Historical Museum of Crete, Historical museum in Heraklion, Greece.
The Historical Museum of Crete is a museum in Heraklion, housed in a neoclassical villa from the early 20th century, with collections spanning from early Christian times to the 20th century. A newer west wing was added to the original building, extending the available exhibition space considerably.
The Society of Cretan Historical Studies founded the museum in 1953 to preserve records and objects from the island's past. The building itself was constructed in 1903 as a private villa and only took on its museum role decades later.
The museum holds two paintings by El Greco, the Cretan-born artist who later became known across Europe. They are the only works by him that remain on the island today.
The museum sits in central Heraklion and is easy to reach on foot from most points in the city center. Allow enough time for the visit, as the collection covers several floors and the displays are dense.
The museum holds a detailed scale model showing Heraklion as it looked in the mid-17th century under Venetian rule, when the city was called Chandax. Most of that Venetian city layout now lies buried beneath the modern streets, making this model the clearest way to picture what once stood there.
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