The medieval settlement of the castle of Chora, Naxos, was built in the 13th century on the hill that forms the town’s natural acropolis. It stands on the ruins of the ancient acropolis and was built with materials from the ancient town, which had been destroyed by pirate raids.
It served as a residential quarter and as the administrative, educational and religious centre of the Venetian conquerors. The splendid mansions of the Castle are still inhabited today by Catholics, descendants of the Venetians.
It is here, next to the Trani Porta (the Great Gate), that the “Venetian Museum” is found: an old mansion on the north-west side of the castle, which is open to the public.
Design District.gr visited the Venetian Museum and had the chance to speak with one of the owners of the tower, Nikolaos Karavias of the Karavias family, who guided us through the rooms of this well-preserved mansion and immersed us in the scent of a Venetian past.
The Venetian Museum is a historic Venetian mansion and tower house of the Della Rocca (De la Roche) and Barozzi families, built in 1207, at the same time that Marco Sanudo built the Castle. The Karavias family takes great care to preserve the atmosphere and glamour of the building, despite the passing of time. It houses furniture and objects spanning centuries, which once formed part of the household. Different historical periods come together in the museum’s setting in a unique way.
The Venetian Museum also hosts exhibitions of sculpture, painting, ceramics, puppetry, photography, jewellery and books.
The Venetian Museum also hosts a workshop in the traditional dances of Naxos and the Cyclades (two-hour seminars, twice a week).
Every year it also organises the “DOMUS FESTIVAL”, a programme of varied, high-quality events, such as evenings of traditional Naxian music and dance (violin, laouto, tsabouna and toumbaki), a concert for violin and piano, guitar recitals (international, classical and contemporary repertoire), and jazz & blues nights.
If you find yourself on the island, the museum is well worth a visit, as is one of the events held in its enchanting courtyard with a view over the harbour of Naxos.
Until then, you can take a tour of its interiors in the video we have prepared for you!
Venetian Museum
Chora, Naxos, Castle
www.naxosfestival.com
venetianmuseum@yahoo.gr
+30 22850 22387
