Local goods on show at Aegina Historical and Folklore Museum
Aegina, the ideal weekend destination and actual home to several Athenian commuters during the summer months, is an island with a year-round cultural life, largely because of its proximity to Athens. The Historical and Folklore Museum is one of Aegina’s most active cultural venues. It is currently holding an exhibition on handmade local objects and products: furniture, some with carved traditional motifs, lace, hand-woven textiles and a range of ceramics for which the island is known, are some of the items included in the exhibition. There is also a variety of edible produce on display, such as homemade breads and pasta, jams in different flavors, local honey, wine, spices and biological products grown on the island’s farms and, of course, Aegina’s famous pistachios. Visitors may purchase any item of their choice. Organized by the Society of Friends of the museum, the exhibition is an annual event that aims at encouraging local production and raising the public’s awareness to the island’s local traditions. Landmarks The exhibition provides the visitor with an opportunity to stroll through the alleys of Aegina’s main town, which stretches behind the coastal road (free of vehicles during the summer months), and visit some of its landmarks. The oldest medieval buildings on the island, now home to the Capodistrian Cultural Center, and the archaeological site of Kolona on the island’s port are just a few. The Capodistrian Orphanage and the Metropolitan Church, where Ioannis Capodistrias was sworn in as the first governor of Greece when the country was liberated from Turkish rule, take the visitor back in modern Greek history. Once in Aegina, one should not miss a visit to the Temple of Aphaia – the original temple was erected in 570 BC but destroyed 60 years later – located near the mountainous village of Mesagros. An exhibition of local products is on at the Historical and Folklore Museum on Aegina, (16 Spyrou Roidi, 22970.23.837) through August 25.
