Museum of Popular Architecture of Curtișoara – Gheorghe Tătărescu Mansion and Constantin Negreanu House

Located in Curtișoara, Gorj County, the Museum of Popular Architecture of Curtișoara is one of the largest and most significant open-air museums in Oltenia. Spanning 13 hectares, the museum features 24 traditional monuments from the Gorj region, including authentic peasant houses, wooden churches, fortified boyar mansions (cule), and traditional technical installations. Visitors can immerse themselves in the authentic rural life of historic Oltenia. Among the highlights are the Gheorghe and Arethia Tătărescu architectural complex, relocated from Poiana Rovinari between 2000 and 2002, and the Constantin Negreanu House, integrated into the museum in the 1970s to preserve and showcase the legacy of wealthy Gorj peasant families.

The Constantin Negreanu House, originally built in the early 19th century in Țicleni village by Marin Negreanu – a descendant of a pandur from Tudor Vladimirescu’s army – represents the traditional rural architecture of Gorj. Acquired by the museum from Constantin-Dină Negreanu, a direct descendant of the family, the house was relocated to Curtișoara to illustrate the lifestyle of prosperous peasant households, featuring a vaulted cellar, enclosed veranda, and a characteristic wooden shingle roof.

The Gheorghe and Arethia Tătărescu Mansion includes the historic Tătărescu fortified house (cula), the family’s church, the Antonie Mogoș House – which hosted notable figures such as Constantin Brâncuși and King Michael of Romania – as well as the Servants’ House, collections of traditional ceramics and textiles, and the Belvedere Pavilion. Gheorghe Tătărescu (1892–1957), a Romanian Prime Minister and Ambassador to France, and his wife Arethia Tătărescu, president of the National League of Gorj Women, had two children: Tudor and Sanda Negropontes, the latter playing a crucial role in preserving the family’s heritage. Today, both the Tătărescu Mansion and the Constantin Negreanu House function as memorial museums, integrated into the Museum of Popular Architecture of Curtișoara, offering visitors a fascinating journey through the history, culture, and traditional architecture of Gorj County.