Λεπτομέρειες σημείου ενδιαφέροντος

The Museum of History and Art of the Municipality of “Sacred City” of Messolonghi or the Municipal Gallery, is housed in a neoclassical two-storey building, built in 1932 under under Mayor Christos Evangelatos and was the old town hall. It is a two-storey stone-built, plastered building that tries to harmonize with the neoclassical style, with reinforced concrete slabs and crowns with parapets.

In the past, there were the stables from “Sarai”, which was one of the few pre-revolutionary houses. After the liberation, it belonged to the family of Notis Botsaris. In 1924, Aristides Kavagias bought it to house his family. Later, during the mayoralty of Christos Evangelatos, the space in the central square to house the new City Hall was expropriated.

It is located in the central square of Markos Botsaris and there are exhibited paintings of Greek and foreign painters with scenes from the struggles of Messolonghi and the heroic Exodus, portraits of Greek chiefs and philhellenes, engravings, maps, coins, medals, traditional costumes, antiques and manuscripts of Lord Byron, as well as images from the two travels of the Greek poet to Greece. Documents and objects from the twinning of the city of Messolonghi with the city of Gendling of Lord Byron are also on display.

On the first floor of the building is a rich collection, consisting of oil paintings, lithographs, watercolors, copperplates and rich photographic material.

The collection of the gallery also includes works of great artistic and historical value for the city of Messolonghi, such as "The Exodus of Messolonghi" and " The welcome of Lord Byron at Messolonghi", copies of the original works of Theodoros Vryzakis, created by Angelos Kasolas and Giannis Kasolas respectively. In addition, one can admire the valuable work of the French painter Emile de Lasanc, entitled "The mother's sacrifice", which depicts a mother from Messolonghi, who, during the siege of the city by the Turks, after killing the child next to her dead husband, prepares to point the knife at her. This painting is a donation of Elena Venizelou to the Municipality of Messolonghi. You will also find the copy of Delacroix's work "Greece over the ruins of Messolonghi", inspired by the battle of the Greeks in the second siege of the city, which depicts the personification of heroic Greece.

In the same area are also exhibited weapons of fighters of 1821, ecclesiastical objects from the same period, such as the chalice and the cross of the consecration of bishop Joseph Rogon, a series of post-Byzantine icons and documents from the twinning of Messolonghi with the city of Sheflinstdorf of the first newspaper in liberated Greece (Greek Chronicles), Johann Jacob Mager.

At the museum entrance are the busts of Trikoupis and Epaminondas Deligeorgis, two of the five Messolonghi prime ministers.

Source Text: messolonghibylocals.com, visitmes.gr

Photo Source: Vasilis Artikos