The natural conditions Craiova has enjoyed, have favored the permanent hiring of population in this region and the succession of many civilizations: the Prethracian civilization, the Thraco-Dacian civilization, the Gaeto-Dacian civilization, the Daco-Roman civilization, the Daco-Roman-Byzantine civilization, then the Romanian one.

THE FIRST REFERENCE ATTESTATION

One of the most important Gaeto-Dacian settlements around Craiova was named Pelendava that means "the place near the water". This settlement was written down on Tabula Peutingeriana - a map of the Roman Empire, made on the initiative of the Roman Emperor Caracalla. The year 225 (when this map was finalized under Severus Alexander) is regarded as the moment of the first reference mention of the oldest settlement in the present town are.

THE XVth-XVIth CENTURIES

At the end of the XVth, Craiova was a fair laying on the land of the powerful boyars Craiovescu. After the first half of the XVIth century, Craiova was frequently named town.

The economic power of this boyar's family - at the end of the XVth century - contained over 100 villages (182 landed properties). This power created a status of political autonomy so large that the rulers of that time couldn't maintain their position without an alliance with this boyar's dynasty.

During many years, some important rulers were picked up from this family: Neagoe Basarab (1512-1521), Radu from Afumati (1522-1529), Radu Serban (1602-1611), Matei Basarab (1632-1654), Constantin Serban (1654-1658), Serban Cantacuzino (1678-1688), Constantin Brancoveanu (1688-1714).

Arisen during the last decades of the XVth century the Great Banat of Craiova became during a short time the second important political institution, after the ruler. Old Romanian establishment, the Banat was in the beginning a local, village establishment derived from territorial community. When Neagoe Basarab became ruler in 1512, the Great Ban assumed the ruler prerogatives for the territory from the right side of the Olt river, having a chancellor's office where many documents were elaborated alike the rulers ones.

During the second half of the XVIth century, the Great Banat saw a difficult moment particularly because of the Turkish aggressive attempts to establish an effective domination in Wallachia.

The Great Banat became again a very important establishment under the great leader Mihai Viteazul.

Craiova under Mihai Viteazul saw a great prosperity, the contemporary sources described this town as an important political and military center. Craiova asserted in the Romanian centralization politics as a positive element, supplying the central power with loyal boyars and powerful armies during the great and difficult times and events related to the Union of the 3 Romanian provinces.

Mihai became the rules of Wallachia in 1593 and Preda Buzescu was entrusted with the Great Ban's high dignity.

During the Middle Ages Craiova was also a center with an important military and strategically role, being a place of grouping and regrouping military forces and a place of starting Anti Ottoman actions. There was in Craiova an army corp at Great Ban's disposal, made of peasant military force from the boyar's estates, free peasant and mercenaries.

THE XVIIIth CENTURY

In 1735 there were 836 families in Craiova counting above 4000 inhabitants.

At the beginning of the XVIIIth century a guarantee modality of Ottoman Porte domination over Romanian provinces consisted in constraint of Phanariot rule. Nicolae Mavrocordat, who became ruler of Wallachia in 1716 met hostility by the gentry of Craiova.

After defeating the Turkish armies and the Peace from Passarovitz (1718), the gentry welcome the Austrian domination over Oltenia, but in 1726, when Gheorghe Cantacuzino Ban was dismissed, the gentry of Craiova began resistance actions against habsburgic administration.

The Austrian domination in Oltenia determined a considerably worsening of fiscal and economic obligations system of rural and town producers. People's dissatisfaction was brought by the military character of exploitation as well as by the gathering of incomes and wealth of the provinces into the Imperial Court treasury.

Outlawry proportion determined the Austrian administration to make slave corps to make ensure the guard and the calm of the province. In 1734 bands of pandours were distributed in all Oltenian counties. There was a gendarme corp in Craiova, under commander of a "iuzbasa".

Many important changes were made in the institutional field. The Banat of Craiova was no longer the institution which, during the previous period had rivaled in the political plane with the rule. In 1761 the permanent money residence was settled down by the ruler at Bucharest.

Between 1770-1771, because of the war situation (Bucharest was fought by Russian and Turkish armies), Money's Citadel was also the capital of Wallachia, the ruler Emanuel Giani Rosset watching from there the progress of hostilities.

The economy of this region and the flourish of Craiova have registered frequent traumata during the XVIIth and the XVIIIth centuries. the demographic equilibrium was affected at the end of the XVIIIth century by changing the town into a war scene, because of epidemics and fires. We can recall here the frequent distractions and invasions of Turkish groups of soldiers over the Danube (under the command of Pazvan-Oglu) in 1799, 1800, 1801.

