Byzantine and Christian Museum

Overview

The Byzantine and Christian Museum holds one of the world's most significant collections of Byzantine art, with over 25,000 objects from the 3rd to 20th centuries housed in a Florentine-style villa with peaceful gardens.

Highlights

• Icon Collection: Outstanding Byzantine icons spanning a thousand years.
• Early Christian Sculptures: 4th-century marble reliefs from Athens' earliest churches.
• Garden Setting: The villa's garden courtyard provides a peaceful setting for archaeological fragments.

History

Founded in 1914, the museum occupies the Villa Ilissia, built in 1848 for the Duchess of Plaisance. The collection grew enormously from churches, monasteries, and archaeological excavations across Greece.

Visitor Tips

• Quiet Museum: Rarely crowded despite its excellent collection.
• Combined Ticket: Sometimes included in combined museum passes.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.