The Romanian village where tradition is imprinted on the walls of the house

Ciocănești village located in the southwestern part of Suceava county (Bukovina, northern Romania) is renowned for its merry painted houses, adorned with traditional motifs.

A real touristic village now, Ciocănești is lying on both sides of the Golden Bistrița River and is surrounded by scenic pine spruce forests and fertile meadows. It is close to the Vatra Dornei resort, only 22 km away, and 100 km away from Suceava city, on Iacobeni-Borșa road.

Locals inherited the house painting tradition from their parents and grandparents. It all began with villager Leontina Țăran who came up with the idea of placing traditional motifs embroidered on the folk costumes also on the houses. She talked to the most skilled painter in the village, Dumitru Tomoioagă and he immediately put her wish into practice.

As it happens, one of painter Tomoioagă’s sons was elected mayor of the village and, due to the high number of Romanian and foreign tourists who had taken the village by storm to admire the captivating houses, the mayor decided that every new built house or revamped one should be garnished with folk motifs outside. And the village mayor’s office is paying for all painting expenses.

Not only are the houses dyed in the village, but also the churches.

The drawing wrapping up the outdoor walls is extremely important, as well as the colours, as they have to express the character of the house’s owner. So, if the paintings adorning your outside walls are spectacular that means you are a good householder.

The house painting tradition in Ciocănești focus on three particular colours, which are typical to the area: brown, black and mustard.

The Ciocănești commune is known as the first inhabited settlement discovered by Moldavia’s founders, starting with Bogdan and Dragoș up to Stephan the Great (Ștefan cel Mare) in the 15^th century.

The commune was officially attested in 1440 in ‘a charter that reported that ruler Alexandru cel Bun received Suhard Mountain from his wife Ana, as a ruling beneficence.’

The name of the village Ciocănești comes from the village’s weapon smiths who “were masterly hammering the iron” (to hammer – a ciocăni in Romanian). The weapon smiths around here were also famous for helping Stephan the Great to defend Moldavia from invaders.

Most of the families in the village are named Ciocan (from Ciocănești).

The village also boasts a Museum of Dyed Eggs, which houses three collections comprising of over 1,800 rare valuable items, ranging form dyed eggs, a weaver, various textiles, wooden, ceramics and iron objects, painted icons and local folk costumes.

Two festivals have been held in the village for six years now. The Trout Festival running every August, and the Dyed Eggs Festival due in February. The second festival welcomes handicraftsmen and painters from all Romania’s regions.