The local artisan Branzuca Maria from Ceahlau commune, Podis village is one of the artisans from Neamt County that keep alive the traditions of the Romanian traditional village. She was born in 1938 and her entire life was dedicated to the traditional crafts of weaving and sewing and also collecting traditional costumes.

Through the creation of fabrics for daily uses around the house or for clothing, Branzuca Maria managed to keep a certain sensibility and to inspire the love for beauty of the people that live in Neamt County. Together with the old costumes, that are preserved in the “big room” of the house she also has carpets and other traditional fabrics. She is also a skilled cook and she keeps alive traditional old food recipes like “sarmale with urda”, fish with vegetables, cozonac or pies called “poale in brau”.

In her collection of traditional clothing there are several models both for women and men. The women clothing is made of a beautifully decorated shirt and a dress called “catrinta” that is tied with a colored belt called “brau”. During winter they had a thick coat called “bundita” and socks made of wool.

Local artisan Branzuca Maria, Neamt County

The men’s traditional clothing was made of a long shirt with geometric decorations, a leather belt, a “bundita” with white leather on the outside, also decorated with geometric motives, wool trousers, a fur hat and “opinci” in their feet.