Tip of the day – New museum in Athens: Elytis House

• December 9, 2024

The Elytis House museum opened its doors a few days ago, in a beautiful neoclassical building in Plaka. This was not the poet’s real home; he lived on Skoufa Street, in a 50-square-metre apartment that was too small to be visited. This neoclassical building belonged to the Ministry of Culture, which gave it to the museum. “Elytis’s House” was named firstly because it is a complete introduction to the poet and his work, as if you were visiting him at home, and secondly because in one of the two rooms of the museum we can see his living room as it was, with all his things moved from his apartment in Skoufa.

In the lobby of this room, a short video from the ERT Archive is shown, featuring Elytis himself in the living room of his home. In the immediately preceding room, the first of the two that are currently open to the public, the journey into his world begins with a passage from The Little Nautilus, and continues with a giant chronology of the most important events of his life, paintings by Morales and Matisse with personal dedications to him,  the original Nobel Prize medal from the Swedish Academy, together with a copy of the diploma that accompanies it (the original diploma is in the Benaki Museum).

In the museum’s shop, you will find more than 50 different titles from all his work, and you will also find perfect gifts (from jewellery to pencil cases) with designs inspired by Elytis’ sketches, made of silver and brass, at good prices (from 10€ to 50€).

Soon, the first floor of the museum will be open to the public, where educational activities and events are planned about our great poet and his work, as well the museum’s library will be open to the public, which can be visited by appointment.

Museum House of Elytis
Access: Dioskouros 4 and Polygnotou, Plaka (Monastiraki Metro Station)
Tel.: 210 33 15461

Horaire:
Thursday & Friday 12:00 – 17:00
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 – 17:00

Tickets:
7€ (pupils, students and over 65 years old 4€)
Guided tours are available on request