BYZANTINE
MUSEUM
The
museum is housed in one of the buildings of
the acropolis, inside the castle of Ioannina.
The central section was built in the 1960's
and originally functioned as a Royal Pavilion.
The museum was opened to the public in 1995.
The collection of the silver items is housed
in a seperate 19th century building on the acropolis,
and the exhibition is going to be arranged in
several more buildings of the acropolis, as
well.
The most important
exhibits are:
Fragment of a wall painting from the church
of the Holy Virgin (Kokkine Ekklesia) at Voulgarelion,
Arta. Part of the representation of Judah's
treason is depicted. The faces of the central
composition are better preserved. Dated to 1281.
Marble
fragment of an iconostasis (altar screen), from
Glyke. It is decorated with relief representations
of birds on the front side and floral patterns
and interlaced cicles on the lower surface.
Dated to the end of the 12th or the beginning
of the 13th century.
Glazed clay icons from the east pediment of
the church of St. Basil in Arta. A pair of icons
with the representations of the Crucifixion
and the Three Hierarchs and date to the 14th
century A.D.
Left chancel door from the church of Saint Nicholas
at Perama. Representations of an angel, the
Annunciation, and Apostle Peter are carved in
wood. Dated to the 15th century.
Printed book. It is the first edition of the
comments of Simplicius on Aristotle. It was
printed in 1499, by Zacharias Callierghis, in
Venice in the printing establishment of N. Vlastos.
Manuscript Gospel from the Molyvdoskepastos
Monastery. The silver-cut decoration represents
Crucifixion on the one side and Dormition on
the other. Dated to 1575 A.D.
Icon painted by the Cretan artist Theodoros
Poulakis. In the middle, Saint John the Baptist
is depicted in full length, and scenes from
his life are painted in the frame. Dated to
the second half of the 17th century.
Icon depicting St. Catherine's engagement. In
the lower part, the donors are depicted in the
gesture of deesis (praying) while in the frame
a Greek inscription is discernible, mentioning
the date 1688. This icon is undoubtedly the
product of a Western workshop.
Silver benedictory cross with wooden carved
nucleus. It is covered with silver and has attached
wire palmettes. At the base it is surrounded
by two symmetrical spiral antennae, covered
with ivory. It bears the inscription: posession
OF DEMETRIOS, THE PRIEST 1800.
Wall painting from a rich house (archontikon)
in Ioannina representing the battle of Constantine
the Great at the Milvian Bridge. It was painted
by Alexandros Demiris, in the 19th century.
Address:Byzantine
Museum,Ioannina,Castle
Tel:.
2651025989, 39580
Fax.
2651039349
