"Simian House" Art Museum

The "Simian House" Art Museum is one of the most valuable cultural institutions in Vâlcea County, located in the centre of Râmnicu Vâlcea, on Carol I Street. The building that houses it is itself a historic monument: an elegant villa built in 1940 by the architects Gheorghe Simotta and Nicolae Lupu, both of the neo-Romanian school, for the family of Nae and Tita Simian, owners of a footwear factory. With its terraced inner garden, portico and tiled roof, the house gives the impression of an Italian villa; in 1968 it was turned into a museum, keeping its original charm. The permanent collection brings together valuable Romanian paintings and sculptures. Artists from the late 19th century are represented — Nicolae Grigorescu, Nicolae Vermont, Sabin Popp, Ipolit Strâmbu, Sava Henția — along with major names of the 20th century, such as Gheorghe Petrașcu, Nicolae Tonitza, Theodor Pallady, Corneliu Baba, Camil Ressu, Ion Țuculescu, Sabin Bălașa and Horia Bernea. Sculpture is illustrated by works by George Apostu, Ovidiu Maitec and Costel Badea. The exhibition also includes pieces of old Romanian religious art from the County Museum collection — among them the royal doors from Govora Monastery (1497), icons and liturgical objects from the 16th–19th centuries. In 2017, the museum received the largest art donation in Romania since 1990: 55 paintings by Tonitza, Pallady, Ressu and Petrașcu, given by Paul and Sanda Dumitrescu and valued at over 2 million euros. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the institution organises temporary exhibitions, creation camps and displays of graphics and watercolours. The "Simian House" Art Museum is worth visiting both for the richness of its Romanian art collection and for the monument building in which it is housed, an elegant and quiet setting in the heart of Râmnicu Vâlcea.