Conacul Drugănescu

35 km northwest of Bucharest, in the village of Stoenești, Florești-Stoenești commune, there is a former museum of ethnography and folk art, part of the "Teohari Antonescu" County Museum in Giurgiu. Located on the left bank of the Sabar river, the edifice is a monument of Brancove architecture built between 1710-1715 by Gavril Drugănescu, former grand governor of Târgoviște. Over time, the building underwent numerous changes and expansions, including under the leadership of the architect Gheorghe M. Cantacuzino in the years 1940-1942, as well as major restorations between 1965-1967.

In 1971, the museum was inaugurated as the ethnographic museum of the Danube Plain, later becoming the property of the Giurgiu Diocese. It housed valuable collections about rural life, ethnography and folk art from the areas of Vlăsia, Burnas, Lunca Dunării, Valea Mostiștei and Bărăgan. The exhibitions were organized in 13 rooms, with a total area of ​​about 600 m2, and included traditional ports, textiles, ceramics, wood and metalworking, as well as traditional occupations.

On the upper level, folk art objects were displayed, arranged thematically to illustrate their evolution and diversity. The central hall attracted attention with woolen barks, linen fabrics, hemp, cotton and borangic, as well as with folk costumes specific to the Ilfov and Vlașca areas, distinguished by pieces such as fotes, quatrains and high-waisted shirts.

In the basement, crafts such as woodworking, metalworking, traditional occupations and the textile home industry were presented, alongside a hall dedicated to folk customs. The popular ceramics came from local centers such as Pisc, Brătulesti, Odobești or Oboga, and the Pisc potter's workshop demonstrated the processing techniques.

The museum was a point of attraction for specialists and the general public until 2004, when it was returned to the descendants of the Știrbey family and later sold to a private company. In 2012, the building was purchased by the Diocese of Giurgiului, returning to the county heritage. The monument remains an important symbol of the area's cultural and artistic heritage.

Sursa: floresti-stoenesti.ro