On Saturday, October 11, 2025, an outstanding conference was held at the Museum of Shipbuilding and Maritime Arts of the Aegean in Heraion, Samos, titled “The Living Heritage of Wooden Shipbuilding: The Museum of Shipbuilding and Maritime Arts of the Aegean – Activities, Objectives, Networking.”
Following an official invitation, the Maritime Museum of Crete participated in the event, represented by the President and the Deputy General Secretary of its Board of Directors. The conference was co-organized by the Municipality of Eastern Samos and the Nikolaos Dimitriou Cultural Foundation of Samos, in collaboration with the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, the Department of Mathematics of the University of the Aegean, and the Friends’ Association of the Museum.
The establishment of the Museum of Shipbuilding and Maritime Arts of the Aegean, in conjunction with the inclusion of the wooden shipbuilding craft in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, constitutes an innovative initiative. Together with the planned School of Wooden Shipbuilding, to be housed within the museum premises, this project is expected to provide significant momentum for the preservation and transmission of traditional shipbuilding craftsmanship.
The creation of this school is anticipated to contribute not only to the development and social cohesion of Samos, but also to the revitalization of existing shipyards and the establishment of new ones in regions where they have long ceased to operate, yet where their presence remains vital.
The event featured excellent presentations, insightful interventions, and fruitful discussions and proposals, attended by more than seventy (70) participants.
This conference marked a new beginning for a significant cultural endeavor, aiming to bring back to prominence an important traditional craft, founded upon the collaboration of experienced master shipwrights and new generations of boatbuilders.
A special highlight was the arrival of the museum’s new traditional vessel, an exquisite “Tsernikoperama” named Metamorphosis, built in Patmos by Mr. Sozon Kamitsis and his team at Patmos Marine.
Finally, our Museum offered a commemorative crest as a token of appreciation.
We wish fair winds to the bow of the new Museum and every success in continuing the valuable work carried out with such dedication and love.
