The Folklore Museum of Stemnitsa (or Ethnographical Museum, according to its sign) is housed in two buildings. The first is a three-story 18th century house, the former residence of Georgios Chatzis, which was donated to the former Community of Stemnitsa and then to the foundation named Folklore Museum of Stemnitsa, to be used as a museum.
In 1995, the second building was built in a traditional style, financed by Ioannis and Eirini Savvopoulos, Panagiotis Angelopoulos, and Ioannis Martinos.
The Folklore Museum displays representations of traditional workshops and the interior of a Stemnitsa house, as well as post-Byzantine icons, metalwork, ceramics, woodcarvings, embroidery, costumes, sacred vessels, and shadow theater figures crafted by the local “Karagiozis” puppeteer Lambros Karadimas.
Old Wing
On the ground floor, there are representations of workshops for traditional professions (including silversmith/goldsmith, candlemaker, bellmaker, and cobbler’s workshops), plus a grape distillery.
In the mezzanine, there is a reconstruction of the interior of a Stemnitsa house, with authentic furniture, weavings, embroidery, photographs, chests, and other useful and decorative objects. There is a living room from a 19th century house, a loom room with weaving tools, as well as the winter room and cellar of a middle-class family.
On the first floor, the collection donated by the Savvopoulos couple is displayed in a specially designed room with showcases. It includes objects representing almost all sectors of Greek folk art: costumes, silver, embroidery, weavings, metalwork, woodcarvings, and post-byzantine icons.
New wing
In the mezzanine, a lecture hall has been set up with the necessary infrastructure for screenings and presentations. Wall-mounted displays showcase ecclesiastic silver, weavings, and other home craft items.
On the first floor there is a collection of the creations of the local “Karagiozis” puppeteer Lambros Karadimas (figures, scenery, and advertisements), which were donated by his family, as well as urban and rural clothing.
Source Folklore Museum of Stemnitsa
