MUSEUMS
 

MUSEUMS

EAST LESVOS

MYTILINI

Archaeological Museum (Old Building)

Housed in a mansion build in 1912 (listed building) and located near the southern port of Mutilate. In the main building the exhibits include statuettes, ceramics and jewels belonging to the Prehistoric – Roman Periods.

Heavy and bulky archaeological finds such as, the Aeolian capitals from Klopedi’s ancient temples, tombstones, relieves and statutes from the Archaic to the Roman Periods are exhibited in a secondary building inside the yard.

The Museum also exhibits the following collections:

• Findings from the excavations conducted by the K’ Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities in all of Lesvos.
• Findings from the excavation that took place at the Cave of St.Bartholomew.
• Exhibits from donations by the private collections of: Simandiris, Grimani, Alatza, Lagou, Binou and others.

Archaeological Museum (New Building)

It is housed in a purpose-build modern building (since 1995), situated not far from the old buildings, on the road leading to the Court Houses.

It houses a permanent exhibition on “ Lesvos from the Hellenistic to Roman Times” which was first opened in 1999. It also includes artistic mosaic floors from villas, sculptures and items of daily life, which were found at the excavations at the hill of Agia Kyriaki – evidence of the significant economic development of the island during the Hellenistic period.

The exhibition is accompanied with explanatory texts, maps and models that contribute to the better understanding of the exhibits.

Museum of Byzantine Art

Opened in 1978 its located at the centre of Mytilini, opposite the Church of Agios Therapon. It houses significant ecclesiastical objects from the Byzantine and post- Byzantine period. Among the exhibits are valuable icons, sacerdotal vestments, fretwork ecclesiastical items, rare manuscripts and missals. The collection of the holy icons covers the period from the 13^th to 19^th centuries.

Extremely impressive are three artistic icons of large dimensions, painted by unknown hagiographers:

• Pantocrator (Jesus Christ)
• Agios Ioannis Theologos (St. John the Theologian)
• Agios Georgios (St. George)

Museum of Folk Art

Housed in a renovated classical building- the old building of the Lesvian Port Police, in the area of the southern port. The exhibits include:

• Pottery
• Fretwork
• Metalwork
• Weaving
• Representative samples of  Lesvian Popular Art, during the 18^th & 19^th Centuries.

Public Art Gallery

Housed in a renovated two-storey building, originally build during the years of the Turkish Occupation at the site of Epano Skala (northern port).

It houses 101 works of Art by famous Greek and foreign painters: Picasso, Matis, Morali, Tsarouchi, Phassiano etc. This unique collection has been donated to the Municipality of Mytilene from the Lesvian writer G.Petris. Additionally there are seven organised rooms which from time to time exhibit new art works. 

The Traditional Lesvian House

This is a private initiative of  Mrs Marika Vlachou-Molynou, housed at the ground floor of her traditional house near the area of the Metropolis Church in Mytilene. It is a successful detailed revival of a 1800-1900 Lesvian House, which includes : artefacts of daily life, delicate embroideries etc.

Museum of Lesvian Uniforms & Embroideries

Organised by the Women’s Association of Lesvos, its located at Komninaki St.It houses  numerous embroideries, hand woven items and characteristic costumes of the last century.
VARIA

The Theophilos Museum

Build in an olive grove in 1964, with funds provided by Stratis Eleftheriades-Teriade, the man who discovered the painter Theophilos Chatzimichael and made his paintings famous. The museum contains 86 works painted by the Lesvian folk artist.

Theophilos, a self-taught painter, is the most significant representative of Greek folk painting of the 20^th century. He was born in 1868 and died in 1934. He has left us a plethora of paintings – among them wall paintings decorating houses and shops in Lesvos and Pelion. His themes were historical and romantic. A third source of inspiration is nature and idyllic scenes presented in a typically Greek setting.

Eleftheriades-Teriade Modern Art – Library Museum

Its located near the Theophilos Museum, within the same olive grove. Stratis Eleftheriades-Teriade

( 1897-1983) was born inMytilene, but while still quite young he left for Paris to study Law. His interest in paintings made him look deeper into art and he became an art critic. He worked with editors in the publication of art books and magazines. In 1937 he established his own publishing house VERVE

( Inspiration) as well as a magazine by the same name in which many famous writers, painters and poets participate.

In the Museum  29 rare books by the Art Critic are exhibited with hundreads of paintings by the greatest artists of our time, Picasso, Matisse, Giacometti, Chagall, Le Corbusier, Miro and others. Also the 40 works made by Theophilos ( which made him famous when they were exhibited in the Louvre), 6 by Tsarouchis and 3 by Kaliyannis – both distinguished Greek painters – are also exhibited at the museum.
 

SOUTH LESVOS

POLYCHNITOS

Folklore  and Historical Museum

This is a collection that was put together through the personal contributions of the local people and was housed by the Municipality of Polychnitos in a central part of Polychnitos. It includes: old tools used by farmers and craftsmen and everything that a household of a bygone era required for family life.

Collection of Ancient Coins

This collection of 130 coins is kept at the Polychnitos Secondary School. They were discovered in neighbouring regions. The oldest is a silver coin which dates back to the 4^th Century BC and was minted in Mytilini, with representations of the head of Apollo and a harp.    

VRISSA
The Natural History Collection of Vrissa- Centre of Cultural Research and Education
The Region of Vrisa - Vatera, with the most unique beach in the entire Mediterranean, is characterised as exceptionally rare for its Palaeolithic fossils, unique not only to Greece, but perhaps to the whole of Europe. During recovery excavations in the region of Vatera, various fossils were found in lakes, lake-banks and river deposits.


In clay deposits of the flowing river, various size fish fossils were discovered, the largest of which was 80cm. The environment was found to be freshwater and apart from the fish fossils, various plant fossils were discovered, including aquatic carnivorous plants and bulrushes, types of which no longer exist today.

The banks of this lake were used as a watering hole where animals came to drink. In certain areas their animal prints have been preserved.

The most important of fossilised animal remains discovered, include: The jawbone, tusks and skeleton segments of the proboscidean and mastododon ANANCUS ARVENENSIS which became extinct more than 1.6 million years ago.
In various locations fossilised horse bones of variable size were discovered, one of which had hooves attached of greater dimension than that of the common EQUUS STENOSIS.

The bones and jaw of the carnivorous NYCTEREUTES MEGAMASTOIDES were also found, a possible relative of today's nyctereytis, as well as the bones of camels, rhinoceroses, various sized deer, antelopes, gazelles and other bovine creatures and tortoises.

The fossilised bones discovered belonging to the giant tortoise are amongst the most impressive finds, since it is believed to have been about 2.5 metres in length, a size that can be compared to that of a modern car.

The most amazing of all discoveries however, was the find of extremely rare animal species, including a family of giant apes of the species of PARADOLICHOPITHECUS, the earliest in representative age ever found in Europe.
The abundance of fossils of gazelles, horses, deer, tortoises and antelopes indicate an early savannah enviromnent, while the deposits point to the existence of river systems which crossed the region's forest expance and flowed into the lake.

It is worth noting the existence of a rich fauna of fossilised freshwater fish, shells and flora. The age of the finds (using paleo-magnetic methods of dating) is 2 million years old.

The Natural History Collection of Vrisa, apart from its collection of fossils, has an extensive collection of rocks, plants and embalmed animals. (Tel. 2252061711)