Visit the Historical Municipal Library of Mykonos Town
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While on the island of Mykonos, the last thing you might be thinking of is visiting a library. Sure, Mykonos is known for its beaches and nightlife, but there are other things to see there, as well. Although the Municipal Library in Mykonos Town is no longer a working library, it is still open to the public. It is worth it to see not only the building, but also the unique collection of works that it houses. Here’s more information:
Getting to the Municipal Library
Before you can make your way to the Municipal Library, you need to first get to the island of Mykonos. You can do this by taking either an airplane or a ferry. Mykonos is also a popular stop for cruises. Mykonos Town is one of the major destinations on the island to visit, and the library is one of those places. It’s fine to head to Mykonos Town and walk through the streets to take it all in. There’s so much to do here it could take more than one day to see it all. Be sure that the Municipal Library is one of the stops.
About the Mavrogenous Family
At first glance, a library may not seem like something worth visiting. However, this particular library is unique for several reasons. First of all, it is housed in an historical building that was built in the early 1700’s. The mansion was once a residence of the famous Mavrogenous family that played a important role in the modern history of Mykonos. Manto Mavrogenous, for example, was born outside of Greece but her mother was from Mykonos. During the Greek War for Independence, Manto played a role in the fighting and is dubbed, “La Bella Grecca.” She is known for being a female commander during this war. She is immortalized with a statue that can be found in Mykonos Town. As indicated by the mansion, the family had considerable wealth.
Visiting the Municipal Library
As mentioned above the library is a unique place to visit. First of all, it was once the mansion of the famous Mavrogenous family. Although they are long gone, it is interesting to visit the library for a chance to see how they used to live. Aside from that, this library also houses an impressive collection of books and other literary works. Ioannis Meletopoulos, an historian from Mykonos who specialized in the island, donated the volumes. There are over 6000 works that are part of this collection and much of what can be found here is so unique, you won’t be able to find it anywhere else. Meletopoulos donated many of these works from his collection and other people also donated them.
Unlike a regular library, you won’t be able to check out works here. However, you can come here to visit the mansion and take a look at the books during your stay. You will soon notice that both the books and the building are incredibly unique, which makes this library worth a visit.
Categorized in: About Mykonos, Greece, Greek Travel Guide
This post was written by Greek Boston
