The Dumitru and Sofia Dianu Houses (Casele Dumitru și Sofia Dianu) is a historic residential and commercial complex in central Craiova, built in the early 20th century for the Dianu family. The L-shaped building extends around the corner of Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Panait Moșoiu Streets, with shops at street level and apartments above, arranged around an interior courtyard.
The property was developed by the Dianu family, wealthy landowners who also included several prominent lawyers, magistrates, and writers among their members. The apartments were intended to accommodate the extended family, while the ground-floor shops provided commercial premises along one of Craiova’s busiest streets. The building was designed with richly ornamented façades, including floral decoration around the windows, wrought-iron balconies, and steep roofs with distinctive pyramidal corner features.
After nationalization during the communist period, the apartments and commercial spaces were used by various tenants and businesses. Among the shops was Elegant, a clothing store at the corner that later became a haberdashery called Mosorelul. Following the restitution and sale of the property, ownership was divided among several individuals, while the ground-floor premises continued to accommodate shops and other businesses. The exterior façades were renovated in 2014 as part of the restoration of Craiova’s historic center.
