THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM AT KOLONA

The Archaeological Museum of Aegina was the first National Museum of Greece. It was founded on October 21, 1829 by Ioannis Kapodistrias in Aegina, the capital of the Greek state that time. Initially, the Museum was housed in the Kapodistrian Orphanage and after some changes, it found its current place in 1981 at the archaeological site of Kolona, next to the ruins of prehistoric settlements and the acropolis.

What to expect from a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Aegina

In the three rooms of the Archaeological Museum the collections on display cover the period from Prehistoric to Roman times and include findings from Kolona, ​​the Temple of Aphaea, the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Artemis, the Temple of Apollo and others. In the same space there are vessels exhibited from the Cyclades and Crete, thus proving the intense commercial activity of the Aeginetans of that time.

In the Museum there is a representation of an early Helladic two-storey house, the so-called “white house”, as well as a copper foundry, while among the wonderful exhibits you will find ceramics, marble statues, ancient jewellery, bronze utensils, vases, inscriptions and coins.

Through a number of impressive sculptures, such as the sculptures of the pediments of the two Archaic temples of Apollo, the two sphinxes of the sanctuary and some reliefs, Aegina confirms its reputation as one of the most famous sculpture schools in Archaic years (7th -5th century BC). The inscription that refers to the oldest temple of Aphaea also stands out.

The most important exhibit of the Museum is considered to be the statue of the Sphinx, a work of the Classical period (460 BC), which was dedicated to god Apollo and was excavated in 1903. It regards an exceptional sculpture consisting of the head of a woman with a body half of an eagle and half of a lion.

Bonus info:

• In its open-air space you can admire the tomb reliefs from the cemetery of Rhenia.
• In the sea below the hill there are traces from the war harbour of the island (known as “Kriptos Limin”(secret harbour) ]. There the Aeginetans kept their 400 triremes.
• The collection of the museum is expected to be transferred to the place from which it started, i.e. the Kapodistrian Orphanage, which is being repaired and restored, to house the “intertemporal Museum" of Aegina.

Admission:

Admission: €4, Reduced: €2

Valid for the Archaeological Museum and the site of Kolona

Source: weloveaegina.com

Photo: weloveaegina.com