THE XIXth CENTURY

The specific feature of this town during the two first decades of the XIXth century was given by the economic town flourish, by increasing of interest of its inhabitants in the handicraft and commercial trade field, and in public services. Comparatively to the other big urbane centers, Craiova was regarded as an important commercial, administrative and cultural center.

During the XIXth century the Romanian provinces were still one of the most important places for the Russian and Austrian wars. The reestablishment of the town after the disasters from the beginning of the century has restarted in the 4th decade, after the Peace from Adrianopol (in 1829, after the Russian-Turkish war between 1828-1829) appeared chances for many peaceful years in Romanian provinces.

During the czarist rule (1828-1834), Craiova saw an important economic development. There were in 1832 595 shops from which 197 were made of wood and 398 of brick. The town was still the Oltenian commercial center: Craiova exported wan, animals, cereals, furs in Austria and Turkey. The increasing demands for the exportation determined the setting up in Craiova, in 1846, of the first Romanian stock company for the transportation of cereals by ship on the Danube at Braila.

Around 1848, Craiova has about 20000 inhabitants.

The intellectuals of Craiova placed firmly in the van of the changes, in the urbane life as well as in political and cultural life of the country. The teachers from the Central School of Craiova foremost of whom Ioan Maiorescu had an important role in preparing, encouraging and supporting the Revolution from 1848.

Two of the most important revolutionists in Craiova were Gheorghe Magheru and Costache Romanescu who, after 1845, entered the secret political association, the "Fraternity". Not accidentally, Craiova was chosen as meeting place of the provisional government before its settlement in Bucharest. The fact that the town was an important element within the revolution from 1848, was once more confirmed and that Craiova was by the side of the new changes providing a powerful basis in Oltenia.

The population of Craiova rose at the half of September to declare its support for the Revolution menaced by foreign armies. On 30 November 1848, a day before the first ottoman division entered Craiova, counting 10000 soldiers under the command of Hussein Pasa, hundreds of peasant from around Craiova and inhabitants of the town, armed with guns, spears and scythes, had met the foreign corps ignoring their numerical superiority.

In February and Mars 1855 a great revolt took place, regarded by the historians as the most important moment of the tense relation between Romanian people and its foreign occupants between 1854-1856.

One of the most important boyar's families from Craiova - Bibescu family - gave the last two rulers of Wallachia: the brothers Gheorghe Dimitrie Bibescu (1842-1848) and Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei (1849-1856). The emancipation of gypsy slaves in 1844 and 1856, the customs union of Wallachia and Moldavia (1848) - the first step for the incontestable union of the two Romanian provinces, the preoccupations for improving the military defense ability of the county, all these proved the receptiveness of these 2 rulers for some imperatives of the time. But they rejected the new social organization conceived in 1848 and later in 1857-1859.

In the spring of 1857, the Unionist Committee was set up in Craiova and there were among other important persons, some fighters from 1848: Petrache Cernatescu, Emanoil Chinezu, Gheorghe Chitu etc.

On 9 October 1857, the Ad-hoc Meeting voted in unanimity the Union of Principalities. The next day, in the evening, about 5-6000 people from all social levels gathered in the touch flames and acclaimed. The artist Theodor Aman immortalized that unforgettable night and created his famous picture.

THE XXth CENTURY

Towards the end of the XIXth century, Craiova was with its about 40000 inhabitants a big city having small factories and workshops of chemical products, agricultural machines, graphic arts, tannery etc.

The population increased, so that in 1910 there were 51,404 inhabitants, making Craiova the second town after Bucharest, with a population over 50,000 inhabitants..

At Craiova, in 1913, during the Titu Maiorescu government, it is signed the peace treaty with which it is ended the Balkanic War, treaty known in history with the name The peace from Craiova.

The beginning of the first world war was regarded in different ways by the population of Craiova. The majority factory production was the importance of domestic work.

The population increased: 63,215 inhabitants in 1930, 84,574 in 1948, 96,897 in 1956, 194,235 in 1974 (the 7th place in the country at that time).

Since 1960 the town has been a powerful industrial center, the engineering industry, the aeronautic, the chemical, food, housing, the technical, the extractive, power industry has been promoted.

In 1968 Craiova become municipality.

Over 300,000 inhabitants of Craiova participated at the events from December 1989, emphasizing their desire and hope for a new life, to build a strong democratic society.