Chania Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Collection

Location: Town
Don't miss: Museums guide (free admission dates and other useful info)

The Byzantine and post-Byzantine collection of Chania is housed in the main church of the San Salvatore monastery, inside the Old Town. The Venetian church was probably built in the 15th century AD and was transformed into a monastery in the 16th century when Franciscan monks expanded it and added a cloister.

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This museum boasts a large collection of items from the Byzantine, post-Byzantine and Venetian times that come from the excavated sites in the wider region of Chania, as well as from donations. Its primary objective is to present the historical and artistic background of Chania during the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods.

The exhibits are presented in sections and include statues, tomb inscriptions, mosaics, frescoes, coins from the Venetian and Byzantine periods, ceramic pieces, jewelry, and various ecclesiastical items. There are also rare Byzantine icons with vivid colors. Among the most notable exhibits are a mosaic from a 6th-century paleo-Christian church, detached frescoes from the Agia Varvara church, Venetian coats of arms and a magnificent 17th-century icon of St. George by the famous Greek Renaissance artist Emmanuel Tzanes. Another unique exhibit is a rare 10th-century Islamic vase.