Institution : Baron Michael Tossizza Foundation
THE METSOVO FOLK ART MUSEUM is one of Baron Michael Tossizza Foundation’s very first projects and has been in operation since 1955. It is housed in the renovated manor house of the Tossizza family—famous benefactors of Metsovo— which was originally built in 1661. Walking through the museum, the visitors can relive the atmosphere of centuries gone by and learn how a Metsovo manor house was organised and functioned. The exhibits include items that could have been present in a manor house during Metsovo’s economic boom, as well as items that uniquely represent the nation’s historical memory: Collections of firearms and swords from the struggle of 1821 against the Ottoman occupation, copper and wooden kitchen utensils, jewellery, traditional dresses, decorative plates and silverware, saddles embroidered with gold, chests, agricultural tools, looms and woven fabrics. The museum also features a major collection of 66 icons, dating from the 15th to the early 20th century, as well as a collection of Byzantine metal items, covering a long period from the early Christian times up to the late Byzantine period. In 1991, the museum’s third floor was dedicated to Evangelos Averoff, featuring personal items and photographs from his life.
