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Σάββατο 12 Ιανουαρίου 2013

Museums of Corfu

Archaeological Museum of Corfu

 
Address : rmeni Vraila 1
Zip. 49100 Corfu
Tel. 26610 30680 & 26610 43452

The Archaeological Museum was built between 1962 - 1965, on a site that was donated by the Municipality of Corfu, and was inaugurated in 1967. The main purpose of its construction was the exhibition of the huge Gorgon pediment of the Artemis temple, excavated in Paleopolis in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1994 two more halls were added to the museum, where the new acquisitions from the resent excavations of the old town and the Garitsa cemetery were exhibited.

The exhibits came from:

An old collection of unknown origin.
The excavations of the ancient town of Corfu.
The excavations of the ancient town of Cassiopi in northern Corfu.
The excavations of Thesprotia on the opposite coast of Epirus.

The collections are comprised of::

Bronze statures from the Archaic to the Roman era. Funeral offerings from the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic eras, from the cemeteries of Garitsa and Almyros, as well as a rich collection of ancient coins. Findings from the Prehistoric era and findings from the 7th and 6th century B.C. with the exceptional Menecrates lion, clay pottery and terracotta statuettes from the shrines of Corfu and the impressive Gorgon-Medusa pediment from the great temple of Artemis, made in 585 B.C., excavated in 1911 near the monastery of Aghioi Theodoroi, the oldest, so far, stone-pediment of an ancient Greek temple.

In other halls of the Museum there is another impressive limestone pediment (500 B.C.) from a Dionysos temple at Figaretto, 13 identical terracotta statutes of Artemis, exhibits from the 4th century B.C. to the Roman period, and the marble heads of the poet Menander and historian Thucydides. Finally there are exhibits from Paleopoli and Cassiopi, like: bronze surgical tools, clay oil-lamps and bone-tools of everyday use.

Palaiopolis Museum (Mon Repos)
 
Address : Mon Repos
Zip 49100 Corfu
Tel. 26610 41369
Fax 26610 41367
Byzantine Museum (Antivouniotissas)
Address: Antivouniotissa Church
Arseniou (Mourania)
Zip: 49100 Corfu
Tel.: 26610 38313
The Byzantine Museum is housed in the Panagia Antivouniotissa church. The church is dedicated to our Lady Virgin Mary Antivouniotissa (Antivouniotissa = opposite the mountains) and is one of the oldest and richest ecclesiastical monuments of the city. It was probably built at the end of the 15th century. It is a single nave, timber-roofed basilica that preserves in tact the particularity of the Corfiot-Septinsular Basilica type church of that era, that is, the existence of an exo-narthex that surrounds the church on three sides. There is an atrium on the eastern side, were a belfry is incorporated. The church internally is very impressive with high stalls, painted tapestries and a ceiling adorned with gilt coffers framing relief floral decorations. The templum and the floor of the church are made of stone. On the narthex there are gravestones with carved names and coats of arms of noble families, high priests and other prominent members of the Corfiot society.

In 1979 the proprietor families of Alamanos, Mylinopoulos, Rizicari and Scarpa decided to donate the rich in relics and portable icons church to the Greek State under the condition that it mast become a Museum of Christian Art. In 1984, after the necessary renovations, Melina Mercury inaugurated the Church-Museum. In 1994, after the second and last stage of the renovations, the final exhibition of the icons took place.

In the Museum there are about ninety portable icons and soon the Museum will be completed with the exhibition of the archival material of the church. The exhibited icons date from the second half of the 15th century until the 19th century and are indicative of the role that Corfu played in the development of the Greek ecclesiastic iconography, especially after 1664, when many refugees Cretan painters arrived in Corfu either to settle, or on their way to Venice.

The visitor may see the icon of Virgin Hodegetria of Castelani, of the second half of the 15th century, from a Macedonian workshop, as well as the Saints Sergius, Bacchus and Justine, a work for the church of Trimartyros made after the battle of Lepanto (1571) by Michael Damaskinos. There are also the icons of the Epitaph, by Emmanuel Tzanfournaris, the small icon of the three Archangels, of the first half of the 17th century, by George Cortezas, the icons of Emmanuel Lambardos and Jeremias Palladas, painters that are distinguished for their exceptional technique and their conservative attitude, and finally the Dodecaorton icons of Emmanuel Tzanes, his icon "Noli me tangere", an order by the Justiniani family in 1657, and individual works by the painters Angelos, Andreas Ritzos, Ioannes Moschos, Theodoros Poulakis, Victor, Emmanuel Skordilis, Stefanos Tzankarolas and Constantinos Contarinis

Museum of Asian Art

Address: Saint Michael & Saint George Palace
Zip 49100 Corfu
Tel. 26610 30443
Fax 26610 20193

The Museum was founded in 1927, when the ambassador Gregory Manos donated his collection comprised of some 10,500 works of art, and operated until about 1974 as Sino-Japanese museum. Later the museum was enriched with other collections mainly from mid-Asia and since then operates as Museum of Asian Art. The museum often hosts periodic exhibitions.

