Koraes Library and Museum by www.chios.com

Koraes Library

Chios counts with one of the largest libraries in Greece, the "Adamantios Koraes" Library. Established in 1792 as a department of the Great Chian School, today it stores a significant collection of over 130,000 volumes.

Apart from its size, one of the features that makes this library interesting is the origin of its books. The first ones were donated by Adamantios Koraes, the founder of the library, and many of his friends (mostly Greek living abroad). Later, the Argenti family, the major donator, were responsible of important upgrades and additions during the late 70s. Many other Chians have donated their personal book collections to the library, such as the important contributions made by Ioannis Andreadis, Zorzis and Tarse Dromokaitou, Alex. Pachnos, Georgios Michalinos, Alex. Votsanis, Leonis Kalvokoresis and Georgios Theotokas.

Before the Massacre of Chios in 1822, this library was the most important one of the whole region. Then, after the major earthquake in 1881, it was moved into a new building where it has remained ever since, and whose second floor was added after 1948 by Philip Argenti.

Today the Adamantios Koraes library reports to the Libraries Department of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. It also publishes a comprehensive catalogue and archives of the Library's book collections, has a lending department, and it has a mobile library van for the villages of Chios. During the last years, it has been working on the modernization of its storage and access systems to ensure the usefulness and efficiency of the Library both with users, visitors and researchers.
For more information visit: www.koraeslibrary.gr


-----------------------------

Koraes Museum

The Folklore Museum and Picture Gallery are located in the Koraes Library building and consist mainly of donations from the collection of the late Philip P. Argenti. In 1932 he founded the "Argenti Society" to preserve the historical and folklore material of Chios. In 1937 an Ethnological Museum was set up in the building of the High School of Chios and its collection was soon enriched with new donations. He later added another store to the Library building to house his books, the historical collection of paintings and prints and the folklore collection that he had donated, today the Folklore Collection and the Historic and Topographic Pictures of Chios sections. These new rooms were inaugurated in 1962 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Chios. After Philip Argenti's death in 1974, his son Pantdely donated more books, paintings and folklore exhibits. He also built a new wing and renovated the building to its present form.
The paintings in the hallway, around the staircase and down the corridor of the second floor are all related to the History of Chios. In the hallway, there are also some historic and topographic pictures of Chios that illustrate the island as it has been between the 14th and the 19th century; some are gravures, others are aquarelles or oil paintings. At the basement, stand the statues of the donors of the Library, A. Koraes and Ph. Argenti, the blazons of the great families of Chios, personal manuscripts of Koraes and other personalities, medals, fossils, etc. On the second floor are the halls A, B, C, D and E, the last two gathering the folklore collection.

Hall A

Historic events are mainly represented in the pictures in the hallway of Hall A. Some of the most interesting are four copper engravings by the French R. Paton representing the sea fight of the Russian admiral Orlof against the Turks at Cesme (Izmir) in 1770. The other pictures are oil paintings and copper engravings representing a number of sea fights against pirates during the 18th and 19th centuries. Paintings representing the city of Chios have been put above the gates that lead to B and D halls. In the corridor's walls hang six paintings showing the Massacre of Chios in 1822, some oil paintings and a genuine lithography of Delacroix.

Hall B

The most important works exhibited in Hall B are portraits and busts. The portraits are of members of some great families of Chios, and the best ones are those of Jenny Skilitsi (1853), Alexandra Mavrokordatou - Skilitsi (1872), Amvrosios Argenti (1861), Vierou Argenti (1861), Joulia Ralli - Argenti (1890), Maria Julia Argenti (1877) and Panteli Argenti (1879). The busts are marbled busts of Marouko Argenti and Maria Julia Argenti, the bronzed busts of Ph. Argenti's children and of Michalis Mavrokordatos, and ivory miniatures representing other members of the family. Apart from that, there are also medals, very interesting coins and personal belongings of the Argenti family. Among these, there are items as a sword, christianizing laces, miniatures in porcelain frame and a Evangel covered by ivory.

Hall C

Hall C covers the costumes part of the Chian culture. The paintings exhibited illustrate mainly the dresses of the villagers between the 16th and the 20th century all around the island. While mostly are works from tourists, the latest ones were created by painters by order and direction of Ph. Argenti after he had gathered some information about local people. Besides, three showcases expose the porcelain models of the dresses illustrated in the above paintings, a unique collection since the matrixes were destroyed after doing these pieces.

