| Pavlos Vrellis Greek History Museum | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bizani (Ioannina Prefecture) |
| Type | Wax museum |
| Website | http://www.vrellis.org/ |
The Pavlos Vrellis Greek History Museum (Greek: Μουσείο Ελληνικής Ιστορίας Παύλου Βρέλλη) also known as Pavlos Vrellis Museum of Wax Effigies is a privately owned wax museum in Ioannina Prefecture, Greece. It was set up by the sculptor Pavlos Vrellis in February 1983, and is the best known wax museum in Greece.[1] The museum hosts 150 wax models in 37 themes, inspired by various events from Greek history.
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The Museum's main building is located 14 km (9 mi) south of the city of Ioannina, Epirus, in Bizani municipality, on the Ioannina – Athens national road.[2] It was owned by local sculptor Pavlos Vrellis, who founded the museum in February 1983.[3] The museum facility covers an area of 2,500 m2 (2,990 sq yd) and is built according to the traditional, local, fortress-type architectural style of 18th-century, according to Vrellis' own design.[4][1]
A small annex with free access is located at Ioannina, 15 Karamanli street[5].
The wax effigies of the museum are displayed in life size, included in a faithful representation of the environment of their age and revive forms of the local history. Without storeys but on a variety of distinct parallel and connecting levels. The visitor moves along mountains, houses, caves, churches, and alleys, following a non-circular but endless course, ingeniously devised and arranged.
They cover twenty four centuries of Greek history (from 500 BC), with an emphasis on the modern history of Epirus.[6][5] The museum hosts 37 themes and 150 wax models which represent various historical events.[4] There are three thematic units in the Museum: pre 1821 history, Greek War of Independence (1821-1830) and themes from World War II:[7][2]
Moreover, specific themes are inspired from Jewish history, like images from The Holocaust[8]