The life and work of one of Crete’s favourite sons is celebrated at the Museum of El Greco. Head uphill from the small Cretan village of Fodele to an ancient stone cottage, which may have been the birthplace of the legendary painter Domenikos Theotokopolous, better known as El Greco. Real birthplace or not, this museum is an attentive tribute to one of Greece’s most important artists and a truly lovely spot to visit.
Domenikos Theotokopolous, better known as El Greco, was a Greek-born ‘old master’. His work left a great influence on generations of later painters, most notably Pablo Picasso. Born in Crete under Venetian rule, El Greco moved to Venice in 1567. Later he shifted to Spain and it was there that he produced his most celebrated works.
The Museum of El Greco was opened in 1998 after a lengthy restoration of the stone cottage where it is housed. This home has been said to be the place where the great artist was born back in 1541 and the structure has been reconstructed to suit its original design. Now this charming building hosts numerous copies of his best-known paintings along with a museum dedicated to his life and work.
In the cottage, you will have the chance to see several fine El Greco reproductions hung on the walls. The museum has decided to group the paintings together by colour, which allows you to properly examine this feature of the works in particular. Appreciate the distinctive style that El Greco managed to cultivate over the span of his fascinating career, starting with the elongated faces that he regularly used in religious paintings.
On your way out of the museum, take a moment to pause and enjoy the setting. With eye-catching stonework, vivid orange trees, and a pleasant hillside vantage point, the Museum of El Greco is extremely picturesque. Stop in at the small café by the house for a drink and a snack or head straight back down to Fodele, but don’t forget to pay your respects to the bust of El Greco himself that proudly overlooks the front of the museum.
The Museum of El Greco is open every day and entry requires a small fee. The house is a short walk uphill from central Fodele along a well-marked path.
