Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation

The Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, a vibrant and active cultural hub, is situated in the heart of Piraeus that house its many and diverse activities. The Scope of the Foundation is to promote Greek arts and letters as well as maritime tradition and history. The Foundation’s Historical Library boasts more than 450,000 volumes –book and archival collections of significant scholars and personalities of Letters and Culture–, accessible via its online catalogue and on site. Its old and rare material, incunabula and early printed books, testify to the uniqueness of its collections. The Lending Library collects more than 33,000 books, covering all areas of knowledge is already popular within the local community. The interest in naval history and research is evident through initiatives such as the restoration of stone lighthouses and in supporting the “Return to Antikythera” project, the underwater archaeological research in the famous 1st century AD shipwreck. Other activities of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation • Educational Programs for Primary and Secondary Education students • Digital Humanities: Travelogues website (www.travelogues.gr), a panorama of travel illustrations from travel accounts (15th-19th c.), indexed and documented in Greek, English and Turkish. ToposText (topostext.org), website and free app for mobile devices, for an interactive journey through a map and the texts of ancient Greek and Latin literature (first place in the international “Digital Humanities Awards” 2016). • Mental Health: Systematic teacher-training on autism, bulling and support of children with behavioral problems • Second Nature: An innovative Research & Design project that aims to propose solutions to enironmental issuses with the aid of 3D printing technology (www.secondnature.gr). • Seminars for teachers • Permanent art exhibitions: painters Dimitris Perdikidis (1922-1989) and Valias Semerzidis (1911-1983) • A Naval Collection, which includes the Nelson Collection