Târpești: Casa Popa and Sculptures by Neculai Popa

Casa cu măști is a residential house built by Vasile and Elena Popa in the second half of the 19th century. Casa cu măști contains masks and costumes made by Neculai and Elena Popa for performances at Christmas and New Year. It also contains naive wooden and stone sculptures.

For those interested in culture, the focus in this house is on the residential building itself, the masks and costumes, and the naive sculptures. In Târpești, wood and stone appear in two different cultural locations: as naive sculptures in Casa cu măști and as works in the Curtea cu sculpturi.

Since the early 1970s, the Curtea cu sculpturi has been an open-air exhibition featuring wooden and stone works by the naive artist Neculai Popa. The works are 1 to 2.5 m tall. Access is through a monumental gate carved from oak wood, into which approximately 23 human figures have been integrated.

Neculai Popa's stone sculptures draw on themes from folk theatre, including Împăratul Irod and Iancu Jianu. In addition to the stone works, the Curtea cu sculpturi also includes wooden works. The outdoor grounds thus combine Neculai Popa's works with an entrance whose oak wood and human figures are themselves part of the design.

The Târpești–Râpa lui Bodai archaeological site is a separate archaeological point of reference alongside the works at Casa Popa. As of 2026, it is assigned the Precucuteni II, Precucuteni III and Cucuteni A phases.

For those interested in archaeology, this site is a separate thematic point alongside the art-related locations.

Mânăstirea Secu is a monastery in the wider regional surroundings of Târpești. Schitul Sâhăstria is also a monastery in these wider regional surroundings. Mănăstire Bistriţa is another monastery in the wider regional surroundings of Târpești.

All three monasteries are therefore part of the wider regional surroundings of Târpești.

Dealul Neamţului is a hill in the wider regional surroundings of Târpești. Dealul Mare Văratecul is a hill in the surroundings of Târpești. Dealul Almaşului is a hill in the wider regional surroundings of Târpești. Dealul Boroaia is also a hill in the wider regional surroundings of Târpești. BISERICA CATOLICA COZMESTI is a church in the wider regional surroundings of Târpești.

Dealul Mare Văratecul belongs to the surroundings of Târpești; Dealul Neamţului, Dealul Almaşului, Dealul Boroaia and BISERICA CATOLICA COZMESTI belong to the wider regional surroundings.

Bodești, Mânastirea Agapia, Agapia, Hangu, Tarcău, Văratec, Piatra Neamţ and Roman.

To the higher-level travel overview: Neamt.