Archaeological Museum of Kalymnos: Masterpieces from the depths of the sea

There’s a lot to discover here, but the most impressive exhibits are a colossal cult statue of Asclepius and the celebrated “Lady of Kalymnos”, a Hellenistic bronze statue of a woman wearing a chiton, recovered from the bottom of the sea by a local fisherman in 1995. It is a masterpiece of Hellenistic bronze sculpture and one of several remarkable works retrieved from shipwrecks in the waters surrounding Kalymnos.

The Sanctuary of Delian Apollo, the principal religious and political centre of ancient Kalymnos, takes centre stage, featuring numerous votive offerings discovered in its two ritual deposit pits (bothroi). Visitors will also get a chance to see finds relating to Byzantine and post-Byzantine Kalymnos, including pottery and everyday objects, votive offerings, architectural members from the island’s many monuments, icons and manuscripts. These include artefacts from the Castle of Chora, Kalymnos, along with informative multimedia panels on other castles across the island.

The mansion of Nikolaos Vouvallis, one of Kalymnos’ most prominent sponge merchants, forms part of the Archaeological Museum. An outstanding example of local 19th-century architecture, it takes visitors back in time thanks to the original household furnishings displayed in three rooms: the study, the dining room and the drawing room. The remaining rooms are used to house archaeological finds recovered through excavations, donations and confiscations of antiquities.