Since its opening last December 12
Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal’s Archaeology and History Complex, has
welcomed some 100,000 visitors since the opening of the exhibition “The
Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great” last December, an indication
of the enthusiasm this fascinating and never-before-seen exhibition has
generated.
There are less than four weeks left to see the exhibition in Montréal
before it continues its North American odyssey, travelling to the
Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, the Field Museum in Chicago and,
finally, to the National Geographic Museum in Washington.
An enormously popular success
Making its world premiere at Pointe-à-Callière, the exhibition has
met with great interest among visitors, as evidenced by the
record-breaking winter attendance figures at the museum. The program of
lectures held to coincide with the exhibition has sold out, both at the
Museum and at the Université de Montréal. The various books on the
exhibition have also enjoyed great sales. The Greeks also drew many
visitors during the school break, another indicator of the popularity of
this exhibition covering over 5,000 years of Hellenic history and
culture, taking visitors on an exceptional and fascinating journey back
to the origins of the cradle of Western civilization and its heritage.
A fascinating period and treasures of humanity
Greek Antiquity is a rich and captivating period, a time populated by
mythical heroes and historical figures, under the watchful gaze of the
gods on Mount Olympus. The exhibition is divided into six zones that
introduce us to this great civilization and showcase rare and priceless
artefacts. Visitors will meet many famous characters from Greek history,
including Homer, Aristotle, Plato, King Philip II of Macedon, and King
Leonidas of Sparta. The heritage of ancient Greece, which we can still
see all around us today in various aspects of our daily lives-such as
politics and philosophy, arts and literature, mathematics, architecture,
medicine, and sports-is clearly illustrated in the exhibition. Among
the many highlights of the exhibition are a number of artefacts that are
true treasures of humanity never before displayed outside Greece.
A hands-on experience
The exhibition offers visitors a range of interactive elements and
items they can actually touch. Visitors are notably invited to handle a
Cycladic female figurine, a block of marble, a reproduction of a
warrior’s helmet, and a sword. There are also over twenty videos shown
in the various exhibition zones, most of them produced by the National
Geographic Society, the Acropolis Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art in
Athens, and the Canadian Museum of History.
Last chance to see the exhibition
The exhibition, which brings together over 550 valuable artefacts from
21 Greek museums under the aegis of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and
Sports, runs until April 26. Remember that the Museum is open every day
except Monday, and is also open on Wednesday evenings until 9 pm (only
for visits of The Greeks exhibition). The Museum will exceptionally be
open on Easter Monday, April 6, from 10 am to 5 pm.
(source: protothema)
