Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice

The Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice (Italian: Istituto Ellenico di Studi Bizantini e Postbizantini di Venezia; Greek: Ελληνικό Ινστιτούτο Βυζαντινών και Μεταβυζαντινών Σπουδών στη Βενετία) is a research centre owned and funded by the Greek state in Venice, Italy. Founded in 1951, it is the only Greek research institute abroad. Its work concentrates on Byzantine and Post-Byzantine studies, with particular attention to Modern Greek history and culture, and it operates under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs while its educational activities are coordinated by the Greek Ministry of Education.

The institute traces its origins to a cultural agreement concluded in 1948 between Italy and Greece. In 1953 the Greek state transferred to the new institute the movable and immovable property that the Confraternità dei Greci Ortodossi di Venezia (Brotherhood of Orthodox Greeks in Venice), founded in 1498, had placed under its care on condition that its survival be guaranteed. The institute formally began its activities in 1958. Its directorship has included Sophia Antoniadis (1955-1966), Manusos Manusakas (1966-1982), Nikolaos M. Panagiotakis (1989-1997), Chrysa Maltezou (1998-2013), Georgios Ploumidis (2013-2019), and since 2020 Vasilios Koukousas. The institute publishes an annual journal, Θησαυρίσματα, as well as several series including Biblioteca, Oriens Graecolatinus, Graecolatinitas Nostra-Fonti, and Convegni.

The institute's research focuses on Byzantine and post-Byzantine history, especially Greek territories under Italian rule, and the publication of related sources drawn primarily from Italian and Venetian archives. It also studies the history of the Brotherhood of Orthodox Greeks in Venice. The institute maintains a rich library whose core holdings comprise 41 Greek manuscripts, three Gospel manuscripts on parchment from the 12th, 13th, and 16th centuries, a 14th-century manuscript of the Alexander Romance of Pseudo-Callisthenes with 250 miniatures, and approximately two thousand printed works from Venetian-Greek presses of the 16th to 18th centuries. A selection of these manuscripts has been made available through a multimedia project titled Γραφή και μικρογραφία στα χειρόγραφα του Ελληνικού Ινστιτούτου (12ος, 14ος αι.).

The institute operates its own museum and archive, which house a collection of 300 icons and numerous manuscripts. Among the most notable items is the 14th-century manuscript of the Romance of Alexander the Great, a copy of the Alexander Romance of Pseudo-Callisthenes distinguished by its 250 miniatures. The icon collection is documented in the scholarly publication by Niki G. Tselenti-Papadopoulou, Οι Εικονες της Ελληνικης Αδελφοτητας της Βενετιας απο το 16ο εως το Πρωτο Μισο του 20ου Αιωνα: Αρχειακη Τεκμηριωση (Athens, 2002), published by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

The institute is housed in the Palazzo del Collegio Flanghini, part of the building complex surrounding the church of San Giorgio dei Greci. The institute owns several buildings associated with the formerly vibrant Greek community of Venice, most notably San Giorgio dei Greci and the Flanginian School. These properties represent the physical continuity of Greek Orthodox presence in Venice that the institute now preserves and studies.

Located in Venice, Italy, the institute serves as an active research centre rather than a conventional public museum, though its collections are accessible for scholarly purposes. Its digital library and digital archive provide online access to manuscripts, miniatures, documents, printed works, and icons. The institute offers research fellowships to Greek doctoral students and scholars working on dissertations and research projects in its areas of specialization. Its website is http://www.istitutoellenico.org/.