Manos Faltaits wrote that '' My intention was to create a ''Museum'', namely the temple of the Muses, not just an exhibition of collections''. ''My vision was to show Skyros through the Museum and make her a standard and ideal community, not only as an inspirational example for Greece but for the whole world. In that way, the Museum could fulfill its major destination as a form of rebirth of the Greek communities. As a standard example, it would pave the way for the foundation of other local historical and folklore museums throughout Greece, which ought to become the centers of the cultural life of each community.''
The vision of Manos Faltaits
From the Museum's Chronicle, written by Manos Faltaits
The Museums purpose from my point of view
'' According to my own aesthetic and philosophical beliefs, since the Museum's foundation, my purpose was to create a place that would represent a nationwide rebirth and development center of culture, not just a place where our traditional heritage is kept and promoted.
Based on this thought, I literally launched a grandiose cultural program, promoted by the Museum.
Also, based on this situation, I was able to organize some truly innovative scientific and artistic events every year's summer, which played a decisive role in the progress and development of Greece's cultural life over the last decades of the 20th century.
The Cultural Symposiums that I've organized in 1976 and 1978, which were attended by dozens of young and specialized scientists from all over Greece, have been proven magnificent.
In this Symposiums, that were actually Seminars, I was teaching my scientific methods and presenting my discoveries in ethnology, history, archeology, linguistics, religion, mythology, sociology and art, which exercised a lot of influence, since my beliefs were passed through the dozens of my students to their specialized fields.''
The Museum's specificity
''The Museum represents a family's residence with special skills, principles, ideals, interests, which characterize its members.
The Museum's significant substance is largely based on the fact that the greatest part of its exhibits, both in number and quality, belonged to the family members and also were connected in a way with some of the family members's personal action, life and history which were keeping alive the spiritual and collectable tradition of old centuries.
Furthermore, some members of the family played a significant role in the Greek history and the history of Skyros, since the period of the ''Filiki Etairia'', translated as the ''Friendly Society'', the Revolution of 1821and throughout the 19th and the 20th century, such as Dimogerontas Falntagis, brothers Ioannis and Georgios Tzanos from the ''Filiki Etairia'', Prince Zorzis Grimaldi, Dimitrios Faltagis, Anna Marcello-Grimaldi-Faltaits, Maria Dimitriou Faltaits, Constantinos and Manos Faltaits and Anastasia Faltaits.
To sum up, all these members of the Falntagis family tree, as well as a significant amount of people with great history and action, like brothers Dimitrios and Michael Anesti, who fought in sea battles in 1821, Aggeliki Chatzimichali, the Archbishop Varlaam-Faltagis, the leader of Revolution in 1821 in Evia, and many more.''
The centuries and eras are mixed up
''They form a unit that indicates the historical past in general. There's a diffusion which helps the flare-up of dreams and sensation.
The visitor experiences the island's past full of glory, beauty and quality, penetrating his soul and makes him love the past and the history and also makes him want to be a part of it.
Finally, we can see that the Museum gives a clear picture of the Greek's historical, social, political and cultural past to the public, just like it was experienced and affected somehow a specific Greek family. So, the Museum is not only an emotionally charged educational institution, but also a deeper and qualitative institution which offers pleasure.''
How the Museum functions
''The Museum owes its legendary nationwide and worldwide fame not only in its organized and composed collections, but also in the way it functions.
This Museum is ''alive'' in some way. The way it functions is totally different from the other museums.
From the first moment he enters its premises, the visitor feels that there is something different in the atmosphere. In fact, most of the visitors express that feeling spontaneously.
This is happening because this Museum, is not just an exhibition room, full of old objects, but this is the place where the Muses literally walk and act.
Based on this fact, it still continues to exert influence, to the extent that it now affects the cultural revival's creation based on tradition of recent decades.''
My ''Museological'' beliefs
'' Despite the fact that thousands of visitors think of it as the most beautiful historical-folklore Museum they have ever seen, it used to be tormented by its financial problems, due to the fact that the Ministry of Culture didn't support it. Although, at the same time, this lead to a significant positive effect.
Due to the lack of funding from the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Skyros and any other national agency, I was allowed to act as I wanted and implement my innovative ideas, according to the relevant inspirations and circumstances.
Because of this freedom of movement, the Museum has never been static and dry, as is the case with most of other Museums that do not attract visitors, regardless of their artistic and historical treasures which are gathered on their premises.
Consequently, it seemed that the large number of exhibits represented a serious threat to their rational and aesthetic exhibition.
