The Enthralling Floral Village Of Zalipie, Poland

The people of Zalipie have managed to make their rustic, quaint home into one of Poland’s most iconic and culturally vibrant villages – all by transforming their houses into a whirlwind of colors.

Once there was a bleak, monotonous cluster of houses in a lane, now each house showcases floral motifs and vibrant designs painted by the housewives themselves. The women of Zalipie are obviously the stars of the show here.

How the practice started is still a question shrouded in mystery however, the general idea is that the smoke from stoves used to be filtered out through tiny vents in the roof, but the downside to that would be that the ventilation holes would bear sooty, black blotches.
The women tried to cover the marks up by painting over them with whitewash, but the marks remained there and were visible to everyone who visited.

Because there were many religious festivals, the women decided to cover the soot stains by painting over them in rich, bright tones. To make the atmosphere cheery, they drew flowers and long, winded vines. The act may have started from one house, however, since the villagers were so close knitted, they could have seen the paintings and decided to apply the technique themselves with their own unique versions.

Even today, with the advancement of technology, this practice continues with even more intricate detailing and pattern. In fact, the town celebrates it by hosting an annual competition around the feast of Corpus Christi. Local painters throng to the village to create beautiful, kaleidoscopic versions of floral arrangements on the walls of the houses.

The town has seen several women who were passionate and helped develop it into a tradition that it is today. It is notable to mention Felicja Cury?owa (1904 – 1974) who was particularly enamored with the floral decorations that she covered almost every possible surface of her cottage with her elaborate and baroque adornments. Now her house has been turned into a museum, forever preserved, in the love and memory of art and culture.

Sources: kuriositas | amusingplanet