Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum, Private collection museum at Plaka district, Athens, Greece
The Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum is a private collection in Plaka holding over 6,000 artifacts from Greece's past. Objects range from Neolithic times through Cycladic figurines and Minoan pottery to Byzantine icons, arranged chronologically to show nearly 5,000 years of human development.
The collection began in 1923 and was donated to the Greek state in 1976 by Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos, after which the museum opened in a restored 19th-century mansion. This gift preserved a significant private assembly and made it available to everyone.
The museum displays objects spanning different periods of Greek history, from prehistoric tools to folk art from the 18th and 19th centuries. Visitors can understand the daily life and artistic traditions that shaped the country across millennia.
The museum occupies a historic house with two underground floors accessible by stairs or elevator. A visit works best when moving from bottom to top to follow the chronological order of the artifacts.
During construction of a new wing in 2007, workers discovered remains of a late Byzantine house and sections of a medieval fortress wall. These finds show that older historical layers still lie beneath the building's foundation.
Location: Athens Municipality
Inception: 1976
Founders: Pavlos Kanellopoulos, Alexandra Kanellopoulou
Address: 12 Theorias street
Phone: +302103319300
Website: https://pacf.gr/en
GPS coordinates: 37.97286,23.72589
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:44
Beyond the standard tourist circuit, Athens contains Byzantine monasteries, historic neighborhoods and specialized museums. The city offers Roman ruins, observation points on multiple hills, traditional bars and cultural centers in former industrial buildings. These sites represent different periods of the Greek capital, from classical antiquity to modern urban development. The collection includes Kaisariani Monastery from Byzantine times, the Temple of Hephaestus as one of the best preserved Greek temples, botanical gardens and neighborhoods such as Psyri and Anafiotika. Museums present toys, musical instruments, coins and scientific collections. Visitors can climb Filopappou Hill or Strefi Hill, visit themed cafes or explore the National Observatory. The selection ranges from ancient sites to contemporary cultural venues.
Parthenon
161 m
Acropolis of Athens
134 m
Erechtheion
103 m
Temple of Athena Nike
162 m
Propylaea of Athens
147 m
Roman Agora of Athens
147 m
Roman Forum of Athens (Roman Agora)
156 m
Eleusinion
146 m
Pandroseion
104 m
Caves of Apollo, Zeus and Pan
117 m
Altar of Athena Polias
136 m
Virgin Mary Athiniotissa
167 m
Monument of Agrippa
152 m
Athens University History Museum
96 m
Church of the Transfiguration (Athens)
54 m
East Propylon
165 m
Caryatids of Erechtheum
99 m
Aphrodite and Eros shrine
120 m
Cave of Zeus
106 m
Cave of Pan
106 m
Cave of Apollon Ipakrion
106 m
Church of Panagia Chrysokastriotissa
134 m
Cave of Mycenaean Fountain
80 m
Acropolis north slope
66 m
Two-story house of first Othonian period
154 m
Kleanthis-Schaubert Mansion
96 m
House of Kolettis
159 m
Church of Saint Nikolaos or Seraphim
32 mReviews
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