In the heart of the town of Aegina, in a beautiful neoclassical building of 1828 is housed the historical and folklore museum of the island.
As Aegina carries a long history, it is not surprising that such a museum would be of particular interest for the visitors who can get thus a good taste of how the locals’ daily life was two centuries ago. Once home to the family of Panagis Iriotis, doctor of philology, archaeologist and folklore scientist and for several years director of the School of Aegina, this museum was bequeathed to the Municipality of Aegina by his daughter, Polymnia Iriotou Thomakou. Since October 2007 it has hosted a rare collection of historical and traditional objects and archival documents.
On the ground floor the visitor will have the chance to admire the representation of a “village house” in Aegina with objects of that time and agricultural tools, as well as the “fisherman's house” with fishing tools and miniatures of models from different types of boats. The ground floor with its beautiful courtyard serves as a Cultural Center hosting occasionally exhibitions, theatrical performances and other cultural events.
On the first floor there is a precise representation of the “urban house” of Aegina. Among the exhibits there are furniture, heirlooms, the library and the mail archive of the Iriotis family, paintings, traditional and urban costumes and various decorative objects. The historical and folklore exhibits as a whole magically take you to another era and make you feel how the day of the locals of the last century went by.
The Folklore Museum of Aegina operates with the support of the Association “Friends of the Historical & Folklore Museum of the Municipality of Aegina”. The building was badly damaged by the earthquake of 1981, but it was soon restored thanks to the remarkable help of its supporters and through donations, exhibitions, events and bazaars organised for this purpose. The Association “Friends of the Historical & Folklore Museum of the Municipality of Aegina” intends to continuously enrich the collections of the Museum with donations from Aeginetans and friends of Aegina *.
Admission: 2 €
The museum is located on the first floor. Entrance at the courtyard.
Source: weloveaegina.com
Photo: weloveaegina.com