At the place where wine trails meet with the words of Kazantzakis and the gentle Cretan landscape merges with true hospitality, Yiorgos Anemoyiannis, a set designer of great artistic sensitivity, created a museum dedicated to the author of Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ. Starting in 2009, a quarter of a century after it opened, the Kazantzakis Museum in Myrtia (just 11 kilometres from the archaeological site at Knossos) has been renovated from the ground up to offer an entirely new angle on displaying its collections.

The Museum holds manuscripts and notes by the author, samples of his correspondence with major thinkers, politicians and authors of his time, first editions of his works in Greek and other languages, rare photographic material, souvenirs from his travels; personal effects, models, costumes and other material from theatre productions of his works in Greece and abroad; portraits and sculptures of the author, dozens of foreign-language editions of his works from all over the world, all a legacy that brings alive the memory of Nikos Kazatzakis and promotes his work and personality. It also owns a rich archive from the creator of the Museum, Yiorgos Anemoyiannis.

In addition to the tour in the Museum, visitors can view a twenty-minute documentary introducing the life and work of the Greek author who has been more widely translated and had a greater global impact than any other. The film show is available in nine languages (Greek, Dutch, English, French, German, Russian, Polish, Spanish and Chinese).

In the Museum’s outdoor space, in the central square of the village, you can take a rest at the refreshment bar, while at the gift shop – located under the same roof – you can find unique artifacts and publications related to Nikos Kazantzakis and his work. The Museum building complex also features a conference hall of the highest standards suitable for cultural events.

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