Few buildings in Bucharest carry as much history and refinement within their walls as the Nicolae Minovici Museum of Folk Art, known to locals as the “Bell Villa” (Vila cu clopoței). Built in 1905 according to the plans of architect Cristofi Cerchez, the house is one of the first and most representative buildings in the northern part of the capital, standing as a true manifesto of the Neo-Romanian architectural style.

The birth of a symbol of Romanian folk art

Originally, the villa was designed as a rest house for Dr. Nicolae Minovici, a prominent figure of Romanian medicine at the beginning of the 20th century. However, the destiny of the building changed radically just one year later. 

In 1906, the villa became home to an impressive collection of Romanian folk art, transforming into Bucharest’s first ethnographic museum, initially named The National Art Museum of Prof. Dr. Nicolae Minovici.

Strategically located at the corner of Șoseaua București, Ploiești and Doctor Nicolae Minovici Street, no. 1, the villa was conceived as a synthesis of Romanian traditional architecture and European elegance. 

Wishing to create a home that would embody the national spirit, Minovici and Cerchez combined folk-inspired architectural motifs with urban design elements, resulting in a building that is both unique and symbolically rich.

Neo-Romanian architecture, between tradition and innovation

The Neo-Romanian style, then in its early stages, expressed the aspiration to define a distinct national architectural identity. The Minovici Villa stands as a masterpiece of this movement. Architect Cristofi Cerchez, a close friend of Minovici, managed to infuse the building with a profound Romanian character while maintaining the compositional rigor of Western design.

The façade is dominated by an elevated upper floor and a spacious attic, giving the structure both volume and harmony. On the southern side, Cerchez added a tower inspired by the fortified Oltenian “cula” houses, supported by a massive buttress – a distinctive architectural feature that lends the building the air of a symbolic fortress.

At the upper level, a wide terrace blends two seemingly opposing influences: an Italian loggia, refined and luminous, and a traditional Romanian porch (pridvor), simple and rustic. This fusion between rural and urban aesthetics defines the creators’ vision. 

The exterior décor, rich in twisted columns, carved wooden posts, scalloped friezes, and pierced stone panels with acanthus leaves, expresses a harmonious dialogue between tradition and modernity, between popular craftsmanship and urban refinement.

If the exterior impresses through its monumentality, the interior captivates through its ornamental richness. Each room is adorned with traditional Romanian motifs artistically reinterpreted, Oltenian friezes, ceramic vases displayed on the ceiling, carved wood decorated with ancient and Christian symbols. This combination reflects Nicolae Minovici’s encyclopedic vision: he wanted his villa to become a tribute to Romanian folk art and spirituality.

From private residence to ethnographic museum

Only a year after the villa’s completion, its purpose changed entirely. In 1906, Nicolae Minovici decided to transform his residence into a public museum to showcase his vast collection of national art.

Over more than four decades, the doctor had gathered objects of folk art from all Romanian regions: textiles, traditional costumes, wooden furniture, ceramics, icons, painted eggs, wooden utensils, and musical instruments. Each exhibit testified to the creativity and identity of the Romanian people.

The interior spaces were organized according to the collector’s aesthetic taste and emotional intuition. There was no predefined curatorial plan; instead, Minovici arranged his collection in a personal and spontaneous manner, reflecting his deep attachment to every object. Each room became a self-contained exhibition space – from the dining room and guest room to the bathroom, which was transformed into a display area for ceramic pieces made in the Troița workshops and on the Royal Crown Estates.

For the early 20th century, Minovici’s collection represented an act of cultural pioneering. It was not merely a personal passion but also a conscious effort to preserve national identity in an era when modernization risked erasing traditional values.

The museum’s heritage and its cultural importance

Over time, the collection of the Nicolae Minovici Museum of Folk Art grew into a true treasure of Romanian culture. It includes traditional textiles (blouses, shirts, aprons, skirts, wall carpets, towels), decorative and utilitarian ceramics, icons on wood and glass, painted eggs, and carved wooden household objects.

