You think of Poland and the main cities immediately come to mind, starting from the modern capital, Warsaw, and the old capital, the fascinating Krakow. But if you venture into the surrounding countryside, you discover a world you never expected to encounter.
A world populated by villages surrounded by greenery, among fruit trees that smell of times gone by, sunflowers and sacred chapels decorated with long colored ribbons. In these countryside you have the opportunity to leave the usual tourist circuits to encounter wonder. One village in particular stands out among the others, it is Zalipiea kingdom of flowers located about an hour and a half from Krakow, in the Malopolska Region, unique in its kind.
At the entrance, a delightful road sign awaits us bearing the name of Zalipie surrounded by flowers. We follow the directions and find ourselves in the heart of the village, in front of the House-museum of Felicja Curylowa. We discover with emotion that behind this painted town there is a community of women who have personally contributed to its splendor, starting with Felicja, a popular artist with supreme talent.
Consider that Felicja decorated the ceiling of the entrance to her house when she was only ten years old and the more time passed, the more techniques she learned. Year after year, brushstroke after brushstroke, her little world began to be populated with flowers, embroidery, meticulous paper cutouts (the so-called wycinanki).
The floral decoration of homes was not her invention, but her creative flair made her a point of reference for her fellow villagers. Regarding the origins of this tradition, which is responsible for Zalipie’s fame, no one can indicate precisely when it began, but apparently it was introduced by women to prevent soot from staining the walls. Since the white lime was not enough to cover the stains, floral motifs were introduced, first inside, then also outside.
Felicja was more prolific than ever: in addition to decorating the internal and external walls of her home, she covered furniture, bedspreads, plates, pots and any free surface with decorations. Moved by her generosity, she embellished the local bridge, the old fountains, the fences, the furnaces, the trees and so on and so forth.
She soon created an artistic community with the other women, teaching the younger ones the main painting techniques, and curated the first edition, dating back to 1948, of the Painted Cottage or Malowana Chata competition, held every year in Zalipie after the Corpus festival Domains. Even today the “Dom Malarek” Cultural Center is a point of reference for anyone who wants to do themed workshops or buy souvenirs hand-painted by the women of the town.
After having filled our eyes with wonder in the house-museum of Felicja Curylowa, having made purchases in the small house opposite, and a detour to the “Dom Malarek” Cultural Center, we toured the town a bit in search of other decorated houses. Just look around to find beautiful ones, each with its own unmistakable style.
What can I say, Zalipie has won us over and we absolutely recommend you visit it because in addition to being an authentic treasure chest of beauty, it has gained popularity thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of its inhabitants, starting with the courageous Felicja. Let’s honor her!
SOURCE: marvelous
