In the presence of the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, with His Eminence Metropolitan Eustathios of Monemvasia and Sparta officiating, and a large crowd in attendance, the inauguration of the Yannis Ritsos Municipal Museum took place in the castle town of Monemvasia.

The project included research, documentation, and museological recording work, the study and design of the spatial arrangement of the exhibition areas, the organization and production of exhibition materials, as well as the construction of the final supporting infrastructure. Through modern exhibition methods, digital applications, and interactive experiences, the multifaceted work, personality, and enduring connection of the poet with his birthplace are presented

As Lina Mendoni stated in her greeting, “Today is a special day, first and foremost, for the people of Monemvasia. It is a special day for all of us who were nurtured by Yannis Ritsos, who belong to the generation that lived through the Metapolitefsi (the period of political change after the Greek dictatorship) and learned his poetry in our school textbooks. I am truly very happy that the Ministry of Culture helped complete the Ritsos family home as a museum space and to return it primarily to the residents of Monemvasia and, of course, to its thousands of visitors. Today, we inaugurate the dedicated Museum to Yannis Ritsos, thanks to the joint effort of the Municipality, the Ministry of Culture, and of course thanks to the contribution of Mrs. Eri Ritsos, who endowed it with the poet’s personal belongings.”

Lina Mendoni noted that “Our policy is the creation of small museums, shells for the important personalities who shaped our modern cultural identity. We have inaugurated the Elytis House, we are ready to start the Karolos Koun Museum, and we are ready to begin the restoration of the Palamas House to create the Palamas Museum. It is truly a blessing that in some towns, like Monemvasia, similar small museums operate, serving as hubs not only of culture and development but primarily of education, teaching, and learning.”

The residence of Yannis Ritsos, an architectural monument with a history dating back to the post-Byzantine period, is located next to the main gate of the Castle Town (Kastro) of Monemvasia, in the active center of the Lower Town. Over time, mainly from the late 19th to the 20th century, various interventions have preserved the home’s strong architectural and social historical features of the region

Yannis Ritsos, one of the greatest Greek poets with international fame, recognition, and influence, was born on May 1, 1909, in Monemvasia. Initially, his family lived opposite the church of Panagia Chrysafitissa, but upon the poet’s birth, they moved to the house located near the main gate of the Castle Town, next to the walls. Today, the castle’s main cobbled street bears the name of the great poet, and a bust of him stands prominently outside his house. The family home of Yannis Ritsos is situated at the entrance of the archaeological site of the Lower Town of Monemvasia, on the northern side of the upper structure of the main gate complex. It is the first house of the active settlement of the Lower Town, in direct contact and relation with the western wall and its walkway. Access to the house is through the main cobbled street of the Lower Town, via an arched street tunnel. Its original core dates back to the post-Byzantine period.

At the inauguration ceremony were present the Deputy Minister of National Defense and Member of Parliament for Laconia, Thanasis Davakis; Members of Parliament for Laconia, Neoklis Kritikos and Nagia Grigorakou; the Regional Deputy Governor of Laconia, Theodoros Veroutis; the Mayor of Monemvasia, Iraklis Tricheilis; the Mayor of Sparta, Michail Vakalopoulos; the President of the Regional Union of Municipalities of the Peloponnese and Mayor of Kalamata, Thanasis Vassilopoulos; the Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Laconia, Evangelia Pantou; the CEO of the Local Government Development Organization “Parnonas S.A.,” Marinis Beretsos; officials from the Ministry of Culture; and a large number of citizens