Chryssa Maltezou, the distinguished Byzantinist and historian, passed away on Friday, January 10. A member of the Academy of Athens, she was widely recognized for her significant contributions to the study of Byzantine and post-Byzantine history, particularly regarding the Venetian period of Greek history and the relationships between Hellenism and the West from the 13th to the 18th century.
Maltezou served as the Director of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice and was honored with several prestigious awards throughout her career. In 1982, she received the Academy of Athens Award for her work in preserving the Historical Archive of Kythera. In 2003, she was awarded the Golden Cross of the Order of Honor by the President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Stephanopoulos. In 2012, she became a full member of the Academy of Athens, and in 2013, a tribute volume was published in her honor.
Her research encompassed archival, paleographic, and diplomatic studies, and she greatly influenced the field of Venetian Hellenism. Maltezou’s legacy includes a vast body of written work and decades of teaching at the University of Crete and the University of Athens.
In a statement following her passing, Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni expressed sorrow and respect for the historian’s legacy. “Chryssa Maltezou made a significant contribution to the study of Venetian Hellenism, a field she helped shape,” said Mendoni, highlighting Maltezou’s leadership at the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies and her election to the Academy of Athens. Mendoni extended her condolences to Maltezou’s family and friends, acknowledging the profound impact of her scholarly work and dedication to teaching.
