Corfu Museum of Maritime History: Exhibits and virtual tours
Museum of Maritime History
23 Jan 2023
/ 19:48
CORFU. Spyros Zervopoulos: We believe that the museum will be able to open its doors within 2023.
The work for the construction of the Maritime History Museum on a plot of land owned by OLKE (Corfu Port Authority), which is expected to bring the rich tradition of Corfu's seamanship and maritime art back to life, is being completed.
The new museum that is being added to the island and is reminiscent of the Venetian Shipyards located at Gouvia will meet the modern standards with the help of technology, offering a unique experience to those who visit it.
Ancient triremes
The aim is for it to be embraced by children of all ages, giving them an extra incentive to discover its secrets. Thus, an area of the museum will be transformed into an interactive room where users with special masks and gloves will be able to navigate in a virtual reality that will take them back centuries, allowing them to get to know the ancient Greek navy's triremes. These were the greatest warships of antiquity, capable of sailing at unprecedented speeds for the time and with which almost everyone achieved great glory.
"We want to have a museum where children will not only see exhibits, as is usually the case, but there will be something more modern", as the Corfu Port Authority Managing Director Spyros Zervopoulos told Enimerosi.
As he said, the construction work of the museum is almost completed, but in order for it to be able to operate, a museological study is needed regarding the organisation of the material to be exhibited. The administration has already begun making contacts both in and outside Corfu for the collection of exhibits.
"The museum will have not only ship models but also other objects related to the maritime tradition", said Mr. Zervopoulos, estimating that the museum will be able to open within the current year.
Donations
However, private individuals have already responded positively to OLKE's invitation to offer items or documents relating to Corfu's maritime history by giving exhibits from their personal collections.
An important donation was made from OLKE's former President and Managing Director Sotiris Vlachos and concerns the model of the steamship 'Serius', which was the first ship of this type to cross the Atlantic.
Another important item was offered by the Ionian Islands Regional Director of Tourism Konstantinos Tsoumanis. It is a large-size charterparty on papyrus from 1860, in excellent condition, where the terms of the charter are written in detail and which bears a sealing wax as a seal.
Under the previous administration (Spyros Stefanidis), a model destroyer was obtained, while contacts were also made with the Maritime Museums of Crete and Piraeus, in order to enrich the collection of the Corfu Centre for the Preservation of Maritime Tradition.
The Museum
The Museum has been created within a plot of land owned by OLKE in the Corfu New Port. It consists of three buildings, which are built in such a way that they can be seen from all sides and the two main sides face North (the sea) and South (Corfu Town).
The architectural study was signed by Marilena Koskina and Maximos Koulouris.
The new museum that is being added to the island and is reminiscent of the Venetian Shipyards located at Gouvia will meet the modern standards with the help of technology, offering a unique experience to those who visit it.
Ancient triremes
The aim is for it to be embraced by children of all ages, giving them an extra incentive to discover its secrets. Thus, an area of the museum will be transformed into an interactive room where users with special masks and gloves will be able to navigate in a virtual reality that will take them back centuries, allowing them to get to know the ancient Greek navy's triremes. These were the greatest warships of antiquity, capable of sailing at unprecedented speeds for the time and with which almost everyone achieved great glory.
"We want to have a museum where children will not only see exhibits, as is usually the case, but there will be something more modern", as the Corfu Port Authority Managing Director Spyros Zervopoulos told Enimerosi.
As he said, the construction work of the museum is almost completed, but in order for it to be able to operate, a museological study is needed regarding the organisation of the material to be exhibited. The administration has already begun making contacts both in and outside Corfu for the collection of exhibits.
"The museum will have not only ship models but also other objects related to the maritime tradition", said Mr. Zervopoulos, estimating that the museum will be able to open within the current year.
Donations
However, private individuals have already responded positively to OLKE's invitation to offer items or documents relating to Corfu's maritime history by giving exhibits from their personal collections.
An important donation was made from OLKE's former President and Managing Director Sotiris Vlachos and concerns the model of the steamship 'Serius', which was the first ship of this type to cross the Atlantic.
Another important item was offered by the Ionian Islands Regional Director of Tourism Konstantinos Tsoumanis. It is a large-size charterparty on papyrus from 1860, in excellent condition, where the terms of the charter are written in detail and which bears a sealing wax as a seal.
Under the previous administration (Spyros Stefanidis), a model destroyer was obtained, while contacts were also made with the Maritime Museums of Crete and Piraeus, in order to enrich the collection of the Corfu Centre for the Preservation of Maritime Tradition.
The Museum
The Museum has been created within a plot of land owned by OLKE in the Corfu New Port. It consists of three buildings, which are built in such a way that they can be seen from all sides and the two main sides face North (the sea) and South (Corfu Town).
The architectural study was signed by Marilena Koskina and Maximos Koulouris.
