Archaeological exhibition in Crete with the support of Grimaldi

The Grimaldi Group is proudly providing logistical support for “Archaic Elites: Warriors and Princesses”, an extraordinary exhibition inaugurated on 28 June at the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna. This cultural celebration marks 40 years of excavations at one of Crete’s most significant archaeological sites. Running until 19 October, the exhibition showcases over 400 artefacts unearthed in Eleutherna, alongside 130 precious items on loan from museums in Cyprus, Spain and Italy.

Grimaldi’s contribution has been pivotal: the Group’s vessels provided complimentary transport to Greece for 106 valuable relics – loaned by the Vatican Museums and six major Italian institutions, namely the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome, and the archaeological museums of Florence, Bologna, Matera, Ancona and Siritide (Policoro) – thus facilitating the safe passage of the items, trucks, vans and personnel between Italy, mainland Greece and Crete.

The first leg of the journey was between Brindisi and Igoumenitsa, where the truck carrying the precious artefacts and its two drivers travelled aboard the Kydon Palace (outbound) and the Europalink (return). Between Piraeus and Heraklion, three trucks, one car, four vans and 13 passengers – drivers, transport technicians and even an archaeologist – sailed on Minoan Lines' Knossos Palace and Festos Palace.

As part of this sponsorship, once the exhibition concludes, the Grimaldi Group will also handle the return of the artworks to Italy.