Silversmith museam
Museum of Silversmithing
The traditional art of Ioannina
Ioannina, the city of silversmiths
Silversmithing is inextricably linked to the tradition and cultural heritage of Ioannina and Epirus in general, as silver has been worked in Ioannina since late Byzantine times.
The Museum of Silversmithing is located in the castle of Ioannina, specifically in the western bastion of the southeastern citadel (Itz Kale). It occupies the two levels of the bastion and the building of the old kitchens adjacent to it.
Its purpose is to preserve the knowledge of continental silversmithing and to disseminate information about its technology to the general public. It is also to link this technology to the social context of the time around which it developed and flourished.
It is a thematic museum, since it deals with the technology of silversmithing in the pre-industrial period, but it is also a regional museum, since it focuses mainly on the history of silversmithing in the Epirus region. Chronologically, the exhibition mainly refers to the post-Byzantine period, from the 15th century onwards, but there are also references to the more distant past, as the technology used for the production of silverware often dates back to much earlier periods.
What you will see:
The exhibition areas are developed on two levels of the bastion. On the first level the main part of the exhibition is developed, which refers to the history and technology of silversmithing in Epirus. The visitor, through a variety of visual aids (texts, illustrative material, documentary films, multimedia applications), discovers traditional techniques for shaping and decorating silver objects, learning about the stages of each technique up to the creation of the final product. The second level presents the collection of continental silversmithing works from the 18th to the 20th century. Jewellery, weapons and military equipment, household silverware and personal items are some of the objects in the collection.
There are also references to modern silversmithing with examples of the work of silversmiths currently active in the area continuing a centuries-old tradition.
Interactive digital games are installed in the museum, while educational programmes are being developed.
The multi-purpose hall hosts temporary exhibitions, events and cultural activities.
