Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris today received the President of the Supervisory Committee of the Hellenic Institute for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice, Professor Christos Arampatzis, who briefed the Deputy Minister on all developments related to the functioning of the Institute.
Mr. Arampatzis informed Mr. Bolaris that the scientific recording, digitisation, and documentation of the Institute’s icons and antiquities – which are housed in St. George Church, in the adjacent areas, and in the Institute’s storerooms – is commencing. Archaeologists from the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chalkidiki and Mount Athos (specialising in vestments and antiquities) are participating in the recording process, along with colleagues from the Museum of Byzantine Culture of Thessaloniki and from the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens. As Mr. Arampatzis stressed, this action is coordinated together with the Ministry of Culture, and specifically the Director-General of Antiquities & Cultural Heritage, Ms. Veleni. The icons and antiquities on display at the Museum are not included in the above process, Mr. Arampatzis explained, as they are fully recorded, documented, and stored.
In a second action, the Institute, in collaboration with the interdepartmental postgraduate studies program “Protection, Conservation, and Restoration of Cultural Monuments” of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, will proceed initially with immediately conducting an expert report on the static condition of the Church of the Greek Cemeteries in Livorno, followed by recording, assessment, and monitoring of every type of intervention and restorative actions to the Institute’s immovable property.
Within the context of the meeting, the Institute’s upcoming actions (conferences, exhibits, and other cultural events) to promote the outward-looking nature of the Institute and to showcase the timelessness of Greek Culture were discussed.
September 25, 2018