Complex

The Foundation's facilities are housed in three separate buildings in the main square in Myrtia. The older one is home to the exhibition, while the adjacent buildings house the administrative services, the Cafe and the Museum Shop.

Exhibition Building

The two-storey building now housing the exhibition was erected on the site of the Anemoyannis family home. The Anemoyannis and Kazantzakis families were related by marriage, and Kazantzakis was a friend of Yiorgos' father Antonis Anemoyannis. It was large, two-story house built in traditional style, standing in the main village square in Myrtia (Varvari). Kapetan Michalis lived in the family home for some years, and Nikos Kazantzakis stayed as a guest there on several occasions when on brief visits to the village. Right next to the building was a small house measuring a mere 45m2, inhabited by the Psomopoulou sisters, who were also relatives of Kazantzakis. This was later added on to the original Anemoyannis home.

In 1975 Yiorgos Anemoyannis became sole owner of the property. As he himself mentions, he then hit upon a daring and ambitious scheme to found the museum there. The building plot was thus made over to the Community of Myrtia, on the irrevocable condition that it would be used for a museum dedicated to Nikos Kazantzakis. Once erected, the building was transferred to the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum Foundation, which Anemoyannis had founded in the meantime.

The two-storey building that hosts the permanent exhibition underwent a complete refurbishment in 2009, which was co-financed by the European Union, based on a new proposal on how to exhibit the Museum’s collections. The exhibition was enriched with new objects related to Kazantzakis, became more accessible to persons with disabilities, and was modernised and equipped with technological tools, creating a modern and dynamic museum.

Administration Building

Construction of this was completed in 2002, with generous assistance from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. It is a two-storey building, with the offices, library and digitization centre on the upper floor, and the “Yiorgos Anemoyannis” Hall on the ground floor.

The 170-seat “Yiorgos Anemoyannis” Hall is used for a range of events and conferences, and is available for use by any interested organization.

Museum’s Complex

The Museum’s Complex houses a Gift Shop, a Cafe and a Kid’s Corner. Visitors can enjoy a coffee or a drink and buy souvenirs and gifts from the Shop, while young visitors have the opportunity to play and learn at the Kid’s Corner.