The Athens City Museum is housed in two of the most historic buildings of the capital. Its mission is to research, preserve and present the history of our great city and its people from the Francocracy (the period following the Fourth Crusade of 1204) up to today. Athens City Museum’s collections include paintings, engravings, sculptures, furniture and important pieces of modern Greek history. Works such as Jaques Carrey's (1684) painting, the largest ever made for Athens, and the “Carnival in Athens” by painter Nicolaos Gizis are just some of the important exhibits found in the Museum's collections. The building on 7, Paparigopoulou Street, was inhabited from 1836 to 1843 by the first King of Greece, Otto, and his wife Queen Amalia. For this reason, the 1st floor of the building has been preserved and shaped specifically to present the royal residence. The adjacent building on 5, Paparigopoulou Street, connected with the old royal residency by a closed bridge, was built by the architect Gerasimos Metaxas in 1859 and is a unique sample of a 19th century urban mansion in Athens, with rooms and furniture that retain the character of the era. Furthermore, on the 2nd floor of the Museum is housed the Exhibition Area, where contemporary artists showcase works that reflect the city’s pulse, culture and history. The Athens City Museum gives visitors the opportunity, through rare exhibits, to have a closer look at the history of the city and to get in touch with the way of life, culture and habits of the it’s people in the 19th century. At the same time, the Museum implements educational programs aimed at both students and teachers.