Eventually, the problem was solved in the best and most impressive way, through the circumvent of the established and strict exhibition standards, also prevailing in most of the other Museums.
My personal concern was to create a ''Museum'', not just an exhibition of collections but also a temple of the Muses.
Hence, the Museum was given another dimension and gained its special grace which is deeply moving for the visitors. It functions as if it's like a home of a crowded, but also historical, intellectual and artistic family. This form of function has many positive effects on visitors, such as it cultivates a tendency to mimic''.
What the Museum means to me
''The Museum isn't visited only by Skyrians and Greeks, but also from people from all over the world, who are especially tourists and most of them visit Skyros and the Museum every summer.
This is the reason why it is widely known as one of the finest and richest local Museums of its kind.
Today, the Faltagis mansion is a major cultural, spiritual and historical center, which satisfies the spiritual necessities of the people in general, due to the fact that art experts, researchers and a large audience feel totally excited and realize that culture is not a luxury display but a basic spiritual and psychological need.
The Museum, as it leads its audience to learn about the past, also urges everyone to pass on this beautiful and glorious path, like a relay race, because they ought to create a new culture and deliver it to the future generations who are expected to take the baton in their hands.
Actually, the Museum is a symbol and an ark of the Faltagis family tradition.
The Faltagis family (''Falagides'') not only valued the family's preservation and promotion of tradition, but also their homeland Skyros and Hellenism in general''.
My ideological guidelines
''The Museum's history is based on my ideological, political, social and spiritual pursuits. My intention was to create a truly radical and substantial cultural global revolution and I believed that Museums of this type could be the proper centers and institutions to serve this purpose. This goal was achieved, at least in the case of Skyros.''
The volunteers of the Museum and the rise of Hellenism
''From the outset, an entire volunteer and support group was created for the Museum and contributed to the development of multiple programs.
It was, foremost, composed of students with various specialties. Also, some other older people volunteered, who were completely devoted to the spiritual and aesthetic rebirth of Hellenism.
This had been a Museum's struggle.
Back then, we all used to wear tunics (''chitons'') in the official organized events, a fact that made a big impression to Greeks and foreigners who were there. The message was clear :
We were achieving a universal, ideological and aesthetic rebirth. We wouldn't let the Greek culture be destroyed by the ''Panevropi'' movement.
Our people dressed in ''chitons'' while they moved around within the streets and squares of Athens, not only in Skyros, spread the following message spontaneously: They let our people know that they had to stay loyal in our national tradition and feel pride to be Greek.
This action had a great impact. In such cases, the Greek message was spread and assumed unforeseen proportions, which certainly brought a noticeable change.
The Greeks began to re estimate our traditional culture and incoherence, approaches which were promoted by the institution of ''Panevropi'', a precursor of today's horrific Globalization.
I wasn't just satisfied by this incipient change, but also I felt optimistic, because I saw that struggles have not been wasted and brought results.
The volunteers have undertaken a major part of the Museum's function. Their contribution has also been crucial in organizing an art workshop, which had been founded in 1978.
The Festival of Skyros-the Old Tower's ''Viglatoria''(1993-2003), was organized by these volunteers in our beautiful outdoor theater, lasted for 10 whole years and opened new roads in themes and direction of new works.''
The Museum is not a reliquary
''I was worried about the Museum's theoretical framework even before its opening. I've never seen it as a reliquary, as was the case of all the country's Museums. I wanted to see
them as life and cultural centers. This is the reason why I started some activities that lasted years until so far and eventually, the Museum has become a standard model for other Museums.
I saw these Museums as a living core of every area, with multi-faceted and multi-purposed actions. From the very first moment, the Museum followed this perspective and the same path until now.''
The Museum is the culmination of a long process of national struggles given by Manos Faltaits, who believed that our artistic local Greek museums are the rescue means of our traditional heritage and spiritual life centers and also that should be founded in every part of Greece.
Manos Faltaits believed that a museum is a Center where new ideas are coming up, literature and arts are cultivated and people are trained. This Center shines through the world, spreads messages widely, depending on his dynamism and power.
Many museums of the country are under the influence of the Faltaits Museum.
Based on the spirit of this philosophy, the young volunteers, despite the fact that they have a chance to enrich their knowledge, they can also develop their creativity.
Thus, museums function as life centers.
Through this action, tradition is tied with creation.
Through the treasures of the past, which are preserved in museums, the memory and the cultural identity of people are guaranteed.
Museums, as the ark of culture, in different ways, are the essential background that will support the actions of the people in the future.