In this website, the visitor can explore the history of the Velimezis Icon Collection, from the time it was formed by Emilios Ioannis Velimezis in the decade 1935 – 1945, until the present day.

We believe that you will find it informative, that it will answer many questions you may have and that you will ‘like’ it …

From 1991 until 2016 we collaborated with the Benaki Museum on a project for the conservation, study, publicizing and promotion of the Collection. We take this opportunity to address our sincerest thanks to the Directorate and the personnel of the Benaki Museum

Towards the end of 2016 we decided to donate 136 works from the Collection, namely icons, working drawings (anthivola) and liturgical objects, to the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, which enthusiastically accepted our proposal. In 2018 the Ministry of Culture and Sports approved the transfer of our gift to the Foundation. We thank all of the Ministry personnel who played a role in the successful completion of the relevant procedures. The Foundation, honouring the Collection and the donation put the largest possible number of works from the Collection on permanent exhibition in the central hall of the first storey of its Historical Library, amongst the bookcases and their rare contents.

On October 23, 2019, the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation organized a splendid inauguration of the permanent Exhibition of 68 works from the donation, in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic, Professor Prokopios Pavlopoulos. To mark the occasion it published a luxurious bilingual volume titled Ταξιδεύοντας με τις Εικόνες της Συλλογής Βελιμέζη. Travelling with the Icons of the Velimezis Collection, edited by Christos Ph. Margaritis, which is available gratis to foundations and cultural agencies in Greece and abroad.

All of us who have toiled tirelessly over the past thirty years to promote the Velimezis Icon Collection, on the one hand the works in the original Collection assembled by Emilios I. Velimezis, and on the other those works with which we have enriched it since 2000, express our gratitude to the President of the Foundation, Panos Laskaridis, to the Board, the Directors Constantine Mazarakis-Ainian and Kali Kyparissi, the managers and all its personnel.

In particular, for creating the Website, we thank Constantinos Thanassakis, Ioannis Karachalios and, of course, the Company PΑVLA S.A. with its exceptional team, its CEO Vlassis Kosmas and its directors Christina Plemmenou and Dimitra Chouliara.

May our website meet favorable winds and following seas!

Christos Ph. Margaritis, Emilios Ph. Margaritis, Alexandros G. Makris

2020-2021