#Exhibit of the Month

The Roman bronze situla comes from a collection of archaeological artifacts confiscated at customs and transferred to the holdings of the National Museum of History of Moldova in 2009. Its place of discovery remains unknown.

A situla (Latin for "bucket") is a metal vessel-usually made of bronze-shaped like a pail and equipped with two movable handles at the top, traditionally used for mixing wine with water. The handles are attached to the vessel via two decorated ears that are welded to the rim.

The body of the situla is truncated-conical in shape and features two decorative bands with small circular patterns formed by hammering, located just below the rim.

Its base is double-layered: the inner bottom is hemispherical and hammered, while the outer bottom is flat and lathe-made. The outer base is welded to the inner bottom, serving as the vessel's foot-support.

This object was crafted using a combination of casting, hammering, and partial lathe-finishing. Dimensions: Maximum height - 31.7 cm; Maximum diameter - 22.8 cm; Base diameter - 13.5 cm

Situlae of this type originated in the Roman Empire and were later adopted by various ancient peoples, including those from the northwestern Pontic region.

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Events Archive

Reopening the Lazo Family Mansion

November 26, 2018

On December 2, 2018, at 12.00, was opened the permanent exhibition „Bessarabian environment - the mansion from Piatra - interconnection of historical personalities" at the Lazo Family Mansion in Piatra, a branch of the National Museum of History of Moldova. The exhibition is opened on the occasion of the completion of the interior rehabilitation works of the Lazo Family Mansion.

The mansion from Piatra, built between 1862-1865 by Ioan and Matilda Lazo, is a typical house of the mid-19th century with an architectural style close to that of the peasant houses, with the location of the chambers around the central hall. The mansion is a large building with several rooms (the original house had six rooms), an annex and a front terrace supported by eight massive round plaster pillars, with an attic located along the façade axis, also supported by two pillars of the same size. The mansion is set in the middle of a garden, facing the valley of the River Răut.

The house is valuable first of all because it has been inhabited by representatives of a noble family, and because it is itself a historical and architectural monument. The ambience of the house gathered together many Bessarabian personalities over the years. Two generations of the Lazo family spent part of their lives in this house. Today, the mansion is considered a monument of architecture, history and culture from the second half of the 19th century and is registered as a state-protected monument of national significance.

The new exhibition entitled "Bessarabian environment - the mansion from Piatra - interconnection of historical personalities", includes a living room, a dining room, a library office and a children's room. The memorial and typological pieces from the new exhibition present the material and moral ambience of the Lazo Family Mansion with several generations of this noble family, with their epoch, with all the complexities of life, emotions and facts intertwined with the history of the personalities owners of the Mansion, of living people with their visions and occupations who have been in our history and have contributed to the development of the Bessarabian society over the centuries.

Address of the Lazo Family Mansion: Piatra village, Orhei district.