Costume Museum Kastoria (Emmanouil Mansion)

"By far our favorite museum from our visit to Kastoria.

My wife and I happened upon it walking back into the city from lake Orestiada and noticed it was closed but with a cell phone number we could call for an appointment. We gave it a shot and called; Nektarios answered, one of the curators, and in what seemed like 5 minutes was there and excited to give us a personal tour!

This 1750 mansion stands out from the rest with its thoughtful craftsmanship, attention to detail, and resourcefulness.

The museum inside is run and curated by the musicologist society "Armonia" made up of locals like Nektarios who gave us the best experience we could have asked for; accommodating to language barriers, deep knowledge regarding the craftsmanship and history of the exhibits, and achieving that sense of time travel and connection to the people that crafted, treasured, and passed down these amazing works of art.

100% worth checking out."

Yianni Kounoupis

"Emmanuel Mansion (Kastoria Costume Museum).

The mansion of the Emmanuel brothers, today the Kastoria Costume Museum, is located at 15 Byzantiou Street and dates back to around 1750. The high gable walls, the triangular projecting bays and the symmetry of the floor plan give the building an imposing and graceful appearance.

It belongs to the oldest type of house in the city, the three-story flat-fronted one with the main facade facing the inner courtyard, and has been classified as a listed monument since 1937. Its typology comes from the rural house of Prespa, however the presence of a closed loggia and a large doxatos place it within urban architecture.

The inner courtyard, paved and lively, housed the auxiliary spaces – ovens, kitchen, laundry, well and arbor –, constituting the center of daily life. On the second floor, the winter floor, there are rooms with low ceilings, wooden chimneys and fireplaces, while in one room a hidden space, characteristic of the era, is preserved. The third floor, with the doxato and the summer rooms, impresses with its plaster decoration, the moldings and the symbols – doves, double-headed eagles, palm trees and flowers – which create an atmosphere of ecclesiastical nobility.

The Emmanuel mansion is a living example of the architecture and aesthetic culture of 18th century Kastoria, transmitting to the visitor the magnificence and spirituality of a bygone era.
(source: endmouskas.gr)"

Lefteris Stamatelatos

"Well done to the kids of the club for the research they are doing, for the passion and time they dedicate. We learned so many unknown and interesting historical facts! Keep up the good work!!!"

Katerina_D