In its fifteen rooms the collection of G. Manos (10,500 items) is exhibited, as well as the collections of N. Hadjivassiliou (450 items), Ch. Hiotakis (395 items), the exhibits from the Municipality of Corfu (93 items), and the donations of Petros Almanachos, Iordanes Siniosoglou, Ioannis Kollas and that of the National Archaeological Museum.

The Museum is housed in the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George, which was built between 1819 and 1824, on plans designed by the architect and colonel of the corps of Royal Engineers Sir George Whitmore. It is a Neo-classical building, of the British Kidlston and Syon House rhythm, and served as the residence of the British High Commissioners, as the headquarters of the High Commission and of the Ionian Senate (government) until the Union with Greece, as the seat of the Ionian Parliament, temporarily, and as a treasury and the headquarters of the Chivalric Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (established in 1818), to which the building owes its name. After the Union (1864) the British offered the Palace to the Greek State and from then on until 1967 the Palace was used as the summer residence for the members of the Greek royal family and for some years housed the archaeological collection of Corfu.

On the ground floor of the Museum the hall of the Ionian Senate can be visited and old furniture, the portraits of the presidents of the Senate and other items have been preserved. On the second floor there is the impressive throne-room, the round ballroom and the dining room where the medals of the Chivalric order are painted on the walls. Several valuable paintings decorate the walls and on the rest of the rooms the Asiatic collection is exhibited. These works of art include items from China (Chang, Tcheou, Han, Wei, T'ang, Sung, Ming and Ch'ing dynasties), Japan (Samurai suit of armor and weapons, No theater masks, etc) as well as exhibits from India, Pakistan, Korea, Siam, Tibet, Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand.
Of Particular interest is the unique Greek-Buddhistic collection of sculptures from Gadara, Pakistan, dating from the 1st-5th centuries A.D., and bearing evidence of Greek influences owing to the presence of Alexander the Great in the region.

Kapodistrias Museum

 
ddress: Saint Michael & Saint George Palace
Zip: 49100 Europouloi - Corfu
Tel.: 6610 39528 & 26610 32440

The Museum was founded in 1927, when the ambassador Gregory Manos donated his collection comprised of some 10,500 works of art, and operated until about 1974 as Sino-Japanese museum. Later the museum was enriched with other collections mainly from mid-Asia and since then operates as Museum of Asian Art. The museum often hosts periodic exhibitions.

Solomos Museum
 
Address: Arserniou 1 ( Mouragia)
Zip: 49100 Corfu
Tel.: 26610 30674
It is known that the National Poet of Greece Dionysios Solomos spent the biggest part of his life (1798-1857) in Corfu, where he wrote the largest and most important part of his work, his masterpiece "Free Besieged" included.

The house where the poet lived, worked and died was destroyed by the German bombs during the Second World War. Some years later the house was restored by the Corfiot Studies Society and today is functioning as a Museum and Center of Solomos Studies. The poet's writing-table is kept in the Museum together with other personal items from his life. There is also an extensive collection of photographs referring to the places, the people and the evens connected to the life, the work and the age of Solomos. In addition there is a rich library dedicated to Solomos, constantly enriched, containing, among other things, all the old editions of "Hymn to Freedom" and a number of portraits of the poet and the other representatives of the so-called Solomos School

Museum of Ceramic Art
 
Address: English Baracks "New Fortress"
Zip.: 49100 Κέρκυρα
Tel.: 26610 27370
The Museum houses numerous surviving samples of Corfiot ceramic art, which flourished on earlier times. These samples are valuable works of popular art, distinguished by their simple form, the variety of shapes and their austere painted decoration.

Museum of banknotes

Address: ypriakou Agona Sq.
Zip.: 49100 Corfu
Tel.: 26610 41552

The Museum of Banknotes, unique in Greece and one of the few and most interesting worldwide, is operating since 1981 under the auspices of Ionian Bank (today Alpha Bank) in a building constructed on plans made by the Corfiot architect Ioannis Chronis. A rich collection of banknotes is exhibited, as well as printing matrices, various bank documents, photographs and detailed illustrations of the steps of the modern manufacturing process of banknotes, from the initial drawing of the banknote and the production of the special paper to the destruction of the old banknotes in special furnaces.

