ZANTE MUSEUMS

Zante museums Zakynthos

Byzantine Museum

The museum of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine art is the largest and most charming of the island. Built after the earthquake of 1953 it was open to the public for the first time in 1960. You turn right after entering the building, ascend the upper floor and cross the entire length of the building before descending again to the entrance. The visitor can admire a rich collection of portable icons, various ecclesiastical items, magnificent wooded carved iconostases, as long as paintings and oils on canvas from the Byzantine years up to the 19th century by Post-Byzantine, Ionian and Zakynthian artists, like Doxaras, Koutouzis, Kallergis, Damaskinos and Tzanes. The visitor has also the chance to appreciate a model of Zakynthos during the period of 1930-1950 and an old grind which was used to press grapes and olives. Location: Solomos square, town of Zakynthos Opening days-hours: daily: 8:30-15:00, Monday closed Ticket price: 3€, up to 65 years old 2€ Tel. : +30 26950 42714

Museum of Gregory Xenopoulos

This museum consist in the life of Gregory Xenopoulos (1867-1951), a Greek novelist and playwright. Today his is considered to be the father of the Greek prose and the children’s literature. The museum is located in Faneromeni district, on Gaita street, near the church of Saint Dennis, where Xenopoulos spent his childhood. The museum houses a rich collection of writer’s personal belongings, manuscripts, publications of his work and photographs. The upper floor is dedicated to several objects from Xenopoulos’ family house and period furniture as well.

Helmi's Natural History Museum

The museum was founded in 2000 by Panagiotis Helmis and is located at Agia Marina village in a beautiful, traditional building. The museum houses valuable collections and is displaying more than 1500 samples from the natural world. The visitor has the opportunity to become familiar with the main ecosystem units of the island, to be informed about the delight routes he can take on Zakynthos and admire the collections from the flora and fauna of the Zakynthian nature. The museum is considered to be one of the most promising establishments of the kind in Greece and the Balkans. Location: Agia Marina, Zakynthos. Opening days-hours: 9:00-17:00 daily Ticket price: adults: 3€, children: 1.50€ Tel. : +30 26950 65040-62282 Website : www.museumhelmis.gr/

Milanio Maritime Museum

The “Milanio Maritime Museum” is located in the beautiful seaside resort of Tsilivi, 5km from Zakynthos’ town thus complementing the few similar, which exist in Greece. The opening of the Museum was performed by the Navy. Its founder was the unique Greek painter – ship artist of the Maritime Museums, Antonis Milanos, who after years of study and research historiographed and designed the evolutionary path of Maritime History of Greece from 2000 BC until today, gathering this way four thousand years of maritime history at 140 watercolours which consist the Museum’s gallery and are its core, with Historical, Cultural, Educational and Pictorial character. Assets though exclusivity not only in Greece, but in the whole World. The Museum has got the exclusivity in Greece, because it demonstrates the maritime history of the country from 2000 BC without any historical gap and in five periods, Antiquity - Byzantium - Greek Revolution of 1821 - Transition from the sails to steam (19th century) and Modernity (20th century). World’s exclusivity, as different types of ships of the Byzantine Navy, unknown until now, are presented for the first time with pride from the founding of the Byzantine Empire until the fall (1453) after thorough study and research. This study was made by Antonis Milanos itself and is presented on an exclusive basis by the Museum, in a series of 43 watercolours, work of national importance. The gallery is environed by a rich material of historical documents, such as historical relics, naval uniforms, books, photographs, models of ships, canteen medals, sailor’s knots, documents of the 1940-41 period, relics of the Greek Revolution, etc. Moreover, it is the only Maritime Museum in the Ionian Sea, which the Ministry of Education has approved its material for educational visits. Tip: Every Wednesday and Thursday at 19.00 (free), with your visit to the museum, you can have the chance to watch the documentary HMS/M PERSEUS, DEATH ESCAPE. A breathtaking film that captures the wreck of the British submarine PERSEUS that sunk between Zakynthos and Kefalonia during the war of 1941. The unique underwater shots capture the struggle from death that the British sailor John Capes gave. In the darkness of the sea, 58m deep, he was the only one to survive. Location: Tsilivi, Zakynthos. Opening days-hours: 9:30-14:00, 18:30-21:00 Ticket price: 2.60€, every Monday 20% discount to all visitors Tel. : +30 26950 42436

