There are many museums and archaeological sites in every region of Greece.
Usually, however, we visit the most popular ones, forgetting that real treasures are hidden in those that are not so well known. These are the ones that make us better understand our history outside the major urban centers, to understand how people’s lives were shaped in the past in all its aspects, what of all this we still encounter today, what not, what our influences are and, above all, our collective origins.
After all, let’s not forget - paraphrasing the Philosopher - that “whoever knows his past can also know the future”.
Exactly such a case is the archaeological museum and the archaeological site of Thermo.
But why is it worth visiting?
Initially, the new archaeological museum is one of the best small museums in the country, both in terms of construction - it is built on the model of the Acropolis Museum - and in terms of its organization and amenities. The visitor can easily take a tour on their own, as there are extremely detailed inscriptions everywhere for all the exhibits.
Very important is the addition of Braille to the inscriptions, making the museum inclusive and accessible to all.
Regarding the findings in the area, they date from prehistoric times until the Roman conquest.
According to the official guide of the archaeological Museum “Thermo, was the religious center of all the Aitolians, while from the 4th century BC it also constituted the political seat of the Aitolic Confederacy.”
What made Ancient Thermo special was the Sanctuary of Apollo, which was a place of worship for all the Aitolians and beyond. The temple of Apollo Thermios was built around 620 BC. and in the course of time, the smaller temples of Apollo Lyseios and Artemis were also built, a fact which indicates “the need to serve various religious purposes” by other nearby communities.
Also of particular importance was the Common of the Aitolians, one of the first Commons to be formed in Greece at that time (367 BC). According to archaeological research, its appeal was very great. We see a rare alliance of cities for the time, which were represented through the Common, but also an equally rare character of Administration, Organization and Management of Public affairs. “The democratic-commonwealth character of the structure of the Confederacy is still today a model for the federal organization of most modern states.”
For these and many other reasons that you will discover during your tour, it is worth including them in your activities during your stay in Thermo.
General Information
The “New Archaeological Museum of Thermo” was inaugurated in 2016, while the old building existed since 1909.
It is divided into six thematic sections, which helps the visitor to better understand what they will see.
Indicatively, these sections are:
- «En ti synodo ton megalon odon»… Thermo
- The prehistoric settlement. A thriving community in the heart of Aitolia.
- Early Iron Age. A new settlement in place of the old…
- The Sanctuary of Apollo, a place of worship and gathering for all Aitolians.
- Cities - members of the Aitolic Confederacy around Thermo
- Aitolic Confederacy: A pioneering political system: from tribal nation to federation of cities
The museum and the archaeological site are located about 1 km away from the center of Thermo.
Museum & Archaeological Site Opening Hours: Daily except Tuesday, 08:00 – 15:00
Source: Ministry of Culture and Sports. Ephorate of Antiquities of Aitoloakarnania and Lefkada, “The Sanctuary of Apollo in Thermo Aitolia – Guide to the Archaeological Museum of Thermo”
