[MGSA-L] Poor Crete, poor Greece -

June Samaras june.samaras at gmail.com
Sat Jun 29 13:00:50 PDT 2013


http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite3_1_28/06/2013_506475

Poor Crete, poor Greece
By Nikos Xydakis

The Vikelaia Municipal Library in Iraklio is the biggest public
library on the island of Crete. A mention of its size does little
credit to its real significance, however, as it is one of the most
important existing arks of memory, a repository of Greek history from
the 13th century to the present day.

The Vikelaia’s collections range from the archives of Jacob Tripolo,
the first duke of Crete, to those of 15th-century notaries of
Handakas. It has documents dating back to the Ottoman occupation and a
collection of records kept by the 19th-century Council of Elders. You
will also find original 15th-century publications, as well as the
personal archives of the library’s benefactor, Dimitris Vikelas, and
those of George Seferis, Giorgos Sarantaris and Markos Avgeris. The
library also boasts priceless manuscripts, paintings and other
artworks, old magazines and newspapers, photographs and etchings, as
well as audiovisual testimonials.

The Vikelaia Municipal Library, moreover, not only functions as an ark
of history, but also as a propagator of contemporary culture, through
its publications and the periodical Palimpsest, which was introduced
to us thanks to the renowned intellectual Nikos Yiannadakis.

Over the years, the institution has also helped organize wonderful
exhibitions, most notable of which in recent times was the one on the
Fayum mummy portraits of Egypt and another on El Greco.

So what’s the problem? The problem is that this ark, this jewel in
Crete’s crown, this propagator of history and culture, after waiting
10 years to find a decent home, is once more facing crisis, as the
building in which it was finally located on Iraklio’s central Lions
Square is to be shared with restaurants and cafes.

The decision to make commercial use of the building, which is the
library’s rightful home, was made by Iraklio Mayor Yiannis Kourakis
and the municipal counselors, who, allegedly, agreed to the scheme in
a telephone vote without discussion and despite the fact that 6,000
residents had signed a petition demanding that the building be given
exclusively to the library.

So, on the ground and first floors of the building it will all about
raki, meze, frappe, freddo, music, flirting, parking, wi-fi etc, as
Vikelaia’s 800-year-old collections of manuscripts and archives will
be squeezed into the remaining two-and-a-half floors.

And this despite the fact that Iraklio is already overrun by bars and
cafes, like so many other towns in this bankrupt country. Poor Crete,
poor Greece.

--------------------------------------
June Samaras
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : june.samaras at gmail.com


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