I visited one of the most beautiful places in Romania. A unique place in the world that is located just 20 kilometers from Vatra Dornei. Here I discovered the Ciocanesti commune-museum, a unique commune in Romania, considered an open-air museum. Here, over 600 houses have walls painted with traditional motifs. It was called the commune of painted houses.
The origin of the decorations on the walls of the houses in Ciocanesti dates back to 1950 when a young bride named Leontina, who moved into her mother-in-law's house, started making small repairs.
She calls a painter and asks him to paint the walls, but not just with one color, but with drawings. The painter, who also works as a carpenter and craftsman, decides to reproduce, on the exterior walls of the house, the folk patterns that women in this area paint on Easter eggs but also on folk costumes. Currently, this house has become the Taran Leontina House Museum.
Inspired by this idea, other villagers decide to paint their houses with traditional Romanian motifs. The predominant colors are: red, black, green and yellow.
In 2004, Ciocanesti commune was declared a Museum-Commune, due to its unique character in the country and in the world. 10 years later, the commune was designated the “Cultural Village of Romania”, and in 2017 it was included in the Top 10 of the most colorful European tourist destinations.
It is worth noting that no two houses are alike. Those who want to build a house are financially supported and craftsmen are provided to build their house with a special model that will never be repeated.
In the village of Ciocanesti there is a wooden Orthodox church, built in the 19th century, in 1859. The commune of Ciocanesti preserves rich and unique ethnographic, folklore and testimonies about the ancient occupations of the inhabitants of these lands, about customs and traditions, songs and dances.
Ethnographic Museum
In the summer of 2015, the Ethnographic Museum was inaugurated, to preserve and perpetuate Romanian folk traditions. The museum operates in a building on which traditional motifs, specific to the area, are painted, which gives it a special charm.
At the Ethnographic Museum we find: folk costumes, beautifully decorated dowry chests, weaving looms, carpets, and towels, over 100 years old. Here you can also see objects used in sheepfolds, shepherding being the main occupation of the inhabitants of the area.
You can also see craft tools from that period. The traditional motifs on the exterior walls of the houses can also be found on the walls of the museum, including the interior.
The Ethnographic Museum in Ciocanesti has a relatively short history, having been established about 21 years ago through contributions made by locals. People organized and donated their own things, old objects that had been part of their family for dozens, maybe even hundreds of years.
National Egg Museum
At the National Egg Museum we find the only collection in the country that includes painted eggs, a collection of over 2,600 eggs, gathered from all over Romania. The oldest egg is over 100 years old and is painted with natural beeswax.
Since 1990, in Ciocanesti, Suceava County, this magical craft has left its mark on village spirituality, and among the promoters of this spectacular local occupation was Dumitru Giosan, the commune secretary at the time and a skilled egg-painting master.
This museum was established in 2007, with the first editions of the National Painted Egg Festival. The technique of "painting eggs", as the locals call it, dates back to ancient times. Here we can also find eggs painted by children who participate in the National Painted Egg Festival.
The museum's windows display eggs from: birds, reptiles, emu, turtle, crocodile, flamingo, ostrich, sparrow and pigeon. The traditional color combination in Ciocănești is based on black, and the most common symbol is the sun.
Two national festivals are held here: the Painted Eggs festival, which takes place during the Easter Lent, and the Trout festival, which takes place in August.
The commune of Ciocanesti in Suceava, Bucovina, is a place that is very popular with Romanians and foreigners alike. Come and discover it!
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