Museums

Located among the pine trees above the western side of Hydra’s harbor, the three-story Giorgios and Pavlos Koundouriotis Mansion houses heirlooms belonging to the Koundouriotis family and exhibitions about Hydra’s role in the Greek War of Independence and its nautical heritage. The manor complex consists of three buildings and a garden and is operated by the Greek Ministry of Culture as the Kountouriotis Family Museum and the Post-Byzantine Art and History Museum of Hydra.

Established in 1933 and located in the center of Hydra’s Harbor in the cathedral/town hall complex under the clock tower, this museum is a companion to Hydra’s cathedral itself. Housed in a former monk cell, exhibits include richly embroidered vestments, jewels, religious objects, and documents of historical value. There is a small admission fee (4 euros per person in 2010).

Called the “Father of the Nation,” Lazaros Koundouriotis was great shipowner who played an important role in the Greek War of Independence. Located near Hydra’s port, the archontika, or manor, of Lazaros Koundouriotis provides a superb example of the eighteenth-century Hydriot mansions facing the harbor, whose architecture often reflects influences from abroad. Built in 1780, it was donated to the Historic-Ethnologic Institute of Greece by the family’s descendants and today operates as a branch of the National Museum of History.

Founded in 1918, the Historic Archives and Museum of Hydra moved to its current, specially constructed location in 1972. Supervised by the Ministry of Education, the archives gathers and catalogs all documents related to Hydra, particularly the history, culture, and tradition of the island. Today the collection includes some 20,000 original manuscripts, codices books, and other historic rare documents and materials. The museum displays artifacts from national and Hydriot history and culture, as well as paintings by well-known artists.