The Archaeological Museum of Neapolis Voion was established on 16th June 2016 and constitutes a “gem”, worthy of the region’s historical inheritance. The museum offers yet, one more reason to visit Monemvasia Municipality and more specifically beautiful Neapoli, which after a long time and great efforts, acquired this modern, hospitable place to house just a small specimen of a collection, which depicts eloquently the rich history of the area; a history, which started off approximately five thousand years ago.
You can visit the museum from Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00-15:00.
The building
The building of the museum was erected in the 1950s through the generosity of expatriated Vatikiotes. It was constructed to accommodate the Health Services Station, but it was later on abandoned.
In the beginning of the 1990s, it was used to house three classes of the Elementary School, as well as the Philharmonic. Given that the building was abandoned and taking into consideration the repeated requests of the residents of the area for the creation of a Museum, the former Community of Neapolis ceded the building of the old Health Services Station to the Ministry of Culture, with a view to relocating the Archaeological Collection there and establishing a Museum.
During 2006-2008, within the framework of the 3rd CSF, structural and electrical-mechanical renovation took place, as far as the building is concerned.
The renovation works were carried out by the Directorate of Museum and Cultural Buildings Technical Works, Ministry of Culture and the building was thus appointed suitable for
housing the antiquities.
In 2009, the 5th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Sparta became the final recipient and supervisor of the building.
The exhibition
The exhibition of the Museum Neapolis, Voion includes sculptures, inscriptions, funerary stelae and vessels. The Archaeological Collection of Neapolis constituted the nucleus of the exhibition, although it also includes finds from other areas of the province of Epidaurus Limera, which identifies geographically with the Malea peninsula.
The similarity that the floor plan of the exhibition hall had with the outline of the Malea peninsula, as well as with the route of the journey of an ancient traveler, became the foundation of the Exhibition’s layout.
The tour begins in the northwestern area of the peninsula and ends in the northeastern coastal area. To their right, visitors follow the ancient coastal sites, while, to their left, they may view the ancient inland sites. That geographical flagging is also marked in color (blue for the coastal areas; pale yellow for the inland sites; and red for the urban areas).
Exhibition units
- Sanctuary of Apollo Hyperteleatas
- Asopos
- Onou gnathos & Pavlopetri
- Voiai (Voies)
- Acropolises
- Prehistoric habitation
History of the collection
The Archaeological Collection of Neapolis was the nucleus around which the Exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Neapolis, Voies, revolved. It was inaugurated in 1968, when the Community of Neapolis made available two halls on its newly built premises “for the housing of the antiquities scattered round town and of those stored within the Gymnasium (High School)”. It was there that Angelos Delivorrias, Curator of Antiquities, gathered the antiquities scattered throughout the area.
The Collection remained on the Community’s premises (modern Town Hall) until 2003, when it was temporarily removed and stored in two ground-floor halls in the building of the
Neapolis High School.
In 2010 the antiquities were moved to the building of the Archaeological Museum. That same year, the museological concept and the museographic design for the Museum were approved by the Council of Museums.
In 2011, the Project “Exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Neapolis, Voies” became part of the Operational Programme “Western Greece- Peloponnese- Ionian Islands 2007-2013”.
Implementation of the project was initially initiated by the 5th Ephorate of Prehistoric Antiquities of Sparta, which supervised it until 2014, when it passed under the supervision of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Laconia.
The project was completed in 2015.
info
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00-15:00
Contact: +30 27310 23315 (Sparta), 27340 22877 (Neapolis)
How to get there
The Archaeological Museum of Neapolis, Voies, is situated in Neapolis, Laconia, at a distance of approximately 110 km away from Sparta. The Museum building lies at a distance of approximately 550m off the port of Neapolis, on the country road leading from Neapolis to Lachi and to Aghios Nikolaos, Voies.
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Sunday: http://www.amnv.gr/en/access
To find out more about the museum: http://www.amnv.gr/en/