Heraklion Heraklion Art Gallery

Location: Town
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

Housed inside the Basilica di San Marco, the Municipal Art Gallery of Heraklion boasts an extensive collection of works that trace the evolution of Cretan artistic creation from its beginnings to its more recent expressions.

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The collection consists of over 900 masterpieces by acclaimed Greek artists, some of whom are native of Crete, and it is divided into such categories as painting, sculpture, engraving, icons, mosaics, and artistic photography. The original collection began to be compiled in 1900, along with the establishment of the municipality of Heraklion and has been enriched through donations by various artists. Visitors can see samples from the renowned school of Cretan iconography, which flourished during the Cretan Renaissance and gave birth to such worthy children as Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco), Michail Damaskinos and many others. At the same time, there are great works by more contemporary artists, like Yannis Tsarouchis, Yannis Moralis or Alekos Fasianos. Among the most notable exhibits is El Greco’s The Baptism of Christ. Covering a great part of contemporary history, these works aim to highlight Crete as a place where many civilizations emerged and developed.

Moreover, the Municipal Art Gallery often hosts temporary exhibitions. Its permanent collection is being digitalized and interactive apps are being elaborated, so as to make it available to the international public.

Official website: heraklionartgallery.gr