Galaxidi’s destiny has always been associated with the sea, an eternal invitation for voyages and adventure. Water ways and verbal stories lead us to the local Museum where exhibits and history intertwine with memories of the past.

The story that the sea narrates begins in prehistory with the shipwrecks that testify travel to distant lands and the seafaring of its people. The “Chronicle of Galaxidi” takes us to the Byzantine and Ottoman periods with fascinating tales and recounts natural disasters and pirate attacks when life was disrupted and the inhabitants had to find refuge in the nearby islands. Galaxidians during the Ottoman rule managed to develop a significant commercial naval fleet which helped the revolution for independence, but the town and ships were destroyed in revenge.

After liberation, the town and ships were rebuilt and a period of prosperity followed. Galaxidians owned 350 seagoing ships, mainly built in Galaxidi that sailed in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Atlantic. The birth of the ship from the drawings to its construction, the types of vessels, their parts, materials, and the whole art of shipbuilding is presented in the Museum as well as the navigational methods of the age of sailing going by the stars and the instruments, the sextants, the compasses, the maps and many more.

Also, insurance agreements, official documents and the legal framework testify to a strong structure for the management of maritime enterprise. There are some ships, such as Aeolus and Asimoula, whose legends still wander around Galaxidi and we will follow them on their past journeys, with their diaries and portraits, the photographs of the captains and the drawings of their hulls.

The beauty of the ships and the pride of their owners are shown in the portraits of sailboats that posed in ports of the world and were painted by artists of the harbours.

In 1903 the last sailboat is launched and in 1904 the last neoclassical house is built. Then comes the age of steamships and Galaxidi’s economy declines and the town is deserted.
Today the merchant sailboats no longer anchor in the harbour, but the beauty of the place attracts visitors from around the world and when they visit the Museum, they come across its memories and history.

A Brief History of the Museum

Founded in 1928 by the physician and President of the Community, Efthymios K. Blamis, who asked the residents to donate the paintings of their ships that they kept at home to form a public picture gallery. In 1932 the society of “Young Men of Galaxidi” under the Presidency of Isidoros P. Sideropoulos added the Archaeological Collection. In 1962 the Museum was extended by the President of the Community, Zoï Tzingouni, and the Curator of the Museum Captain Athanasios Bobogiannis. In 1977 it was reorganized by the Curator of Antiquities in Delphi, Petros Themelis, and the Curator of the Museum, folklorist Rodoula Stathaki-Koumari.

In 2000 work of conservation and repair of the exhibits was undertaken with the initiative and project management of Dr. Nicos B. Karatzas and technical supervision by R. Stathaki-Koumari, financed by the “Stavros S. Niarchos” Foundation.

In 2001-2002, during the mayoralty of D. Koutounias, renovation and extension of the building was undertaken, initiative and supervision by N. B. Karatzas, following the plan of the architect Elena Zervoudakis, again financed by the “Stavros S. Niarchos” Foundation.

In 2002-2003 followed a new arrangement of the exhibits coordinated by N. B. Karatzas according to the Study of Elena Zervoudakis, and the expert supervision of R. Stathaki-Koumari, the Director of Antiquities of Delphi R. Kolonia, the archaeologists P. Valavanis and M. Galani-Krikos and with the collaboration of a team of special scientists. Texts were written by P. Valavanis, M. Galani-Krikou, N.B. Karatzas, R.Stathaki-Koumari and G. Tsaousaki. Graphics were by D. Vasilakis. Logo and signs by R. Sentouka. The project was financed with grants from the Ministry of Culture, the National Bank of Greece, the Bank of Piraeus, Aspis Bank, the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation and other private donations.