Popa House
Neculai Popa (1919 – 2010)was a folk artist interested in preserving Romanian peasant culture in all its forms. He was primarily a sculptor but also an avid collector of all things associated with the Romanian way of life – hence the museum is an eclectic collection of clothes, furniture, farming implements, religious artefacts and carnival ephemera. His expanded home now houses the museum which is run by his son, Dumiru.
The communists didn’t like his independent spirit & imprisoned him. Nevertheless they couldn’t restrain his popularity. His work survived, communism in Romania didn’t. This was certainly the most unusual & fascinating ethnographic museum we have ever visited.
Romania 2026 Photos:
The modest entrance to the Popa House in Tarpesti
These outdoor sculptures remind me of the Lewis Chessmen in the British Museum.
