Description

The Gallery
The Municipal Gallery was launched in 1957, initially as a part of the Public Library and in 1985 as an autonomous section. It possess 837 works of famous modern Greek painters (M. Akselou, K. Volanaki, P. Byzantiou, L. Gerali, E. Douka, D. Kokotsi, T. Lazaris, N. Lytras, M. Economou, K. Romanides A. Christofi), and many younger artists. The gallery is focused in painters from Piraeus and is hosted at the old post office building.
The Municipal Gallery also owns a collection of  80 sculptures of George Kastrionti (1899 - 1969), the collection of 156 works of the folk artist Stamatis Lazarou (1915 - 1988) and the belongings of actor Manos Katrakis (1909 - 1984), which were donated to the City and include the theatrical costumes, personal belongings and valuable theatrical and photographic material. The collection of G. Kastrioti were donated to the Municipality of Piraeus by the widow of the sculptor in 1974 and are housed in the hall of the gallery. Nowadays, in the gallery’s premises, educational seminars and programs,  also take place, hosting children from kindergartens, up to elementary and secondary education.  Tour in the gallery can also be arranged. 

The Building
In the interection of the streets Filonos and Karaoli Dimitriou is the Neoclassical building of the Old Post. The construction started at March 1899. It was designed to host three different services (Post, Telegraph and Telephone) and worked based on the standards of the Geneva Post office. On August 19th, 1901 the inauguration took place.
Nowadays the visitor is amazed by the central octagonal room which is covered by a glass room called “Patio”. That room was the central room of the building and you can still see the service windows. 
At 1970 a new Post Office was decided to built and it was ready at March 1973. The ministry of Culture declared the old building a monument. The building served the people of Piraeus for over 70 years and its still a neoclassical ornament for our city.