There are three museums in the Municipality of Monemvasia, the most important being the Monemvasia Archaeological Collection in the Monemvasia fortress, showing the town’s historical development from the early Christian era until the Turkish occupation.

A quite different aspect is presented in the two folklore museums at Riechia and Velies, where the exhibits relate the customs prevailing in the region, the way agricultural communities in the Peloponnese lived in centuries past. Very intrestin is also tha workin Talanta Watermill and Liotrivi (renovated old olive mill)

Also, there is a small but most interesting silver and goldsmiths’ museum in the main street of the Monemvasia fortress.

Monemvasia Arch. Collection

The archaeological collection of the fortress of Monemvasia is housed in an old mosque in the main square in the lower town, opposite the town cathedral of Elkomenos Christos.

This small museum contains artefacts chiefly found during work to repair the monuments and surface exploration carried out over the past decades.
The collection consists mainly of architectural sculptures and ceramic objects used in daily life.
The sculptures are from the church of Aghia Sofia and the ruined mid-Byzantine church excavated at the Georgoulas residence, and date from the end of the 12th century. The latter is one of the earliest monuments in the fortress with a marble altar screen.

There are two main groups of antiquities.
A) stone sculptures consisting mainly of architectural members or individual elements from the built enviroment, dating from the early Christian period (4th-7th centuries AD), the Byzantine period (mid 7th-15th centuries) and the Post-Byzantine period (15th-19th centuries).
B) Ceramic and other small objects used in daily life, household objects or personal items, also dating from the Early Christian period until the later years of the Turkish occupation.

A compass construction containing a map of the fortress in the middle of the museum directs visitors to the various exhibits.

Location:
Monemvasia, Laconia

Accesss:
Parking is available outside the entrance to the fortress, which is also accessible by bus.

 

Contact:
Telephone: 27320 61403
Website:  http://www.culture.gr
Email: 5eba@culture.gr

 

Information:
Tuesday – Sunday: 08:30-15:00
Monday: closed.

Entrance fee: 2 euros
Reduction: 1 euro