About us

The Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation (PIOP) is a voluntary non-profit foundation. It supports the preservation and showcasing of Greece's cultural heritage, with an emphasis on its artisanal and industrial technology and promotes the connection of culture with the environment. In accordance with its statute, its operational costs, including those of its Museums, are covered by the Piraeus Bank Group. At the same time, PIOP pursues the co-financing of certain projects through national and European programmes.
PIOP has created collaboration networks with higher education institutions, research centres, cultural institutions, as well as with specialized professionals in Greece and abroad.

The basic statutory goals of the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation are:

To record and showcase Greece's tangible and intangible cultural heritage and identity
To preserve the country's traditional, artisanal and industrial technology
To link culture with the environment and sustainable development

These goals are achieved through:

The creation and management of a Network of thematic technological Museums in the Greek provinces, where the specific nature of the production in the corresponding region is highlighted, focusing on the triptych Mankind-Environment-Culture
The organisation of Historical Archives relating to the economic, banking, industrial and agricultural history of Greece
The implementation of research programmes and the publication of academic studies
The functioning of a specialized Library, open to the public
The organization of a variety of academic and cultural actions
The implementation of educational programmes and activities, with an emphasis on school-age children
The use of new technology
The cooperation with renowned Greek and international cultural and educational institutions
The participation in public discourse for the definition of the strategies to follow in the area of culture

PIOP, in pursuit of its statutory objectives, supports the UN’s 17 Goals of "Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development", and in particular:

In 2019, the Hellenic National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) selected the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation as the honoured institution, in the context of celebrating the International Museum Day on the theme "Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition".

In December 2018, the Academy of Athens, at its Celebratory Meeting, awarded the Silver Medal of the Order of Letters and Fine Arts to the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation. The Academy of Athens awards are given each year to persons and organisations selected for their contribution to society.

In 2012, the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation was awarded the Europa Nostra Award in the category ”Dedicated Service”. The award was presented to PIOP by the chairman of Europa Nostra, maestro Plácido Domingo and the European Union Commissioner for Education and Culture, Ms Androulla Vassiliou.