Silversmith's House

Casa Argintarului in Bistrița, on Dornei Street, preserves the architecture of a wealthy craftsman's Renaissance home. Built in 1560–1563, it is linked to the master builder Petrus Italus de Lugano, who was working on the Evangelical Church at the same time. The stone window frames, the portal and the proportions of the facade recall the houses of northern Italy.

Two chalices appear on one of the ground-floor windows, emblems that gave the building its name and recall the guild of goldsmiths and silversmiths. The workshop was on the ground floor, while guests were received upstairs in a large hall with wooden beams. The house has been restored for cultural and museum use; craftsmen's tools and works by the artist Norbert Thomae are on display. Check the exhibition schedule with the institution that manages the house before your visit.

Photo: Țetcu Mircea Rareș / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Proportional resizing to 650 × 400 px; full frame on neutral background, without cropping the building. Adapted photo retains same license.