Archaeological Museum of Corfu

The Archaeological Museum of Corfu ( _el. Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Κέρκυρας) in Corfu, Greece was built between 1962 - 1965. The museum land was donated by the city of Corfu. Its initial purpose was to house the archaeological finds from the Temple of Artemis in Corfu. In 1994 it was expanded with the addition of two more exhibit halls that display the more recent finds at the ancient citadel of Corfu. It is located on 1 Vraila Armeni St.

Exhibits

The collections of the museum include:

*A collection of unknown origin.
*Finds from excavations from the ancient city of Corfu.
*Finds from the region of Cassiope in Corfu.
*Finds from excavations in the district of Thesprotia.

The main exhibits are:
* The Gorgon pediment from the Artemis temple. [http://web.archive.org/web/20060427005228/http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21108m/e211hm01.html Corfu Archaeological Museum from the Internet archive] ] It is the oldest stone pediment in Greece dated to 590-580 B.C. and is described in the New York times review of the museum as: "the finest example of Archaic temple sculpture extant". [http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/greece/ionian-islands/corfu/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654618865 New York Times review of the Archaeological Museum of Corfu] ]
* The Lion of Menecrates. This is the work of a famous Corinthian sculptor of the Archaic period. Dated to the end of the 7th century B.C.
* The pediment of Dionysus (Bacchus). Dated to 500 B.C.
*The base and part of the body of a kore from the late Archaic period. It was found during the excavation of a pottery workshop in the area of Figareto.
*A marble torso of Apollo. This is a copy of the original statue of "Parnopios Apollo" created by Pheidias (its type is known as the "Kassel Apollo"). Dated to the 2nd century A.D.
*Funerary stele with inscription: "Δοιαί μεν δεκάδες σε τελειοτόκων ενιαυτών ήδη και τριτάτου κύκλος επείχεν έτευς μισγομένα φθιμένοιαι, φιλίστιον, ανίκα πέ [νθος] ματρί πολυθρηνήτω κάλλιπες Αρπαλίδι. δώμα δ’ Αριστάνδροιο λελονχότος άκριτον Αιδα [ν] και τέκεα κρυερά θήκας εν ορφανία. Αγήνος κλυτόν αίμα, σε δ’ ύστατον ύπνον ελο [ύσαν] . πικρός όδε ζοφερά τύμβος έδεκτ [ο κόνει] ." approximately translated as: "You went twenty three years old in the underworld and left your mother Arpalis in mourning, your husband Aristandros widower and the children orphan. You chose for yourself the last sleep."
*The terracotta statuettes of Artemis. They were found in large quantities in the small temple of Artemis at Kanoni in Corfu city.
*Four cases with coins found in excavations at various sites of Corfu.

Museum exhibits

Citations and notes

External links

* [http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/greece/ionian-islands/corfu/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654618865 New York Times review of the Archaeological Museum of Corfu]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20060427005228/http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21108m/e211hm01.html Corfu Archaeological Museum from the Internet archive]
* [http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/gh151.jsp?obj_id=3420 Corfu Archaeological Museum from the Greek Ministry of Culture website]

See also

* List of museums in Greece