Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-04-16

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] First cruiseship arrival in Chania port opens 2014 tourist season

[02] Athens to open a Maria Callas Museum in 2015

[01] First cruiseship arrival in Chania port opens 2014 tourist season

The cruiseship, which sailed from Valetta, Malta with 1,057 passengers and 520-member crew, will leave from Chania for Istanbul at 18:00.

Forty three cruise ships are scheduled to dock at Souda port (Chania) in 2014.

[02] Athens to open a Maria Callas Museum in 2015

The plans for the Maria Callas Museum were presented at a press conference in the building that will house the museum, on 44 Mitropoleos.

The building to house the museum is under historical preservation status and was purchased by the state in 2010. It totals 1,070 square metres and includes a basement, ground floor and three more floors, with minor interventions necessary to turn it into a museum. The cost of 1 million euros to create the museum will be offset by bringing the project under programmes for National Strategic Reference Framework funds. According to Athens Mayor George Kaminis, it will be ready for the public in 2015.

"This museum is the least the city may do to honour this exceptional interpreter, the great opera diva," Kaminis said. "It is a museum that is not addressed just to opera fans, but mostly to those not familiar with the opera," he added.

It will be managed by the city's Cultural, Sports and Youth Organisation, while Technopolis will be responsible for its creation.

The building had originally been slated under the last mayor to become a theatre museum, Kaminis said, but lack of funds stopped the plans. The city, he said, has also put in a request to the Seamen's pension fund NAT, to lease long term Callas' actual home on Patission Street for a musical academy, as envisaged by soprano Vasso Papantoniou. The singer and her husband, writer Vassilis Vassilikos, have spearheaded a long-term effort for a joint opera and academy to be named after Callas.

Presenting the plans, the museologists said the museum would focus on giving a sense of the atmosphere of the theatre, with stage sets and a background of Callas' voice, a historical context of her era, and a timeline of her life.font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#0F1419;mso-ansi-language:

Most of the exhibits will come from Technopolis' collection, but loans and gifts will also be accepted by agencies and individuals. There will be a café - "La Divina" - and a shop. A library and special listening area will also be included, as will another area for recitals and small-scale concerts.font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma;color:#0F1419;mso-ansi-language:

According to Technopolis president Angeliki Antonopoulou and the viability study report, the museum's operational costs will be covered by tickets and café and shop receipts.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article