Search for Museums and Paintings

Heraklion / Greece

Heraklion or Iraklion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 according to the 2011 census. The population of the municipality was 173,993.The Bronze Age palace of Knossos, also known as the Palace of Minos, is located nearby. Heraklion was Europe's fastest growing tourism destination for 2017, according to Euromonitor, with an 11.2% growth in international arrivals. According to the ranking, Heraklion was ranked as the 20th most visited region in Europe, as the 66th area on the Planet and as the 2nd in Greece for the year 2017, with 3.2 million visitors and the 19th in Europe for 2018, with 3.4 million visitors.

Historical Museum of Crete

Heraklion / Greece

The Historical Museum of Crete was founded by the Society of Cretan Historical Studies in 1953 and is housed in a neoclassical building of significant architectural merit in the city of Heraklion on Crete, an island of Greece. The museum was expanded following the addition of a new wing and floor.The museum's permanent collections highlight the art and history of Crete from the 4th century AD up to and including the Second World War. The collections are ordered chronologically and by subject matter, and are combined with visual material and multimedia. They include ceramics, sculptures, coins, jewellery, wall paintings, portable icons, ritual objects, manuscripts, heirlooms, weavings, the reconstructed interior of a Cretan rural home and much more. The museum's finest exhibits are two paintings by Doménikos Theotokópoulos , born in Crete: The Baptism of Christ and View of Mount Sinai , the only works by the artist now on Crete. Another outstanding exhibit is a 4×4 metre mock-up of mid-17th century Chandax , at the time when the city reached its peak under Venetian rule. Of particular interest is the Nikos Kazantzakis Collection, featuring the study and library from the author's home in Antibes, France, personal effects, manuscripts of his works, first editions of books in various languages, etc. The temporary exhibition rooms at the Historical Museum of Crete host exhibitions on a wide range of themes .The museum library, featuring rare editions and much archive and photographic material, caters for the needs of both researchers and the general public.