Within the traditional village of AROLITHOS, a museum about rural history and popular art was established to be another part of AROLITHOS’ cultural mosaic.
The museum was established between 1997 and 1999. It was the exclusive owner of AROLITHOS traditional village that conceived and implemented the idea for the said project. To this intend, the contribution of the E.U. development plans as well as that of the local development agent of Temenos - Heraklion has been crucial.
The items exhibited in the museum belong to Mr. Saloustros’ personal collection. It was with great effort and diligence that he collected all those invaluable elements of the Cretan culture in order to exhibit them to the audience interested. His intention was the intellectual and historical education of the latter.
He had wandered from village to village, from antique shop to antique shop to gather all the items that are currently admired at the popular museum of AROLITHOS piece by piece.
The museum of rural history and popular art aims at preserving the tradition and culture of Crete in its bosom. This place will serve as point of reference for younger generations that wish to search their roots, to avoid self-alienation and spiritual degeneration, which is the case in our times. When one learns about his or her ancestors, this may become a basis on which to plan his or her future and excel and be singled out.
What is more, the museum of rural history and popular art contributes significantly to the promotion of the island and local culture abroad, since many of its visitors are foreigners.
TRADITIONAL HOUSES
Both traditional houses constitute a very significant part of the folklore sections of Arolithos, since they represent rural dwellings of the 19th century. Their architectural style and decoration refer to houses one could come across in the mountainous areas of Crete.
The first house encompasses the basic features of a rural dwelling. The entire building is of stone with two chambers, which are imaginably divided into separate rooms, where different activities take place. For instance, in the first chamber there is a loom, a sofa (a rudimentary living room) and a cooking stove. Nearby, there is a wine press, which can be converted into a bed, a separate children’s bedroom, a cellar and a crib for the animals. In the house, one can see a fireplace, a rest for pitchers, large jars of oil and grains, hope chests, farming tools and other items that decorate the place.
The second house may be considered as the dwelling of the village’s notable. Its walls are plastered and there is no animal crib or warehouse inside.
There is a wooden bed and photos feature on the walls. Moreover, the walls are decorated with linen textiles, which denote nobility. A typical architectural feature of such houses is the arch in the middle of the house, which separates and demarcates the portego from the bedroom and kitchen. A portego used to be what we mean by a “living room” nowadays.
Both houses are used by the Museum as visiting areas, show rooms for exhibits as well as halls where experiential activities take place.