The exhibits recreate the atmosphere of old Romanian peasant homes, offering visitors the authenticity and charm of rural life. The museum also preserves an invaluable documentary archive related to Minovici’s scientific and cultural work, including correspondence, manuscripts, sketches, and photographs.

Thus, the museum serves not only as a display venue but also as a living archive of memory, a space where tradition is kept alive, and ancient crafts are passed on to new generations. Through its diverse exhibits, it illustrates both the unity and regional diversity of Romanian culture, from Maramureș to Oltenia and from Bucovina to Dobrogea.

The restoration and rebirth of the “Bell Villa”

After more than a century of existence, the museum underwent an extensive restoration and consolidation project under the Regional Operational Programme 2007–2013, Priority Axis 5 – Sustainable development and promotion of tourism, Major Field of Intervention 5.1 – Restoration and sustainable valorization of cultural heritage.

Thanks to this initiative, the Nicolae Minovici Museum regained its former splendor, becoming an example of responsible heritage restoration and sustainable cultural development. The works included both structural reinforcement and modernization of exhibition spaces, installation of climate control systems for object preservation, and adaptation to contemporary museographic standards.

The permanent exhibition – a journey through time

On October 18, 2017, the museum reopened to the public with a permanent exhibition that largely recreates the atmosphere envisioned by Nicolae Minovici himself. Curators relied on a set of photographs taken in 1935, just before the official donation of the museum to the state (in 1937).

Thus, the upper floor once again became the intimate heart of the villa, where objects such as the sofa, cupboard, table, and upholstered chairs returned to their original places. On the shelves, traditional ceramics shine brightly, while the bathroom was transformed into a display area for ceramic works from the Troița workshops.

The bedroom preserves its interwar modernist atmosphere, featuring paintings by Gheorghe Ionescu Doru, Gheorghe Chirovici, Nicolae Vermont, Henri Visconte, and Pierre Bellet, as well as walnut veneer furniture, chosen by Minovici for its elegance.

The most striking room remains the villa’s chapel, a sacred space where icons, candles, wooden chandeliers, and altar doors have been restored to their rightful places. Here, the sacred dimension of folk art harmoniously intertwines with the serenity of spirituality, offering visitors a deeply emotional experience.

At the ground floor, the exhibition was reorganized according to modern museographic standards. The traditional costumes collected by Minovici are now displayed in a contemporary setting that highlights the delicate embroidery and symbolic motifs. The vestibule introduces visitors to the world of 19th–20th century traditional ceramics, showcasing pieces made in Transylvanian workshops and urban studios in Bucharest.

The museum’s last exhibition halls were reintegrated into the visitor circuit in October 2018, completing a coherent museographic route that connects the past and the present.

Nicolae Minovici’s legacy and the museum’s cultural mission

Nicolae Minovici, known as a doctor, professor, and philanthropist, was more than a scientist—he was a cultural visionary. In an era marked by industrialization and Western influence, he understood that preserving folk tradition meant preserving the nation’s soul.

Through his efforts, the “Bell Villa” became a sanctuary of Romanian folk art, an institution that has inspired generations of researchers, artists, and art lovers. Today, the museum bears not only his name but also the spirit of his ideals: respect for craftsmanship, authenticity, and cultural education.

Every corner of the museum still reflects the passion of a collector who saw in the simple objects of the Romanian peasant not mere tools, but symbols of beauty and spirituality. The Minovici Villa is more than a museum – it is a living story about Romanian identity, told through clay, wood, fabric, and sacred icons.

A jewel of Romanian heritage

More than a century after its construction, the Nicolae Minovici Museum of Folk Art continues to captivate visitors with its beauty, authenticity, and symbolic depth. From a physician’s private rest house to a modern museum, the building stands as a witness to the evolution of Romanian culture.

The “Bell Villa” is not just a building—it is an architectural emotion, a place that preserves in every detail the essence of an ideal: the union of science, art, and tradition under the same roof. The museum remains living proof that love for beauty and national identity can transcend generations, transforming a personal dream into a treasure belonging to all of Romania.

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