Diachronic Museum of Larissa was established in Thessaly at the end of 2015, after a long period of preparation and with the funding from the program ÅPÁÍ ÉÉ of the Ministry of Development.
All periods of culture are included, from Paleolithic to Modern Times, through a variety of finds coming from excavation or handed over by individuals.
The Museum gives emphasis to regional unity of Larissa.
Exhibition starts with an interesting part about prehistory, emphasizing in Neolithic period, about which Thessaly is famous worldwide. Among others, a large amount of anthropomorphic figurines, coming from the densely habitated Larissa plain from 7th to 4th millenium before present, depicted in a variety of postures and gestures, provide valuable information for understanding the culture of this age. Besides them, large vases for storaging cereals and various cooking pots and tools lead to the traces of the first farmers and stockbreaders of Europe.
Thriving Thessalian cities of classical period, Larissa, Pharsala, Krannon and others, are represented through sculpture, mainly from graves, shrine offerings or every day objects.
From the impressive funerary tombs of Agios Georgios and Homolio, a lot of the finds unearthed from the fire layer are exhibited, among them the iron weapons of the deceased and many vases.
Ceramic vases of everyday use, like the unique one from Pharsala, destined for cheese preparation, precious grave finds, like gold wreaths, as well as offerings to the sacred temples, produce evidence for life and art of the people till the roman times.
The entrance to the byzantine section is underlined by a double-sided piece of sculpture, from a church of 5th cent., for which a roman statue has been reused. Special attention should be paid to the sculpture from St.Achillios church, protector and first archbishop of Larissa, during the 4th c. A.D., as well as the inscribed mouth of the well from the same church.
Further on, many parts of mosaic pavements are displayed, coming from secular buildings of Larissa in late antiquity, along with pieces from the household of this era.
In the following section one can find byzantine sculpture, as well as impressive glazed ceramic plates and ornaments from graves. Particularly interesting are the painted portraits of saints from monasteries of the Mountain of Cells (Kissavos), good quality depictions of 12th c.
The post-byzantine section is equally interesting, representing the co-existence of Ottoman conquerors with Christian and jewish population from 15th cent. onwards. This situation had not inhibited the economic development of the cities, the inflorescence of Christian art and the creation of commercial centres known throughout Europe, as Ampelakia.
The exhibition contains video presentations about the more important items. |
