Argos is acquiring two new museums, highlighting the region's rich cultural heritage and long history. It will be funded from the Recovery Fund to the tune of 5,100,000 euros.
The new Archaeological Museum of the city will be housed in its completely reconstructed old building, the house of General Kallergis, which has been closed since 2014. It will host a new permanent collection.
The Peloponnesian city will also host the Epigraphic Museum, which will be co-located with the Byzantine Museum in Kapodistrias Barracks.
The work on the restoration of the Archaeological Museum building is progressing rapidly and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. At the same time, the completion of its new permanent exhibition, with funding of 3,100,000 euros, is progressing, with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Argolis as the implementing body.
The Archaeological Museum of Argos has been housed since 1961 in the Kallergi house, which was built in 1828-1830. The eastern wing, as an annex, was built in 1959. In 2014, the museum stopped its operation to modernise its antiquated building infrastructure.
Following the approved museological study for the museum's new permanent exhibition prepared by the EFA of Argolis, a museographic study and a special lighting study of the new permanent exhibition were prepared, which were approved by the Council of Museums. In the context of the same sub-project, a static study was prepared for the restoration of a portico roof, in the surrounding area of the museum.
The project includes the equipment of the new permanent exhibition of the museum as well as the rest of the operational spaces and the organisation of the new permanent exhibition, according to the approved museological and museographic study so that the museum can be fully operational and open its doors to the public once again.
Epigraphic Museum
With 2,000,000 euros, the creation of the Epigraphic Museum, in the eastern wing of the Kapodistrias Barracks, is financed, with the implementation body being the Directorate of Studies and Implementation of Museums and Cultural Buildings Projects.
The project restores and modernises the building of the two-story eastern wing of the Kapodistrias Barracks, which remained abandoned for twenty years. The project envisages the functional restructuring of the building, in order to include public service uses and the improvement of accessibility for employees, the public and the disabled.
The Epigraphic Museum of Argos will house the 136 unique bronze inscribed panels, part of the archive of the treasury of Pallas, where the sacred money of Hera was kept.
The building of the Kapodistria Barracks was classified in 1978 as a historic preserved monument. It was built during the Second Venetian Empire, before 1701 and had various uses - barracks, hospital, market, post office - before the Municipality bought it from the National Defence Fund.
"By securing financing from the Recovery Fund, we are moving forward, quickly, with the completion of the two very important museums, for Argolis and the Peloponnese," said the Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni.
"The modern museum infrastructures are going to highlight the great cultural reserve and also decisively strengthen the economic development of the entire region. Our goal is, by delivering, in Argolis, this perfect museum, which is set to contribute to the improvement of the daily life of the residents and also for the visitor to enrich their cultural experiences.
"At the same time, with the cultural upgrade, new creative employment prospects are opened up for young people, in the wider region of Argolis".
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