Folk architecture object: Radenov House
The first historical mention about the village comes from 1272. In 1907 and 1921 the village was destroyed by great fires. The new houses were built just like the old ones – from wood. The lime paint decoration used to protect the houses against harmful effects of nature. It developed into its present form after 1921. The ornaments were inspired by local designs and motifs.
The folk architecture complex in Čičmany was declared a historical monument in 1977.
Up to the beginning of the 20th century, the village of Čičmany preserved its archaic multigenerational tradition: in the house, called gazdostwo, gazda (the host) and gaździna (the hostess) would live along with their married sons and their wives and children. The whole family wealth was shared.
A large part of the only heated room in the house was occupied by a clay stove with two or three hearths. The interior was simply furnished: benches next to the walls, shelves for dishes, a table, and a bed. Young families would sleep in smaller rooms on the upper floor. They were dark and unheated, fitted with one bed and a painted chest where the woman would keep her dowry.
The Museum of Považie organized the first exhibition in Čičmany in 1967 in the one-storey folk house called Radenov House. The activities, costumes, and art of the inhabitants of Čičmany were presented there. In 1987, the house no. 42 was opened to the public, presenting the interiors from the 1920s. The folk culture of Čičmany is still highly regarded in the whole of Slovakia.
