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History
The history of the museum goes back to the early 1970s, when George Nasioutzik, a passionate art collector, nature lover and philanthropist, returned to Greece, after a long period he had travelled and lived abroad. Life at his family home in the increasingly noisy centre of Athens no longer appealed to him. Instead he purchased a plot of land nearly 20 km from the centre of Athens, which was in the middle of, absolutely, nowhere. There were no roads, no electricity, no water. Just nature, a hill, far-reaching views over the countryside and the sea beyond and… a vision that reached even further.
George Nasioutzik created a place full of memories and experiences distinguished by a sense of humanity. Staying in tune with the landscape, nature, the soul of the place, there was no space for bricks or concrete. Age-old stones from different parts of Greece, planks from floors of Aghion Oros, materials from a demolished tobacco factory in Kavala and arhondika in Kastoria, slates, beams, elaborate woodwork and tiles, became the very first raw materials of the estate. A mansion was built with pieces of history, to become the home of an extraordinary man and everything he passionately loved.
Each space found its own soul and heart. Rooms were filled with George Nastioutzik’s eclectic collections of art and antiques. Byzantine icons, ecclesiastical silverware, 17th century manuscripts, gold embroidered cloths and other Orthodox Christian pieces of art are presented alongside multicultural treasures from all over the world: silk-embroidered Suzani, oriental rugs, Tsana-Kale ceramics, samovars from Russia and the Middle East, traditional Balkan art, Moroccan lamps... an ever-growing expression of a deep passion.