is housed in the home of the folklorist, in the Anavros region of Volos, at 38 Kitsou Makri St. It contains the collection assembled by Kitsos Makris, his library, with 4,000 volumes, and his archive of 2,500 slides and 4,000 photographs, many of which are records of treasures of our popular heritage that have not survived.

After his death in 1988, and at his own request, all the above were donated by his family, together with the building in which they are housed, to the local institution of higher education, the University of Thessaly, with the intention that the Kitsos Makris Folklore Centre would function as a museum of folklore and centre for research.

The home of Kitsos Makris was built in 1955, to plans by the Volos architect Argyris Philippidis. It is a two-story single-family dwelling with a floor area of 180 sq. m. The design is a good example of a house influenced by the local, traditional architecture of Pilion, in which the traditional features are adjusted and harmoniously integrated into the contemporary design, without any of the mechanical copying of older features seen in more recent houses.

The folklore collection is housed on the ground floor, as well as an office, the kitchen, recently converted into another office space, the dining and sitting rooms. On the upper floor there are three bedrooms and restrooms.

The rooms all bear the imprint of Makris; they are the setting in which he wrote and created his life's work. Some of the rooms were decorated by Makris himself with wall paintings, mosaics and ceiling paintings, the most interesting being the large frieze in the sitting room of which he wrote 'This painting represents Volos and Pilion not as our eyes see them, but as they were cherished in the heart of Kitsos Makris, who painted it in the spring of 1959. He did not struggle to create a faithful representation. His intention was to sing.

The folklore collection contains some 560 pieces of folk art, most of them from the Pilion region and dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Some of them can be regarded as unique of their kind in the region, for example the large wall painting by Pagonis, which dates from 1832 and was the main painted feature of the annex of the Triantafyllos residence in Drakeia, Pilion. It represents various towns and villages in Greece, including Halkida, Talanti and Douko.

This is one of the masterpieces of painted decoration in the secular architecture of Pilion. It is the only example in the region to survive from the dozens of metres of painted surfaces which once existed, and owes its survival to the enthusiasm and tireless efforts of Kitsos Makris.

Other items include wall paintings by Athanasios Pagonis, son of the above, which come from his family home in Drakeia, date from about 1870 and depict landscapes in Thessaly; there is also one of the most important popular portraits of the national hero Rigas Feraios, painted by the same artist.

One of the highlights of the collection is the series of 25 paintings by Theofilos Hatzimihail, who lived in the Magnesia region from the end of the 19th century until 1927, when he departed to settle in his native Mytilene.

Makris was one of the first to pay serious attention to the works of Theofilos. He began collecting and conserving the artist's works in 1939 and his collection includes some of Theofilos' most important works, including the Treis Kapetanioi symfiliothentes [Three reconciled captains] (1898), the Neonymfoi [Newly-Weds], which depicts Mr. And Mrs. Yerabinis (1919), Rovertos kai Youlia [Robert and Julia] (1899), O hairetismos tou Mai [May greeting] (1919), the Apovivasi tou Othona [Disembarking of Othon] - painted on burlap, I Anatoli - O Alli Pasas en ti limni ton Ioanninon [The East - Ali Pasha on the lake at Yannina] - painted on a strip of cloth.

There are also some icons by Theofilos, most important among them the Panayia Vrefokratousa [Madonna and child], and many fragments of wall paintings - all of them from the Pilion region and providing a comprehensive picture of the painter's work during his years in Magnesia.

Another important item is the collection of icon prints made from copper plates in the workshops of Mt. Athos and distributed by the monks on their travels. The collection includes two double-sided plates, the only ones to have survived in the region.

Also represented in the collection is the last of the great popular artists of our region, the shipbuilder Nikolaos Christopoulos (1880-1967). There are sixteen of his works, depictions of boats he built, mermaids and other themes mainly connected with the sea.

There are also a number of post-Byzantine icons, as well as miniature works of art, wood-carvings and representative examples of ecclesiastical art, and objects of everyday use (spoons, distaffs, shepherd's crooks) and of silver and gold (yiordania [pectoral ornaments], brooches, bracelets, pins, wedding wreaths, charms), all demonstrating the skills of the traditional craftsman - engraving, metal-beating, casting, perforating, filigree and niello work.

Other items include copper work, ceramic plates and vessels, musical instruments, lithographs, embroidery and a host of other artifacts covering the whole spectrum of popular arts and crafts.

The house is decorated with works by famous modern Greek painters like Geskos, Malamos and Theologos, as well as engravings by Tassos and ceramics by Panos Valsamakis.

In 1996 the University of Thessaly assigned the task of re-arranging and displaying the folklore collection to a team consisting of the sculptor and conservator Dimitris Zachariou, the architect Dimitris Paliouras and the painter and conservator Yannis Papaioannou, who have organized the exhibits in the ground floor areas and on the stairs with the assistance of Thaleia Makri, daughter of Kitsos Makris.

The main objective of the team was to retain the warm atmosphere of the house and its character as created by Makris. At the same time the latest ideas in museum display were to be used to arrange the exhibits so as to highlight and promote the popular culture of the region. The items were arranged in thematic units, making them easier for the visitor to understand and helping him learn more about the history and development of Greek traditional art.

Thus the decision was taken to place the murals of Pagonis, his son Athanasios, and an unknown painter from Ambelakia (1790) in the upper level of the folklore collection, keeping them as close as possible to their original height. At intervals between them there are two very elegant, multi-coloured plaster skylights from the 18th century, introducing a division between the different subjects.

In the middle level the decision was taken to place the works of Theofilos, the Rigas Feraios of A. Pagonis, wood-carvings, icons and a case displaying jewellery, while the room's original windows were sealed up and converted into display cases for silver wreathes, copper items, musical instruments, figurines made of dough, religious carvings and other small objects.

Finally, on the lower level there are display cases on each side, containing - for reasons of security - all the gold and silver artifacts, the items of everyday use, wood-carvings and various small objects, arranged in thematic units, while on the third side is the painted and carved wooden chest, some more copper and ceramic items and the collection of wood-carved shepherd's crooks.

The office or study, small and crammed with books, photographs and mementos, was Makris' favourite place to work and write. It was decided that the room should be kept as far as possible in the style and character which he himself had given it. The only change made was the hanging of Theofilos' painting The East - Ali Pasha on the lake at Ioannina above the windows.

The ante-chamber contains the collection of ceramic plates, engravings and two papers written by Makris on Theofilos and the two Pagonis. Works by Nikolaos Christopoulos were hung on the staircase wall, while upstairs the visitor will find engravings, copper engraving plates, the Theofilos painting on burlap Disembarkation of Othon and the picture of the battleship Averof.

The dining and sitting rooms are decorated in the style of the formal Pilion drawing room, with the wood-carved arcade and magnificent carved wood ceilings from the 18th century (from the Bandis house in Drakeia, now demolished). This area contains a case with the personal belongings of Makris, images of his life, his writings and some of the awards and distinctions bestowed on him. The other walls are decorated with works by modern Greek artists.

The commendable decision of the Makris family to respect the wishes of Kitsos Makris and donate the rich folklore collection, the library and archive, and the house, to the University of Thessaly, fills a serious gap in the life of our city in respect of access to the local cultural heritage. The KITSOS MAKRIS FOLKLORE CENTRE, with its wealth of material, will provide a focal point for younger scholars of our popular art, scholars who will advance the study of our folk culture, continuing the work and pursuing the vision of Kitsos Makris.