200 years since the Exodus of Messolonghi: Projects and initiatives by the Ministry of Culture

In 2026, Greece will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi, a pivotal and tragic moment in the Greek War of Independence.

The valiant defenders—comprised of Greeks and Philhellenes—opted for a bold escape rather than surrendering, leading to a catastrophic outcome filled with massacre and devastation. This significant event resonated deeply in Greece and throughout Europe, stirring widespread emotions. Today, the Exodus stands as a key milestone in the Greek Revolution, continuing to hold profound significance.

In light of this important anniversary, the Ministry of Culture has initiated several major projects and events for 2026.

Beginning in 2024, the “Restoration of the Garden of Heroes in the Sacred City of Messolonghi” commenced, involving collaboration with various cultural authorities, including the Antiquities Ephorates of Aetolia-Acarnania and Lefkada, and the Directorate for the Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments. Funded by the Operational Programme “Western Greece 2014–2020,” with a budget of €800,000, the project is set for completion by late 2026. Current restoration efforts involve repairing the walls and fencing of the Garden, upgrading the fountain, installing bilingual information signs, launching digital tours via QR codes, and creating informational materials (including Braille), among other outreach initiatives.

The highlight of the Ministry’s anniversary events will be the temporary exhibition “The Exodus of Messolonghi on the Canvas of Delacroix”, taking place at the Xenokrates Archaeological Museum from mid-March to the end of November 2026. This exhibition will showcase Eugène Delacroix’s renowned painting “Greece on the Ruins of Messolonghi,” displayed outside France for the first time in partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts of Bordeaux. This artwork embodies the spirit of Greece amidst the ruins and poignantly reflects the dramatic events being commemorated.

Additionally, the Xenokrates Museum will feature two other significant artifacts related to Messolonghi, in collaboration with the National Historical Museum:

• “The Daughter of Greece” (also known as “The Greek Girl”) by sculptor David d’Angers, which once adorned Markos Botsaris’s tomb in the Garden of Heroes;
• The ceremonial uniform of Konstantinos Xenokratis, the only surviving uniform of a member of the Sacred Band. Xenokratis, a national benefactor from Eastern Thrace, established the Xenokrates building in the late 19th century as a municipal girls’ school.

From mid-June 2025 to February 2026, the Xenokrates Museum will host the traveling exhibition “A Melodic Journey through the Music of 1821,” curated by the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments Phoebus Anoyanakis – Center for Ethnomusicology, to commemorate 200 years since the Greek Revolution. This interactive exhibition will delve into folk music and its role in shaping national identity and consciousness.

Throughout 2026, the Xenokrates Museum will organize events, conferences, lectures, specialized educational programs, and conservation workshops focusing on themes related to the Exodus, Delacroix, “The Daughter of Greece,” printing and typography, and the Philhellene printer Johann Jakob Meyer.

At the beginning of 2026, in partnership with the Association of Museum Educators of Greece, the museum will host the literary conference “Meeting of Literary Museums in Messolonghi,” featuring participants from various institutions, including the museums dedicated to Ugo Foscolo, Solomos and Eminent Zakynthians, Grigorios Xenopoulos (Zakynthos), A. Sikelianos (Lefkada), Solomos (Corfu), Alexandros Papadiamantis (Skiathos), Nikos Kazantzakis (Heraklion), Georgios Drosinis (Athens), and the Lord Byron, Philhellenism, Palamas, and Trikoupis Family Museums (Messolonghi).

The 200th anniversary of the Exodus and its related celebrations have been officially recognized under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, following a request from the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi. The Ministry has declared 2026 as the “Year of the Exodus of Messolonghi” and is providing financial support for selected municipal initiatives.