Byzantine Museum Argos

The Byzantine Museum of Argolis is housed in a historical preserved complex of the city of Argos, which has remained known as "Kapodistria Barracks". The complex occupies a very large area in the center of the city and consists of four wings (today only three survive).

Its initial phase dates back to around 1700, while it was rebuilt in 1828-1829 by order of Ioannis Kapodistrias and with the architect Lambros Zavos, in order to house the cavalry of the newly established Greek state.

The ground floor of its wings was intended for horse stables (even today the horse feeders are preserved on the ground floor of the museum) and the floor for the soldiers' quarters, while the floor of the north wing, which is not preserved, for the command post and the officers' quarters.

In the 1970s there were strong pressures for the demolition of the complex, but the coordinated actions of the Ministry of Culture, the Argos Cultural Club and sensitized citizens resulted in its designation as a historical monument, to be used as a cultural center.

The museum was founded in 1989 and is housed in the west and south-west wing of the complex. The exhibition space occupies the entire floor of the west wing, while the Museum's Periodical Exhibitions and Events Hall is housed on the ground floor of the southwest wing.

The creation of the permanent exhibition lasted from 2011 to 2016 and was carried out by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Argolis as part of the Operational Program "Western Greece - Peloponnese - Ionian Islands" with co-financing from Greece and the European Union.

The main objective of the museum is to present representative aspects of Byzantine Argolis through exhibits unknown to the public, as well as the creation of a center of culture in Argos and the wider region of Argolis, which will provide high-quality services to its citizens and visitors.

The museum's exhibits amount to 430 (ceramics, sculptures, coins, mosaics, frescoes, small objects) and come mainly from the salvage excavations of the local Antiquities Authority in the city of Argos. There are also exhibits from other regions of the Argolis, such as Nafplio, Andritsa, Kefalari, Chonika, Plataniti, Merbaka, Tiryntha, Ligourio, Trachea, Hermionida, the Argolic Islands.

The exhibition is supported by a variety of interpretive media, such as texts, photographs, drawings, representations, audio elements, video projections, while emphasis is placed on tactile exhibits, which relate to key findings in each exhibition section, in order to make a large part of the exhibition accessible to people with vision problems, who have the ability to feel original works of the Byzantine and post-Byzantine years.

Information

Tickets :  Full: 4 € Reduced: 2 €

November-March: 2 euros April-October: 4 euros

Special ticket package: Full: 4 €, Reduced: 2 €

The combined ticket worth 20 euros is valid for Mycenae, Tiryns, Asini, Palamidi, Museum of Nafplio and Byzantine Museum of Argos and lasts for 3 days from its issuance.

Open

Winter:

08:30-15:30

Summer:

April-October: 08:30-15:30

The museum is closed every Tuesday Good Friday: 12.00-17.00 Holy Saturday: 08:30-15:30