Bibescu House (Casa Bibescu) is a historic residence in the Nicolae Romanescu Park in Craiova, originally built for the influential Bibescu family during the first half of the 19th century. The two-story building, with its pale-colored façade, arched ground-floor windows, and small central balcony, is a surviving feature of the former Bibescu estate, which was transformed into a public park in the early 20th century.
The house was built between 1838 and 1842 as a summer residence for Ioan (Iancu) Bibescu, a high-ranking Wallachian official and brother of Prince Gheorghe Bibescu. It formed part of the family’s extensive estate on the outskirts of Craiova, which included landscaped gardens and recreational facilities. After the property passed into municipal ownership, the residence served various purposes, including accommodation for people with disabilities. It was subsequently incorporated into the Nicolae Romanescu Park during the redevelopment designed by French landscape architect Édouard Redont, completed in 1903.
The building has a restrained Neoclassical appearance, with three broad arches across the ground-floor façade and rectangular windows on the upper level. A small balcony marks the central entrance, while lower side wings and a balustraded terrace extend the composition beyond the main two-story block. Its architecture contrasts with the romantic artificial ruins and picturesque structures introduced elsewhere in the park during Redont’s redevelopment.
Following extensive restoration completed in 2008, Bibescu House was given a cultural function under the name Artists’ House (Casa Artiștilor), providing facilities for exhibitions, artistic activities, and events. The building has also been used for civil wedding ceremonies and temporary historical exhibitions, including displays devoted to the history of Nicolae Romanescu Park.
