Konstantsalieva house, Arbanassi

Overview

Konstantsalieva House is one of the most remarkable and representative monuments of residential architecture in the village of Arbanassi. Its original construction dates back to the end of the 17th century.

The house was owned by the Arbanassi family Tafrilli. It was later bought by Atanas Konstanzaliata, whence the name by which it is known today.

Konstantsalieva House is located in the central part of Arbanassi, near the famous Kokonska Fountain. It is two-storey building, solid stone walls surround the yard.

On the ground floor of the house are located the rooms for the guards and the servants. The ground floor consists of rooms and a kitchen;  warehouses for goods, stables. Two staircases lead to the upper floor. On the ground floor, there is a also a hiding place, connected to the upper floor by a separate (third) staircase. In case of danger, it served as a secret refuge. On the second floor are located the lounge, living room and dining room, kitchen, toilets, bedrooms. The house is heated by a complex system of stoves.

The premises are decorated with white stucco, combined with one-color drawings and applications. The wooden parts in the interior are beautifully carved. The Konstanzali House is a magnificent testimony to the creative qualities of the masters who built it, as well as to the mindset, and the well-being of its owners.

Nowadays the house is an ethnographic museum. The exposition represents the lifestyle of the wealthy merchants in the period of  XVI-XVII c.