Hall D&E

Halls D and E of the Argenti Collection feature local folk art works and items regarding the four following subjects: embroidery, textiles, dresses and woodcuts. The embroidery works are taken from dresses and house decoration from the beginning of the 20th century. The textile ones are mainly ribbons from the 30s, also taken from dresses and decoration. The dresses part is interesting, since Chios produced a great variety of traditional dresses. Finally, the woodcuts show us mostly pastoral topics.

For more information visit: www.koraeslibrary.gr

Adamantios Koraes by Gennadius Library

Adamantios Koraes (1748-1833) was one of the most prominent intellectual figures of the Greek national revival in the first decades of the 19th century. During this period, there were no fewer than four different Greek languages in use: classical Greek, medieval Greek used in the churches, the modern speech of the educated classes, and the modern vernacular of the mainly-illiterate masses. Koraes felt that the first requisite for the development of national solidarity and consciousness was a common language and he furthered the Greek Revolution by issuing popular editions of the classics. The Gennadius Library collection includes almost all editions of these volumes, and a wide selection of secondary literature about Koraes.

Gennadius Library webpage
(Gennadius Library is part of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens - ASCSA )

Koraes Library and Argenti Folklore Museum by www.chiosonline.gr

The Koraes Library of Chios is one of the largest in Greece with a significant collection exceeding 130,000 volumes. It was established in 1792, as a department of the Great Chian School. The first books were donated by Adamantios Koraes and many of his friends, mostly Greek living abroad.
Before the Massacre of Chios in 1822 it was the most important library of the whole region. After a major earthquake in 1881 it was moved into a new building where it has remained ever since. Initially the building had only one floor; the second one was added after 1948 by the major donator Philip Argenti. Important upgrades and additions took place in the period 1975-78, again with initiatives by the Argenti family.

Besides its founder, Adamantios Koraes, also many other Chians donated their personal book collections to the Library. Important donators include Ioannis Andreadis, Zorzis and Tarse Dromokaitou, Alex. Pachnos, Georgios Michalinos, Alex. Votsanis, Leonis Kalvokoresis, Georgios Theotokas, Phil Argentis et al.
Today the Adamantios Koraes library reports to the Libraries Department of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. A comprehensive catalogue and archives of the Library’s book collections are available. The Koraes Library has also a lending department and a mobile library van for the villages of Chios.
During the last years, the Library has put many efforts in providing the researchers and visitors with new more versatile and easy ways to access it’s collections, and in improving the preservation and proper storage of the invaluable archives of rare and old manuscripts and books. Modern technology is utilized in various ways to ensure the usefulness and efficiency of the Library.

In the same building, second floor, you may visit the Argenti Folkore Museum, exhibiting clothes and implements of everyday life of Chians during 17th to 19th centuries.


Opening Hours for both Koraes Library and Argenti Folkrore Museum:
Monday – Thursday :  07:30am to 3:00pm,
Fridary - 07:30am to 3:00pm and 5:00pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday - 09:00am to 02:00pm
and Sunday closed
Tel. +30 22710 28256
Ticket: 1.5€. Free entrance for Greek pupils and students as well as for employees of the Greek Ministry of Educaction.

Original text: chiosonline 
(With correction about the opening hours, because the information at chiosonline is wrong. Check the Koraes library`s webpage)

Koraes Library is Chios’ Central Public Library

Koraes Library English . introduction

The Koraes Library is Chios’ central public library. A historic institution whose history goes back to 1792, it is one of the oldest and biggest libraries in Greece. Originally, the library was an annex to the Great School of Chios. Its first collection consisted of books belonging to Adamantios Koraes and other Greek intellectuals from abroad. Following the destruction of the library during the massacre of Chios in 1822, Koraes sent more books to help rebuild its collection. In 1833, Adamantios Koraes passed away. His will stipulated that a considerable portion of his book and manuscript collection be sent to Chios.

In 1881, a devastating earthquake hit the island of Chios. Given the extent of the damage, a decision was made to house the library in its current building. In 1948, Philip Argenti financed the construction of the library’s second floor. Between 1975 and 1978, the building was expanded and modernized in order to house the Argenti folklore collection. Over the years, the library has managed to acquire priceless books, manuscripts, periodicals, newspapers, paintings, coins, maps and other items of great value through donations by eminent intellectuals.

One of the library’s most valuable treasures is the Description de l’Égypte, a series of 14 illustrated volumes, published between 1809 and 1822, donated by Napoleon in honour of Adamantios Koraes.

Born in 1748, Adamantios Koraes studied medicine at Montpellier in France and moved to Paris in 1788. Koraes never practiced medicine. Instead, he became a brilliant philologist and one of the intellectual instigators of the 1821 Greek Revolution. His motherland, which was under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire, and his beloved Chios were constantly on his mind.