Among the exhibits there is a large number of banknotes that were issued by the Ionian Bank from 1839 to 1920, as well as the first banknotes of the Greek State in 1831. There are also the banknotes that the National bank of Greece issued from 1840 onwards and the banknotes of the Bank of Greece after 1932.

The most remarkable exhibits are: :


The banknotes that the Ionian Bank issued from 1839 until 1920

The banknotes that Capodistrias issued and the first banknotes of the National Bank of Greece

A collection of postwar banknotes from various countries.

The Chinese banknote of 1300 A.D, one of the oldest worldwide.

The collection includes many seals, documents, books, coins, stamps etc that refer to the history of the Ionian Bank and the history of the Ionian Islands.

In another room of the Museum the several stages of the manufacturing process of the banknotes are shown, while special interest presents the part of the manufacture of the watermark, which is incorporated on the banknote. In the same place a small workshop is hosted, where the visitor can follow the procedure of the engraving of the model on the metal plates.


Serbian Museum
 
Address: Moustoxidou 19
Zip.: 49100 Corfu
Tel. 26610 33960
The Serbian Museum exhibits the rare material that shows the Serbian soldiers' tragedy during the First World War. The remainings of the Serbian Army, (about 150,000) together with the government, found refuge and compassion in Corfu, after the collapse of the Serbian Front, as a result of the Austro-Hungarian attack of the 6th October 1915. The visitor can see photographs from the three years that the Serbians stayed in Corfu, together with other exhibits like, uniforms, arms and ammunition of the Serbian soldiers and officers, Serbian regimental flags, ecclesiastic canonicals and other items of the Serbian priests, surgical tools of the Serbian doctors from the island of Vido in 1916, medals of honor and other decorations of the Kingdom of Serbia and various other items.

Municipal Gallery

 
Address: aint Michael & Saint George Palace
Zip.: 49100 Corfu
Τηλ.: 26610 44606
www.artcorfu.gr

The attempt for the reopening of the Municipal Gallery in the palace of Saint Michael and Saint George started in August 1995, during the application of the strategic program for the development of the City of Corfu.

A large collection is exhibited with mainly donated works. The most important donations are the collections of G. Samartzis (42 works), Aglaia Pappa (23 works), Fillipos Macotsi (12 works) and Nikolaos Venturas (2 works).

The biggest part of the collection of the Municipal Gallery consists of works of Corfiot artists of the 19th century (Ch. Pachis, P. Prossalendis the younger, A. Giallinas, V. Boccaciambis, S. Scarvelis, L. Koyevinas, G. Samartzis). During that time (19th century) some of the most characteristic Eptanisian artists are coming forward.

Among the most famous exhibits are: "The Assassination of Capodistrias" by Ch. Pachis, "Markas" and "Flock" by A. Giallinas, "The Sphinx" by Sp. Scarvelis, "Warrior of '21" by Sp. Prossalendis, "Arab Musician" by P. Prossalendis, "The Piano Tuner" by G. Samartzis, works that synopsize the basic trends of the modern Greek Art of the 19th century. The main trends that prevail on the works of the Corfiot artist of the 19th century, have to do with the Academic trends and also with the influence that the Italian painting had on the artists. During the end of the 19th century, the turn of the artists to the impressionistic movement will offer a different but decisive tone to the Corfiot artistic production.


No doubt, the items in the permanent exhibition are indisputable evidence of the artistic and intellectual acme of the island during the last two centuries. Some of the characteristic exhibits or the Municipal Gallery are:
Michael Damaskinos, "The Lapidation of St. Stephen", and "The Beheading of St. John the Baptist".
Ch. Pachis, "The Assassination of Capodistrias". Angelos Giallinas, "Markas".
George Samartzis, "Night in Corfu".
Nikolaos Venturas, "The Vianello canduni".
Nikolaos Venturas, "The Giallinas mansion".
Aglaia Pappa, "Self-portrait".

The Municipal Gallery hosts large periodic exhibitions, as well as young artist exhibitions. The central hall of the Gallery hosts lectures, book presentations, history of Art teachings, and chamber music concerts

Special care is taken and many lectures are given to the young pupils (8-12 years) on history of Art in the Municipal Gallery.






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