Averoff Gallery

The Averoff Gallery, also known as the Averof Art Gallery of Metsovo, is a private art museum in Metsovo, a mountain town in the Ioannina Regional Unit of Epirus, Greece. Established in 1988, it houses one of the most comprehensive and coherent collections of 19th- and 20th-century Greek art in the country. Founded by Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza, a prominent Greek politician, writer, and philanthropist, the gallery was conceived as a cultural centerpiece for his ancestral hometown. Its holdings, drawn primarily from Averoff-Tossizza's personal collection, are widely regarded by specialists as among the most complete repositories of Neohellenic art from this period. The institution operates under the Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza Foundation and continues to function as an active center for art exhibition, education, and cultural programming in northern Greece.

The gallery was the vision of Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza (1910-1990), a Greek politician and writer who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of National Defense, and who held deep ties to Metsovo through his Vlach heritage. He aimed to create a high-level art institution in his hometown that would preserve and promote Greek artistic heritage while reflecting regional traditions of beneficence. Construction of the building began in 1985, and the gallery was inaugurated on August 27, 1988. The initial collection comprised approximately 200 paintings and sculptures, all donated from Averoff-Tossizza's private holdings. In 1994, a significant expansion added a new wing and updated facilities, substantially increasing exhibition space and improving climate control for the works. The collection grew considerably after this expansion. Later milestones included the launch of the Children's Workshop in 1995 and the opening of the Dimitrios Tsamis Gallery in 1997, dedicated to prints and drawings by Greek artists from 1920 to 1960. More recently, accessibility renovations funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation added an elevator, step-free access, and other accommodations. The museum has also received official recognition from the Greek Ministry of Culture as an Accredited Museum.

The Averoff Gallery's collection is devoted to Neohellenic art of the 19th and 20th centuries, encompassing paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, and photography. At its founding, the collection numbered 200 works; after the 1994 expansion, it was significantly augmented and now totals over 700 pieces, though the permanent exhibition displays approximately 250 key works. Specialists consider the collection one of the most complete and coherent for this period of Greek art. The holdings trace the evolution of modern Greek painting and sculpture through five main artistic trends, represented by the nation's most significant artists. The collection also includes specialized documentary material, such as the photographic series Travels in Metsovo by Kostas Balafas, which records local life in the 1960s and 1970s. Beyond the permanent display, the gallery organizes temporary exhibitions drawn from other museums and private collections, covering specific aspects or periods of Greek art, retrospectives, and group shows.

The permanent exhibition features representative works by leading Greek artists spanning two centuries. Among the most significant holdings are Nikolaos Gyzis's Portrait of Georgios Nazos (1880); Nikiphoros Lytras's The Blowing Up of the Turkish Flagship by Kanaris (143 × 109 cm), a canonical history painting; and Georgios Iakovidis's The First Steps (circa 1889). Other notable works include Ioannis Altamouras's Sailing and Steam Ships and Waves; Pericles Pantazis's After Riding (or The Letter), The Little Watermelon Eater, Still Life with Fruit (or Apples and Pears), Feast Preparations, Snow Landscape, Seaside, and The Mouth of the Scheldt; Konstantinos Volanakis's The Port of Volos; and Yannis Tsarouchis's The Port of Zea (1964). The collection also contains Konstantinos Parthenis's Portrait of G. M. Averoff (1896; 85 × 68 cm), a portrait of the founder's family member, and P. Prossalendis the Younger's Portrait of G. Averoff. Additional significant artists represented include Agenor Asteriadis, Thalia Flora-Karavia, Lycurgos Kogevinas, Vikentios Lantsas, Konstantinos Maleas, Demetrios Galanis, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, Yiannis Moralis, Nikos Nikolaou, Symeon Savvidis, Panagiotis Tetsis, and Nikolaos Xydias Typaldos. Contemporary artists such as Kostas Malamos, Paris Prekas, and Fassianos extend the collection into more recent developments.

The museum building is a modern three-storeyed structure erected in 1985 on a prominent site overlooking Metsovo. Designed in accordance with local architectural traditions, it was conceived to harmonize with the mountainous landscape and built environment of Epirus. Both the building and the collection were donated by Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza to the Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza Foundation. The 1994 extension added a new wing and modernized facilities, including improved climate control systems and additional auxiliary spaces. The structure contains five large exhibition rooms for the permanent collection, as well as spaces for temporary exhibitions. Accessibility features added in recent years include an elevator, step-free access, a hoist, and an accessible toilet.

The Averoff Gallery is located in Metsovo, within the Ioannina Regional Unit of Epirus in northwestern Greece. It operates under the Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza Foundation, a private institution established by the founder to manage his cultural endowments. The gallery functions as an active cultural hub, hosting temporary exhibitions, educational programs, workshops, and conferences. Facilities include a children's workshop, library, screening room, and gift shop. General admission is €5, with guided tours available by appointment. The gallery's official website is www.averoffmuseum.gr, and further information can be obtained by telephone at 26560 41210.