House of Arts, Sibiu

The House of Arts in Sibiu stands at 21 Piața Mică, one of the best-preserved medieval complexes in Romania. The building originally served as the Butchers' Hall, documented since 1370, and is considered the oldest guild house in Transylvania. It was later used by the weavers'/tanners' guild, and in the 18th century served as a grain store. Its current facade, with 8 semicircular arches on the ground floor and 8 windows on the upper level, dates from a 1789 restoration, marked by a relief carving of the city's coat of arms on the facade. Over time, the building served various purposes — including a brief period in 1765 as a theater hall, for a troupe led by actress Gertraud Bodenburger. It was fully restored between 1962 and 1967 and opened as an exhibition space on 19 October 1969. Since 2002 it has been managed by the ASTRA National Museum Complex, and since 1 August 2007 it has housed the "Emil Sigerus" Saxon Ethnography Museum, with exhibitions dedicated to Saxon collections of ceramics, textiles, and woodwork. Between 2021 and 2024, the building underwent extensive restoration, funded by the EEA and Norway Grants, as part of the project "Restoration and Revitalization of the House of Arts Historic Monument — Regional Activity and Resource Center." Reconverted into a dynamic cultural hub, the House of Arts now hosts internationally awarded exhibitions, guided tours, educational workshops, and skills-certification courses for traditional craftspeople — the ASTRA Museum being the first Romanian museum institution officially accredited for this type of certification. Piața Mică, where the building stands, is connected via the Liars' Bridge — Romania's first cast-iron bridge, built in 1859 — to Piața Mare, together forming Sibiu's medieval urban core. It is reached on foot from any point in the historic center, about 200 meters from Piața Mare. Worth visiting for its well-preserved medieval architectural context and its active cultural program, offering direct access to contemporary local and regional artistic production.