“Dumitru Norocea” Memorial House
The Dumitru Norocea Memorial House is part of the Curtea de Argeș Museum through the ethnography and folk art section, this being the main exhibition. The Museum House has a rich collection of objects that related to the occupations and crafts practiced by the Arges people many years ago.
Their most popular tasks were pottery, sewing and weaving, making of folk costumes, household items, agriculture and fruit growing.
Between 1922-1923 Dumitru Norocea built a house that is currently hosting the exhibition of Ethnography and Folk Art of the Museum.
Dumitru Norocea was a painter, who worked on the restoration of the Princely Church of Saint Nicholas of Curtea de Argeş from 1914-1924, finding on the north wall of the nave the inscription with the death of Basarab I. He introduced the mosaic technique in the country.
Dumitru Norocea Memorial House
History
The painter Dumitru Norocea made great efforts for the restoration of the Royal Church but also for his home, built between 1922 and 1923.
The villa built and designed by the painter himself contains elements of the neo-Romanian style. It is raised on three levels, on a slope.
“Norocea would receive the most important politicians at his home, during their visit to Curtea de Argeș. It was he who discovered the fresco and the symbolism of the paintings in the royal church, to everyone’s amazement because no one expected to find such values”
Dumitru Norocea
Painter and restorer of the Royal Church of Curtea de Argeș, Dumitru Norocea is famous for his many works of art and the culture of mosaic technique - learned in Ravena.
His experience in the restoration of the Royal Church helped him to improve his work. Thus, during works at the Church of the Tismana Monastery, the oldest monastic establishment in the Romanian country, the restorative painter uncovered the layer of iconographic painting produced by Dobromir de Târgoviște in 1564 and rebuilt in 1732. The fresco of 1766 executed by Dimitrie Diaconu, covering the previous one.
The painter Dumitru Norocea
Discoveries and Restaurations
Dumitru Norocea restored the Stavropoleos Church in Bucharest
- Church “St. Trinity “Măgureni (Prahova) - Orthodox edifice of the Cantacuzino family that lasted from 1671 to 1674 - the painter restores votive painting of the founders and the entire iconographic program signed by famous painters. Painting originally created by Pârvu Mutu in 1694.
- The Church “The Assumption of the Virgin Mary” from Bordești-Vrancea - founded at the end of the 17th century. The painter discovers a self-portrait of the painter Pârvu Mutu along with the figure of his disciple, Radu. The painting was made on the access channel in the pronaos.
- Harlau - “Saint George” Church founded by Stefan cel Mare in 1492 and esthetized with the fresco painting by Gheorghe the painter during the reign of Petru Rares “;
- Craiova - “Madona Dudu” Church built between 1750-1756, rebuilt in 1844 and painted inside by Gheorghe Tatarescu;
- Bucharest - “Stavropoleos” Church erected by the archdeacon Ioanichie Stratonikeas in 1724, during the reign of Nicolae Mavrocordat
- Oești-Pamânteni - he restores the mural painting of the “Saint Nicholas” Church built by Grigore Drugănescu in 1837-1840.
Mosaic technique
The painter specialized in Ravena in the meticulous and spectacular technique of the mosaic. This is: decorative technique work, which consists in the artistic assembly of small pieces of marble, ceramics, glass, enamel, etc. of different colors, glued together with mortar or mastic.
Norocea will put his artistic imprint on the mosaic decoration of many important architectural monuments such as: Coronation Cathedral of Alba Iulia and Orthodox Cathedral of Sulina.
Mosaic from the Coronation Cathedral illustrating the ruler Mihai Viteazul
Artworks
Currently, on the first floor of the Memorial house “Dumitru Norocea” there is an organized exhibition with important and charming pieces made by the painter-restorer but also other known artists like: Emil Ivănescu - Millan, GD Mirea, Dan Băjenaru , Rudolf Schweitzer - Cumpăna. The artist’s works have been displayed on canvas (mosaic imitation), replicas of famous scenes: “The Emperor Justinian with the suite”, “The Empress Theodora with the suite”.
Pieces of folk art from the painter’s personal collection are also displayed, in correlation with the ethnographic section of the ground floor. Certain objects of the museum reflect trades and traditional trades of Arges.
Useful information
Address
The address of the Dumitru Norocea Memorial House is: Victor Ștefănescu Street, no. 8, Curtea de Argeș - 115300
Phone number: 0248 721 446
Schedule
Tuesday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm
