2 CORFU PANORAMA English_1

Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Corfu hosts the findings
from various periods excavated occasionally on the island,
some of which are of great archeological and artistic value.
The building of the Archaeological Museum was built in the
1960s. It is spread over two floors with a courtyard on the
ground floor and a balcony on the south and east side of the
first floor.
The most representative and impressive exhibit of the
museum is the Gorgon Pediment. It is estimated that it was
built in 585 BC and adorned the western side of the great
Doric temple of Artemis and it is considered to be the oldest
preserved stone pediment.
The pediment extends in an entire room of the museum and
depicts the Gorgon, which according to mythology, anyone
who looked at her turned into stone. Her face is frightening
with monstrous features, while snakes are tied on the locks
of her hair and her waist. On her left and right stand her two
children, Chrysaor and Pegasus.
The representation is accompanied by two mythical animals,
the lion-panthers, symbols of the forces of nature, with a
lion’s head and a panther’s body. On the two corners of the
pediment, scenes from the War of Titans complement the
composition.
According to reports, the pediment was brightly colored.
In another room of the museum is exhibited the left part of a
limestone pediment from the area of Figaretto.
of Dionysus and a teenager lying in bed.
There is a table in front of them and a resting lion under it.
The Lion of Menecrates is another impressive exhibit created
in the 7 th century BC. It is believed that the lion was placed
on the top of the monument of Menecrates.
Many important burial artifacts are from the ancient cemetery
of Garitsa and the area of Mon Repo, where the temples of
Hera and Apollo are located.
The ruins of ancient Corfu, Chersoupoli, might have been
there. As a confirmation of the economic prosperity of the
island, we can admire the silver currency of Corfu, with the
illustration of a cow suckling her baby.
We can also observe copper laminas of the 6 th and 5 th cenWe
We can also observe copper laminas of the 6 th and 5 th
century BC, as well as bronze statuettes of women and
the goddess Venus.
The interesting collection of the Museum includes
valuable jewels.
One can also observe some of the terracotta statuettes
of Artemis, which were found in large quantities in the
small temple of Artemis at Kanoni in Corfu city.
There is also a coin exhibit and several busts and
funerary steles.
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