Nine Years Later Kythera Museum Up ‘n’ Running

It took nine years to get the Archaeological Museum on the island of Kythera back in shape and at noon on May 7, Culture Minister Aristides Baltas will hand it over to the public.

Fully renovated, the museum located in Hora houses some of the most important finds from excavations on Kythera and neighboring islet Antikythera dating back to 5000BC through to the 3rd century AD. Centerpieces include Minoan-era and Mycenaean period pottery and stone utensils from Paleopolis, the archaic Lion of Kythera, marble sculptures, ceramics, inscriptions, coins as well as a Roman period marble head of a youth.

The museum aims through new technologies to introduce visitors and youngsters in particular to the cultural identity of the island and its leading role as a major hub of cultural exchange.

The building housing the Archaeological Museum of Kythera was constructed in 1911 and donated to the government by the fraternity of Kythereans in 1975. It closed down following damage caused by the 2006 earthquakes.

Despite being listed as one of the Ionian Islands, Kythera is located at the  southeastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula.