The Lignos Folklore Museum is located in Kontochori, just a short 30-minute drive from Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa. It occupies a traditional cave house that dates from 1861. The house survived the earthquake of 1956 and was restored in 1976.
The Lignos Folklore Museum was founded later, in 1993 by Emmanuel A. Lignos, a Santorini lawyer, journalist, and director of the monthly magazine Theiraic News. In addition to the museum gallery and laboratories, Lignos also built the adjacent Church of Agios Konstantinos – a charming addition to an already interesting cultural landmark.
Visitors to the Lignos Folklore Museum can better understand what makes Kontochori and Santorini unique by observing the permanent exhibition of the museum, which is structured thematically. The most interesting features of the museum are listed below:
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- Santorini home: the most important side of the museum, a distinctive two-storied cave house, built in 1861. The house features a hall, master bedroom, small bedroom, dining room, cellar, and a kitchen with a wood-burning oven for baking bread.
- Traditional winery: an exhibition of antique tools and utensils provides a glimpse into the traditional winemaking process on the island. The exhibition also features a wine cellar with treading vats, wine press, and barrels. The cellar dates from 1861 and preserves the original construction.
- Workshops for carpenters, barrel makers, shoemakers, and tinsmiths. Workshops also include various tools, appliances, and machines.
- The gallery: of the exhibition halls are adorned with works inspired by Santorini signed by famous artists like Zoe Alafouzou, Diana Antonakatou, Christoforos Asimis, Giorgos Velissaridis, Markos Venios, Panagiotis Gravelos, Dimitris Dardendas, and George Drisos, among many others
- The cavern: shows evidence of the volcanic eruptions from the excavation of the layers of soil
- Archives: a collection of lithographs, manuscripts, books from Santorini, and other documents
- Courtyard: a charming area with colorful flowers and shady trees, used for a variety of cultural and entertainment activities
The museum is open from November 1st until March 31st from Monday to Friday between 10:00-16:00. They close their doors in December, January, and February. You can find more information on their official website. You can always find out which other interesting museums you can visit during your stay on the island here.
