Casa Bunicilor, Mitocul Bălan Village, Crăcăoani Commune

Ethnographic museums are true treasures and expressions of love for traditions, folklore, and spirituality of the places, and so is the Ethnographic Museum Casa Bunicilor in the village of Mitocul Bălan, Crăcăoani commune.

Nestled at the foot of the Stănișoara Mountains, along the Cracău Alb Valley, in a region rich in traditions and spirituality, Casa Bunicilor Museum showcases the beauty and wisdom of the local people, offering a glimpse into the history, traditions, and customs of the area. This helps keep the local heritage alive in the memory of the inhabitants and the keepers of ethnographic values, while also becoming a source of knowledge for its visitors.

The specially arranged space, with two rooms, features various objects used around the house in this mountain village. Each item in the exhibition has its own story. The highlight is the dowry chest where very old, authentic folk costumes belonging to the museum’s family are preserved. Here, one can see icons over 100 years old, a wooden walnut bed, weaving stands, a spindle, a wool carder, and an iron with charcoal, as well as family photographs illustrating the customs of that period.

“We need so little to preserve what our parents and grandparents have left us as inheritance. It is a loss not to highlight certain objects, taken from the traditional rural universe, in order to rediscover their beauty. We only need willpower, emotion, and love for family, nation and country. We need to know our past, our roots, to live in the present with joy and move towards the future with hope for better,” said Maria Cornea, traditional Romanian music singer and founder of this museum, in an interview published in a local publication: Mesagerul Neamț – October 2021:

https://mesagerulneamt.ro/2021/10/casa-bunicilor-o-bijuterie-etnografica-in-cracaoani/

As a keeper of traditions and beautiful, authentic objects related to village life, folk customs, and traditional crafts, Maria Cornea offers us at Casa Bunicilor the atmosphere and essence of the village, as well as the warmth of the old households.