Room A

The exhibits in the first room of the Museum belong to the post-Byzantine period of Hellenism (15th-17th centuries). During that period, Franks and Venetians struggled vehemently to dominate the Greek area.

Among the exhibits are firearms from various parts of the Greek area, including helmets (rare specimens of weaponry from the era of the Frankish rule) made of heavy wrought iron in Iorthern Italy workshops between the 14th and 17th century. The chain mail armors are emminent examples of defensive Ottoman weaponry. Iron arrowheads, javelins, glass grenades, fort latches, coins and three-pointed spikes are other remains from the same period. The latter were mainly used in dealing with the enemy cavalry and were often spread around moats, wall enclosures etc., in order to obstruct enemy movement. Among the offensive weaponry stand out two breech-loading guns of the 15th century, a wide-rimmed French howitzer and an 18th century Turkish canon.

The room also hosts two amazing works of art: a painting and a wood-carving with the common subject of the naval battle of Naupaktos in 1571. This is a milestone date, as the Ottoman expansionism in Europe was held in check thanks to the victory of the united Christian fleets. The painting is attributed to the great painter of the Cretan school Georgios Klontzas, while the wood-carving is a work by Lattanzio Bonastro, a student of El Greco. Other carvings, lithocuts and copperplates of the 17th century, which are in display in the same room, depict Venetian and Frankish forts in Greece or battles between Ottomans and Venetians to possess these forts (as in Chandax, Koroni etc.).