Goddess of erotic poetry on display

THE Goddess Erato is on display for the first time in the Museum of Barbera dels Aragones in Villajoyosa until Saturday. Erato is one of the Greek Muses – goddesses of music, song and dance – and named Muse of lyrical poetry, especially love and erotic poetry. Technicians from the Municipal Museum discovered the paintings in 2006, hidden under wallpaper.

They were painted in tempera in 1909 in a private room on the first floor of the old Mercantil Cafe.

“The figures of the goddesses were restored in 2009 thanks to a grant from the Ministry of Culture and have recently been moved to Villajoyosa Museum from different laboratories,” explained Culture Councillor Loli Such.