The Daskalova House

The owner of The Daskalova House was one of the richest tradesmen in Tryavna. The story of this house is very intriguing It was built in 1808 and as an old Bulgarian custom, many gusts were invited to take a look around the house from the inside and attend to the sanctification of the house. All visitors were very impressed. It was only the owner of the house, who seemed to be somehow unhappy. Master-builder Dimitar was hurt by the tradesman’s indifference and said, “To decorate the house with gold, marble or silver is not traditional, but if you want I can make for you such wood-carvings on the ceilings, that no one has ever seen before”. But master-builder’s words were heard by his journeyman who in this very moment said that he could do the woodcarvings not worse than his master. So the two decided to make a bet. Each one of them had to wood-carve one ceiling and when they were ready the other master-builders would decide who has done a better job. The carvings were done in six months – from St. George’s Day to St. Dimitar’s Day and the two craftsmen were not allowed to look at the other’s work. When the woodcarvings were done the other masters gathered again and first entered the room, where master-builder Dimitar has carved a breathtaking July-sun which seemed to be spreading its sunbeams everywhere in the room. They were all so astonished with this masterpiece that they were ready to proclaim him as a winner in the bet without even entering the other room. But they were once again struck, when they finally entered the other room and saw another sun, which was not less beautiful or less impressive than the other one. Though this sun was not as bright as the other and seemed more like May-time sun. Then the master-builders said: “The young one is also very capable, but the old master-builder as the real craftsman”. The Daskalova House is also famous with the fact that on November 11, 1871 the great Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levski spent the night in it.