The Oltenia Museum of Ethnography (Muzeul Olteniei – Secția de Etnografie) is a museum of traditional culture and folk art housed in Casa Băniei, one of the oldest surviving secular buildings in Craiova. Located in the Saint Demetrius Park, the building dates to the late 17th century and is a notable example of Brâncovenesc architecture. Its exhibitions explore rural life in Oltenia through traditional crafts, household objects, clothing, religious customs, and seasonal celebrations.
History Of The Building
Casa Băniei, meaning House of the Ban, takes its name from the high-ranking official who governed Oltenia on behalf of the rulers of Wallachia. The building originated as the residence of the powerful Craiovești boyar family in the late 15th century and also served as a meeting place for Craiova’s governing council. In 1699, Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, himself a descendant of the Craiovești family, reconstructed the residence in the architectural style that developed during his reign. Parts of the original medieval vaulted cellars survived beneath the new building.
The house is arranged over a basement, ground floor, and upper floor, with spacious rooms, brick vaulting, and open galleries characteristic of Brâncovenesc architecture. Its whitewashed façades, arched upper loggia, and tiled roof give it the appearance of a historic boyar residence. The building underwent numerous alterations as its functions changed over the centuries. During the Austrian administration of Oltenia between 1718 and 1739, it was fortified for defensive purposes, before passing to the Diocese of Râmnic in 1750. During the 19th century, it accommodated various institutions, including the Craiova Court, educational establishments, a theological seminary, and the State Archives.
Following restoration in the 1930s, Casa Băniei became home to the Oltenia Museum, which opened its exhibitions in the building in 1934. The museum relocated in 1948, after which the property passed to the Metropolitan Church of Oltenia. It was returned to the museum in 1964 and restored for use by the ethnography department, whose permanent exhibition opened in 1967. Further restoration and structural reinforcement followed damage caused by the 1977 earthquake, while another major renovation between 2006 and 2010 included the reorganization of the exhibition spaces.
Collections And Exhibitions
On the ground floor, the permanent exhibition Making Bread (Facerea Pâinii) explores the cultivation of wheat and the preparation of bread in rural Oltenia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Traditional agricultural implements, including plows and harrows, illustrate the farming process, while a reconstructed household hearth displays cooking vessels, bread-making utensils, and a traditional clay baking cover known as a țest. The exhibition also examines bread’s role in religious ceremonies and family celebrations.
The upper floor houses Rhythms of Life (Ritmurile Vieții), an exhibition exploring everyday activities and important occasions in traditional village society. Displays include regional pottery, woven carpets and textiles, folk costumes, sheepskin garments, and tools used in traditional crafts. Religious icons and objects associated with annual celebrations illustrate the spiritual aspects of rural life, while a section devoted to wedding customs presents the clothing, rituals, and symbolism of marriage. The museum also organizes temporary exhibitions and workshops devoted to Oltenian folk art and cultural traditions.
In Craiova, the Oltenia Museum also operates the Museum of History and Archaeology and the Museum of Natural Sciences.
