The Grand Master's Palace.
The palace was first built by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem on the site of a 7th century Byzantine fortress. After its dereliction during the Turkish occupation , it was largely destroyed by the explosion of the powder magazine in 1856. The restoration of the palace with many alterations was carried out between 1937 and 1940 under the supervision of the Iralian architect Vittorio Mesturino and the building was adorned with murals by P. Gaudenzi and F.Vellan.
The exhibits are grouped according to subject:
- First Christian and Early Christian periods - pagan worship and Christianity. Development of the Rhodes townplan, the density and extent of the medieval monuments on the island. Audiovisual.
- Economy. Agriculture, industry, commerce, imported goods, currency circulation.
- Daily life. Food, attire, leisure time and recreation, social care. Burial customs and cemeteries.
- Defense and administration. Weapons and defensive organisation, state and ecclesiastical administration.
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- Intellectual life. Inscriptions, manuscripts.
- Religious objects. Icons.
- Architectural fragments from Christian churches, frescos and mosaics taken from the walls of buildings.
The most important exhibts in the Museum are:
- Mosaic floors from the Hellenistic, Late Roman and Early Christian periods from the Dodecanese.
- Sculpture of the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
- In the Palace occasional archaeological, historical and art exhibitions are mounted in a room in the east wing. Cultural events are also held in the rooms and courtyard of the Palace, and conferences in a properly equipped hall.
Today the following exhibitions are on view: Ancient Rhodes - 2,400 years, in the north wing.
"Rhodes from the 4th c. AD until its conquest by the Turks (1522)", in the south and west wings.
