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Sparta Archaeological Museum

COUNTY: Laconia MUNICIPALITY: Sparta

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15.55ºC

Category

Archaeological

TL;DR

Visit the beautiful archeological museum in Sparta to admire the statue of Leonidas.

The archeological museum of Sparta is located in the center of the city and is the oldest regional archeological museum in the country. The neoclassical building was constructed during 1874-1876 on blueprints of G. Katsaros and has been declared as a listed monument.

The exhibition of the museum offers a panorama of art and of ancient Sparta through a comprehensive presentation of the findings that cover a period from the Mycenaean till the Roman era. An eminent position hold the findings that come from the most important sanctuaries of the area: the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia which was the education center for the young, the sanctuary of Apollo at Amyclae, which was an important political and religious center in Sparta throughout Antiquity, and the Menelaion in the ancient citadel of Therapne.

The museum has seven rooms and among its important exhibits are included the palatial style amphorae from the Mycenaean cemetery at Pellana, the clay masks of 7th-6th century B.C. from the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia depicting warriors and medusae and the laconic capitals of mixed type (a combination of doric and ionic elements) attributed to Vathykles sculptor, who worked at Amyclae (6th century B.C.). Among the finest examples of laconic sculpture is the pyramidal stele (6th century B.C.) with relief depictions of couples on both sides: probably Menelaos and Helen of Troy on one side and the murder of Clytemnestra by her son Orestes on the other.

In the museum there are, also, two rooms exhibiting sculptures: one example is the magnificent statue of a Spartan soldier, dated from the second half of the 5th century B.C., discovered in the sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos at the acropolis of Sparta, which is believed to represent Leonidas.

Finally, among the exhibits there are many mosaics from the Hellenistic and Roman period with interesting representations such as the abduction of Europe, or Orpheus with his lyre.

Opening hours: 1st June-31st October, daily and Sundays 09:00-16:00

                       1st November-31st May, 08:00-15:00

Tel: 0030 27310 28575