People all over the world love decorating their homes, but few are as good as the villagers of Zalipie, a painted village in Poland. Home décor is a centuries-old tradition in this secluded village of southeastern Poland. Zalipie, is definitely one of the country’s top tourist attractions. Not because it has five-stars hotels or massive glass buildings, but on the contrary, due to its small wooden cottages, which are painted in the most vibrant colors.
Although no one is completely sure how and when this tradition began, it dates from when the smoke from stoves escaped through little more than a hole in the ceiling of the house. The women of Zalipie paint their homes, not with a single color, but a range of vibrant floral patterns. Moreover, women found inspiration in nature and local folklore, so their paintings became both larger and more colorful. They manufactured the brushes themselves, using hair from the tails of their cows. As or the paint itself, women used fat from the dumplings they made. Very important is that each year, all the women had to repaint their charming drawings. And they did so, after the Feast of Corpus Christi, when they weren’t so busy with their farm work. These patterns adorn the external walls, doors, windows and even the roof. The entire village looks pretty in a riot of colors.
One woman in particular became really obsessed with this tradition. Her name was Felicja Curylowa (1904 – 1974) and she decorated every surface of her three-bedroomed cottage, no matter how small or large. After her death, the beautiful house was turned into a museum. And it is quite a source of attraction among tourists!
