The Garden Houses of Zalipie

The Garden Houses of Zalipie

Many years ago, in the time of no-chimneys huts women seeked the ways to lighten interiors of their dark smoky houses. In order to do it they used to paint white spots on the walls using a lime as a tool.

Afterwards, when modern stoves moved the smoke out, the white spots started to be replaced by simple flowery motives. Women used to decorate stoves, walls, ceilings, potteries. Then, as the smoke, flowers moved out and started to grow on the exterior walls...

The tradition is still really alive in Zalipie - village in Southern Poland. The local artists (usually women) decorate their houses and other buildings with colourful flowery motives. Every year, the painters in Zalipie take part in a competition - the purpose is to invent most original and attractive motive painted on a house. Due to this event, originated from 1948 (during the Second World War the tradition started to disappear) the flowery decorations being invented nowadays are really unique and made with a technical perfection.

Beata Misiek

Europe / Poland

Lat: 50° 14' 3.48" N
Long: 20° 51' 34.92" E

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: High. Pinpoints the exact spot.

Nikon D200/Nikkor 10.5, PTMac, Photoshop CS, Cubic Converter