Mansion of the Roma's Family

The Mansion of the Roma’s family is mostly known for being one of the constructions that survived the catastrophic earthquake of 1953. However, the origin and owners beyond this monument are decisive parts of Greek history. The Mansion has been built during the 1660’s by the vice-consul of England at Zante, Robert John Geoffrey and has been given as dowry, to his son in law, Robert Sargint. During the period of the English protection (1814-64) the Mansion was known to Zakynthian people as “Residenza” as it was the seat of the English Resident of Zante. During the 1880’s Alexander Roma bought the Mansion and until the Second World War became the seat of the Roman Party, one of the two Major political parties of the island. Alexander Roma a distinctive personality of Modern Greek politics and militarism was President of the Greek Parliament and one of his most transcendent facts was his fight for the independence of Ioannina, for which he created the “Greek Red T-shirt” division. The visitor can admire the mentality and the way of living of the old Zantiote aristocracy through the large and lavishly decorated rooms, the family portraits, the painting, the gravures, the old weapons and the libraries of the building. Location: Louka Karer street 19, Zante town. Opening days-hours: daily 10:00-14:00 and 19:00-21:00, Monday and Sunday afternoon closed Ticket price: 5€ Tel. : +30 26950 28381 Website : www.romas.gr

Museum of Solomos - Kalvos and Eminent Zakynthians

The museum was founded in 1959 by a club of people admiring the fine arts of Zakynthos. The museum of Solomos, Kalvos and Eminent Zakynthians houses the magnificent tomb of Dionysios Solomos (1798-1857) and that of another great Zakynthian poet, Andreas Kalvos (1792-1869). As you enter the building you can see a piece of the holly bush on Strani Hill in the shadow of which Dionysios Solomos was inspired to write the poem “Ode to Liberty” (May 1823) the 2 first strophes of which became later the Greek national anthem. The rooms on the upper floor contain many portraits dedicated to other distinguished Zakynthian scholar and a collection of coats of arms. The visitor can also admire in the museum local art handcrafts, sculptures, ancient musical instruments as well as clothes and weapons of noble families of the last century. Location: St. Markos square, town of Zakynthos. Opening days-hours: everyday 9:00-14:00. Ticket price: adults 4€, children 2€. Tel. : +30 26950 48982

Town Hall Library

The Public Historical Library of Zakynthos was established in 1628, when Tom Flanginis donated to the Community of Zakynthos 200 volumes of books. However, the library’s official foundation dates back in 1803 by the Eptanesian State. The Library was joined to Zakynthos’ high school in 1825 when its director was Christopher Filitas. In 1882 with the decision of the Minister of Education, Konstantinos Lomvardos the Library was broken off the high school and formed an independent Public Service under the supervision of the historiographer Panagiotis Chiotis. It was then enriched with books coming from donations and included an archaeological and coin collection and gallery. In 1888 the Library was named Foskolian Municipal Library by Spiros Deviazi and included his books since 1935 when it became the Public Library of Zakynthos. However in 1953 the Library was destroyed completely by the earthquake’s fire. But in the years that followed the Library was rebuilt by donations and bequests. Nowadays the library contains approximately 70,000 volumes, local papers, CD-ROM, video-cassettes and it has a large collection of dolls in local costumes, paintings, a preseismic gallery of Zakynthos and old furniture. Location: Solomos Square, Zante town Opening days-hours: Winter time: Monday - Wednesday 12.00 -19.00, Thursday - Saturday 8.30-13.00, Summer time: Monday - Saturday 8.30-13.00 Ticket price: free Tel. : +30 26950 48128 Website : www.vivlio-zakynthos.gr

Vertzagio Folk Museum

At the village of Pigadakia, near the resort of Alykes, there is the Vertzagio Folk Museum which represents the traditional heritage of Zakynthos dating back more than 200 years. Working tools, everyday tools and very rare works of ancient local handcraft will peep you into the history of the beautiful island and its wonderful people. Meet Spiros Vertzagias who founded the museum in 1998 with his family and walk the land that the family has worked for more than 500 years. Children can enjoy the farm animals, see the tree house and even sit in the original school desks. Location: Pigadakia village, town of Zakynthos. Opening days-hours: everyday 9:00-14:00, 17:00-20:00 Ticket price: 3€. Tel. : +30 26950 83580-83670