Introduction to the Museum
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The Historical Museum of Crete
The Historical Museum of Crete presents a comprehensive view of Cretan history from early Christian times to the present day. It was founded in 1953 by the Society of Cretan Historical Studies, which had been established two years earlier. The museum is housed in a two-storey neoclassical building, which was constructed in 1903 on the site of an earlier mansion belonging to the Kalokerinos family. The second building, designed by K. Tsandirakis, was clearly influenced by morphological features of the earlier one, and was later listed as a historical monument. The new museum extension to the west constituted an attempt to combine traditional and modern architecture.
The original goal of those founding the Historical Museum of Crete was to collect and preserve valuable archaeological, ethnographic and historical material deriving from the medieval and modern periods in Cretan history. The process of enriching the collections, extending exhibition space and redefining the museum's aims has never ceased. Prolific research and publishing activity, the organisation of temporary exhibitions, educational programmes and the use of audiovisual media all form part of the modern educational role adopted by the Historical Museum of Crete over time. The same approach also includes the gradual re-organisation of the collections on display so as to appeal to a wider range of visitors, thus offering them the opportunity to understand the many facets of historical development on Crete from early Byzantine times to the present day.
The Andreas G. Kalokerinos Room
Starting from early Christian times, the Historical Museum of Crete presents the turbulent history of the large Mediterranean island up until the mid-20th century. As an orientation area over this long period of fascinating changes, the Museum’s introductory room offers visitors basic information on the main historical phases on Crete, making use of artifacts, maps, books (some of which can be leafed through on the spot via ipad), and images typical of each era. Special emphasis is placed on the period of Venetian rule, since monuments from that particular time remain visitor landmarks on the island to the present day.
With particular regard to Heraklion, or Venetian Candia, an impressive 1:500 scale model measuring approximately 15 square metres replicates the city in the mid-17th century, shortly before the Ottoman assault. Plans, photographs and brief texts on the surrounding walls present particular monuments and sites in the city, which visitors can pick out on the model by using the special lighting system. Alternatively, the city can be toured via a wall projection of relevant images combined with spotlights focused on the monuments.