Târpești: Masks, the History of a Home, and Sculptures

Cultural points of interest in Târpești include a 19th-century home, masks and costumes for Christmas and New Year performances, an outdoor sculpture exhibition, and an archaeological site. Casa Popa in Târpești is a tourist destination for visitors traveling through Ținutul Neamțului. If you are considering Târpești as a destination, these themes offer a range of cultural highlights.

Casa cu măști: Home and festive performances

Casa cu măști is a home built by Vasile and Elena Popa in the second half of the 19th century. The house contains masks and costumes made by Neculai and Elena Popa for Christmas and New Year performances, as well as naïve wooden and stone sculptures. The festive context of the masks and costumes is a distinct point of interest, alongside the history of the home and the visual artworks. These themes differ in subject: the building’s history, performances, and sculpture need not be grouped into a single art form.

Outdoor sculptures

Since the early 1970s, Curtea cu sculpturi has been an outdoor exhibition of wooden and stone works by the naïve artist Neculai Popa. The works are 1 to 2.5 m tall. This range describes a span of sizes rather than a single measurement; material and size can therefore be considered as two separate features. Unlike the history of the home at Casa cu măști, the focus here is on outdoor sculptures.

The entrance to Curtea cu sculpturi is through a monumental gate made of carved oak, with around 23 human figures incorporated into it. The entrance itself has a sculptural character: its material, monumental design, and figures shape its appearance. For orientation, you can distinguish the gate as a feature of the entrance from the wooden and stone works on display.

Folk theatre as a sculptural theme

Neculai Popa’s stone sculptures draw on themes from folk theatre. These include Împăratul Irod and Iancu Jianu. Beyond the material, the works’ connection to folk theatre themes is also significant. This lets you distinguish among artistic themes by material, the size range of the outdoor works, and subject matter.

Archaeological context

Another area of interest is the Târpești–Râpa lui Bodai archaeological site. For 2026, the Târpești–Râpa lui Bodai site is associated with the Precucuteni II, Precucuteni III, and Cucuteni A phases. These three phase names provide a distinct archaeological point of reference, separate from the history of the home and the art themes. If you are interested in archaeological context, these names are the main point of reference.

Cultural themes to help plan your trip

To decide whether Târpești suits your travel interests, you can distinguish among architectural history, festive performances, sculpture, and archaeology. If you are mainly interested in art, you can explore the sculptures from different angles, including material, size range, and subject matter; if you are more interested in historical periods, you can find them in both the home’s construction date and the phases associated with the site for 2026. The destination is therefore not limited to a single cultural theme.

Discover more destinations: Vădurele, Târgu Neamţ, Săvinești, Piatra Neamţ, Mânastirea Agapia, Roman, Hangu, Bodești

For the broader travel overview: Neamt.