The Krallis Mansion in Molyvos

The Komninakis-Krallis Mansion is located on an elevation in the center of the town of Mithymna, just below the castle. It was built in 1812 and was first inhabited in 1833 by the Antonios Komninakis Family and after 1892 by the Krallis Family and in the 1950s this mansion was acquired by the Higher School for Fine Arts. This is a characteristic example of local 19^th century mansion architecture covering a total area of 414 sq. m. This mansion has a stone-built ground floor with no exterior paint and one wooden second floor. The second floor consists of four rooms, their walls and ceilings decorated with attractive wall paintings and ornamental elements crafted by folk painters of that bygone era. The topics on the wall and ceiling murals were drawn from life in Mithymna, Constantinople and Asia Minor. Interesting are the inlaid closets (“mesandres”) and the unique niches (“varsalamidia”) where residents placed decorative items. This building also has a mezzanine overlooking the main living room, which was initially used by the servants, while today it accommodates the Fine Arts School students. Now open to visitors, the Komninakis-Krallis Mansion is worth a visit as a specimen of the financial life of the early 19^th century well-to-do Molyvos upper classes.