Archaeological Museum of Vathy: In the homeland of the giant kouros

The old building exhibits finds (statues, vases, votive offerings made of bronze, ivory, wood and more) from the Heraion of Samos, an exceptionally important sanctuary dedicated to Hera with worldwide influence in its time, now a UNESCO World Heritage Monument.

As for the new Museum, it houses a magnificent collection of Archaic sculpture. Among the most important exhibits are undoubtedly the famous Kouros of Samos, approximately five meters tall and dating to around 580 BC, and a group of votive sculptures by the artist Geneleos, dedicated to Hera by a wealthy island family, considered to be a masterpiece of early Archaic sculpture. It consisted of the seated figure of the mother, Phileia, and the semi-reclining figure of the father, flanking the statues of their four children – one boy and three girls – whose names are unknown, except for Philippe and Ornithe, two of the three girls.