15 m) and the surface of the bas-reliefs (25 sqm). The pedestal, made of travertine and of parallelepipedic shape, shows ample bas-reliefs with scenes of the Romanian army crossing the Danube in 1877; at the top of it are embedded the years of the centennial of independence: "1877-1977". The statuary group is carved in white stone and symbolically depicts three soldiers, belonging to the main weapons involved in this war, namely: an artilleryman holding a flag, a mountain ranger with a gun at his feet, and an infantryman sounding the trumpet for the attack. Source: danube-bike.eu

Considered to be the first public monument built in Craiova, it was inaugurated on December 8, 1918. It is located in the courtyard of the Holy Trinity Church - founded by Dumitrana Ştirbei (wife of the great stolnic Constantin Ştirbei, former caimacan of Craiova in 1741) - on the other side of the Carol I National College. The monument was made by the French sculptor Jean Lecomte du Nouy in 1907, and was cast in Varbedienne bronze. The monument shows the ruler standing, wearing a royal cloak on his shoulders, and several decorations on his chest. In his right hand, the ruler holds a parchment saying, "We have entrusted you with the defense of our country and our destiny." At his feet there is a young man holding a sickle in one hand and a wheat sheaf in the other hand. There is also an eagle with its wings spread out. There are a few bas-reliefs on the statue's base, representing Romania, a book listing the important documents in the history of the country, in which the ruler took part, a map representing the Danube plain, from Drobeta Turnu Severin to Braila and other elements. Lord Barbu Dimitrie Ştirbei was born in Craiova in August 1799 and died in Nizza, on 12 April 1869. He reigned between Jan. 1949 - 29 Oct 1853 and Oct. 5 1854 - 25 January 1856. He faced the weight of maintaining the Russian-Turkish armies and the power of the extraordinary commissioners. He obtained their retreat in 1851.He built the Theater in Bucharest, reopened many schools, closed during the 1848 Revolution, and improved the text of the Organic Regulation for Peasants. In 1853 he retired to Vienna due to the Russian occupation and returned on the throne in 1854, under Austrian occupation, having many restrictions. After the Congress of Paris (1856) his reign was no longer prolonged. Source: memorielocala.aman.ro

The monument of the First World War heroes, the work of the sculptor Dumitru Măţăoanu, was inaugurated on November 7, 1923, when the property titles were distributed to the veterans of 1916-1918 Campaign and to the war widows. The Monument is represented by a soldier from the First World War. Source: audiotravelguide.ro

The "Eugeniu Carada" Monument in Craiova is a public monument located in the square known as " The Fountain of Romanescu" (near the Students Cultural House at the crossroads of Aries, C.D. Fortunescu and Eugeniu Carada streets). The 1936 work of art of the sculptor Mihai Onofrei is a tribute paid to the great economist, politician and journalist of Craiova, Eugeniu Carada.

The Monument of Buzesti Brothers, work of art of the sculptor Boris Caragea, is located in the corner of the Garden of Roses or the Garden of Bania, near the Bania House, in front of the Buzeşti Brothers National College. The work of art represents Preda, Stroe and Radu Buzescu. On the statue's socket is engraved: "Preda, Stroe and Radu Buzescu, captains in the army of Michael the Brave (1593-1601). Honor and eternal gratitude to our heroes who fought fearlessly for freedom, unity and independence, laying the foundation for the construction of socialist Romania. " Source: memorielocala.aman.ro

The Monument of Tudor Vladimirescu is a monument of local public interest, the work of art of the French Romanian sculptor, Margareta Cosăceanu-Lavrillier. The bronze sculpture, donated to Craiova by the artist, was inaugurated in 1960. The monument is located in the square in front of the Faculty of Agronomy, oriented towards the Mihai Bravu Garden and the Glogoveanu House - the former headquarters of the Craiova Court, where the leader of the Revolution of 1821 lived. On the base of the statue is an inscription: "Tudor Vladimirescu 1780-1821". Source: www.monumenteoltenia.ro Photo: audiotravelguide.ro

The idea of placing in Craiova a statue of the great voivode, who has held a high local title (Ban of Craiova) before being a ruler, dates from the beginning of the 20th century. In 1913 an initiative committee was set up in order to erect a monument dedicated to Michael the Brave, in Craiova. In 1927, the "Friends of Science" Society („Prietenii Ştiinţei“) proposed to place the statue in the Unirii Square. In 1933 they addressed the City Hall of the capital the request to move the statue of Michael the Brave to Craiova, if a larger one was to be erected in Bucharest. The sculptor D. Pavelescu-Dimo made a sketch for a magnificent monument dedicated to the great voivode, but it never materialized. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of Craiova had to wait a long time to see the statue in its current place, because, for many years and for various reasons, it was located in the yard of the Museum of Art. The statue was brought to Craiova in 1974, but it laid dismantled somewhere in the backyard of the Museum of Art until 1990. In 1990, the statue was erected in downtown, in Unirii Square, near the Prefecture building, facing west. Between 2004-2008, on the occasion of the downtown rehabilitation, it was moved to the large park between the Prefecture and the Holy Trinity Historical Church, facing east, and with great artesian fountains in front.

The statue of Alexandru Ioan Cuza was executed in 1912 by the Italian sculptor Raffaello Romanelli. The sculptor cast in bronze two copies of the statue of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1859-1866), one for the city of Iasi, the other one being brought to Craiova in 1912. Located in 1935 in front of the Minerva Hotel, it will be inaugurated in 1939. One year later, it was moved downtown, on the north side of the English Park Garden, in front of the Town Hall. The statue represents the ruler standing up straight, holding his sword with both hands, a symbol of ​​determination and dignity.

The bronze statue, work of art of the sculptor Mircea Spataru, was placed in front of the high school building named after Carol I, in December 2007. Photo: audiotravelguide.ro