In the presence of the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, the one-day conference titled “Museums in Transition: Tools, Practices and Vision for 21st-Century Museums” was held at the Auditorium of the National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum.

The conference focused on the presentation of the Knowledge Base of the Greek Museum Recognition and Certification System, a modern tool that supports quality upgrading, institutional strengthening, and the sustainable development of museums in Greece. This constitutes the second deliverable of the project for the Greek Museum Recognition and Certification System, funded by the ESPA programme, with a budget of €390,000, following the presentation of the first deliverable, the Integrated Information System, last February.

The Knowledge Base includes eleven Museum Guides, strategically structured to function as user-friendly tools for a broad audience: professionals with different backgrounds, students seeking methodological guidance, small museums in need of practical instructions, and experienced executives wishing to compare practices or renew their working methods.

The Guides are based on the principles of museum organization. They are accompanied by examples from Greek and international experience, provide visual material and references, and are directly linked to the needs identified during the evaluation process. Although they are not intended as general manuals of museological theory, they have high scientific value and great usefulness for the everyday practice of a museum. Their aim is to become a reference point for the museum community—a set of tools that will continue to be enriched as museums themselves evolve.

In her address, Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni noted that “from the very beginning, the goal of this effort was clear: to establish a solid, unified, and reliable framework for the operation of Greek museums, in order to enhance transparency, the quality of their services, operational effectiveness, and sustainability. Our museums—public and private, small and large—are facing increasingly complex challenges. It is no longer sufficient simply to safeguard and display their collections. They are called upon to engage in dialogue with the public, to adapt flexibly to necessary changes, and to place particular emphasis on issues of access, diversity, and inclusion. They are also called upon to respond to new technological challenges, to make use of digital tools, and to operate with professionalism and consistency in an environment of constant transition, shaped by society itself and the expectations of its citizens.”

As the Minister of Culture emphasized: “Today, approximately 500 museums operate in the country, about half of which fall under the Ministry, while a steadily increasing number are completing the now-mandatory certification process. It is particularly encouraging that more than 40 museums run by third-party bodies have already voluntarily initiated or completed the Recognition process, sending a clear message of trust in the new system and in the overall direction of this policy. Today’s conference completes the Action with the presentation of the Knowledge Base of the Recognition and Certification System. The Knowledge Base, which is available through the online portal of the relevant platform, constitutes a dynamic repository of know-how. It includes eleven Museum Guides, carefully structured to function as user-friendly tools for the general public. Beyond the Guides, the project included the development of the Integrated Information System for Certification and Recognition procedures, as well as the production of content and material for the digital repository of museums. The information system, which has already been completed and put into full operation, is proving its value by reducing procedural timelines, enhancing transparency, ensuring better coordination, and providing a stable working environment for the Ministry’s services and museum organizations.”

Lina Mendoni thanked “all the services of the Ministry of Culture that worked systematically to reach this point, as well as Information Society S.A. and the project partners from the private sector. Their contribution to the timely and successful completion of this major effort was decisive,” and stressed that “today marks a new starting point. The project has created infrastructure, tools, and procedures that will henceforth practically and substantially help museums respond to today’s challenges and tomorrow’s expectations. It has created a shared base of knowledge and cooperation—an environment in which we can engage in more meaningful dialogue, learn from one another, and build a more cohesive policy for the country’s museums.”

Within the framework of the event, the Minister of Culture awarded Recognition and Certification Seals to four museums that successfully completed the respective procedures.

Recognition Seal

• National Historical Museum
• Vrana Olive Mill – Museum

Certification Seal

• Archaeological Museum of Argos Orestiko
• Byzantine Museum of Kastoria

The National Historical Museum has been permanently housed in the Old Parliament Building on Stadiou Street (Kolokotroni Square) since 1962. Its subject is the history of modern Hellenism: the periods of Ottoman and Frankish rule, the Revolution of 1821, the liberation struggles, the creation of the independent Greek state, and the political, social, and intellectual evolution of Hellenism up to the present day.

The Vrana Olive Mill – Museum is located on the island of Lesvos, in the settlement of Papados, in the Gulf of Gera. It belongs to the non-profit Cultural Urban Company “Archipelagos,” which created and manages it. It is one of the oldest olive mills on Lesvos and once belonged to the family of Nobel Prize–winning poet Odysseas Elytis.

The Archaeological Museum of Argos Orestiko houses finds dating from 1100 BC to 300 AD from the present-day Regional Unit of Kastoria, which in antiquity formed part of Orestis, one of the kingdoms of Upper Macedonia. The museum’s permanent exhibition is organized chronologically into four sections, unfolding the political and cultural transformations of central Orestis—from the union of related tribes (“ethne”) into an independent kingdom, later into part of the Macedonian kingdom, and finally into a Roman subject territory with significant privileges. The museum features a conservation laboratory, a fully equipped storage facility, and a small open-air amphitheater for summer events.

The Byzantine Museum of Kastoria, inaugurated in 1989, was renovated under the ESPA 2007–2013 programme and reopened in 2016. The new permanent exhibition unfolds across three halls around an atrium, highlighting the importance and influence of Byzantine and post-Byzantine Kastoria through its unique collection of icons. More than 70 icons dating from the 12th to the 18th century are displayed, forming—together with those preserved in Kastoria’s churches—a collection comparable in significance to those of Mount Athos, Veria, Sinai, and Cyprus. The exhibition is complemented by digital interpretive media and includes rest areas for visitors.

In the first part of the conference, the Knowledge Base of the Greek Museum Recognition and Certification System was presented by Vasso Papageorgiou, Stavroula Fotopoulou, Nikoletta Saraga, Maria Mertzani, Spyros Makkas, Maria-Xeni Garezu, and Nikos Vranikas. In the second part, a round-table discussion followed with Syrago Tsiara, Georgios Papaioannou, Andromachi Gazi, Kali Tzortzi, Alexandra Bounia, Georgios Panagiaris, and Marlen Mouliou, moderated by Teti Chatzinikolaou.

The conference was attended by the Secretary General for Culture Giorgos Didaskalou, the Secretary General for Contemporary Culture Eleni Doundoulaki, the Director General of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage Olympia Vikatou, and senior officials of the Ministry of Culture.