(Continued from
August's Issue)
STARTING POINT:
Evangelismos Station
TERMINUS: Acropolis
Station
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The 7th walk takes us to some of
the foremost museums of the
city. Since there are many
museums on this heritage walk,
it may be wise to make the walk
twice, and divide the visits in
two days. In either case, there
is also the possibility of a
pleasant stroll in the National
Garden. |
From the Metro station "Evangelismos"
and taking the exit to Rizari
St, the visitor should either
head south for the Military
Museum, and continue to the
Byzantine and Christian Museum
or head north and begin with a
visit to the National Gallery. |
(1) THE NATIONAL GALLERY - ALEXANDROS
SOUTSOS MUSEUM: It displays mostly the
work of Modern Greek artists, and some
pre-19th-century icons and paintings of
Cretan and Eptanesian origin. The National
Gallery Collection includes works by seminal
Greek painters, such as: Nikiforos Lytras,
Nikolaos Gyzis, Constantinos Parthenis,
Nikolaos Lytras, Yannis Tsarouhis, Yannis
Moralis, Nikos Hatzykiriakos-Gkikas. (1
Michalakopoulou St and 50 Vas. Konstantinou
Ave, tel.: 210 7235857, 7235937-8)
(2) WAR MUSEUM: Devoted to exhibits
concerning the various wars of the Greek
people. It contains an important collection
of weapons of various periods - over 3,000
objects of defensive and offensive warfare (armor from the medieval
period, Caucasian pistols, Muslim, African,
Indian and Japanese weapons) and a fine
collection of watercolors of the Balkan
Wars and the Asia Minor Expedition by Thalia
Flora - Karavia (1871-1960). (2 Vasilissis
Sofias Ave, tel.: 210 7290543, 7215035)
(3) BYZANTINE AND CHRISTIAN MUSEUM -
DOUKISSIS PLACENTIAS MANSION: The
mansion of the French Duchess of Placentia
(17851854), was built in 1840-48. It has
been considered the work of the architect
Stamatis Kleanthis, but a recent study
attributes it to Christian Hansen. Remodeled
in 1931
to house the
Byzantine Museum. Recently, new spacious
halls were added in the basement.
Among the Museum exhibits that date from
the 4th - 19th c., one should not miss the following:
• Marble sculpture of Orpheus playing the
lyre to wild and tamed animals; a symbolic depiction of Christ
attracting believers, dating from the
4th century {T93}.
• A golden necklace from the Mytilini
treasure of the 7th century {BXM 872}.
• Marble plaque from the architrave of an
iconostasis (10th c.), with
the figures of James, son of Alphaios,
Philip and Luke (rare combination of the techniques of painting and
relief sculpture {T150}.
• Mural taken from the apse of the sanctuary
of the Church of St George
Lathrinos, in the island of Naxos (13th
century), representing the Deisis
(Prayer of Supplication with Christ Pantokrator and the Mother of God
and St. John the Baptist on either side).
St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil.
• Double-sided processional icon. On one
side there is a representation of
the Crucifixion of the 9th and 13th
centuries; on the other side, a representation of Panaghia Pammakaristos,
from the beginning of the 16th
century {No. T. 157a).
• Panaghia Glykofilousa (The Mother of God
sweetly kissing her Son) of
the 12th c. {No. T 137}
• Double-sided icon. On one side, a
representation of St. George in prayer to
Christ; a painted wooden sculpture of the
13th c. On the other side, two holy
women in prayer {T 89}.
• Mosaic icon "Panaghia' Episkepsi" ("The
Visitation") - 13th to 14th c.,
from Constantinople {T 145}.
• Archangel Michael an icon of the 14th
c. A splendid example of Paleologan
classicism {No. T 2162}.
• Double-sided processional icon from the
14th c. One side: representation of the Crucifixion, where the
bright vivid colors transport us to an
eternity of restrained grief awaiting
redemption. Other side: representation of Panaghia Vrefokratousa
(Virgin holding the infant) {No. T 169}.
• 15th c. icon depicting the
Nativity, the joyful story of Christmas, in
one composition {No. T2447}.
• Imperial chrysobull or decree on a
parchment by Andronicus 11 (1301), in which
he grants special privileges to the Bishop
of Monemvasia. In a miniature, Christ gives
his blessing to the emperor.
(22 Vasilissis Sofias Ave, tel.: 210 7211027,
210 7232178)
(4) THE BRITISH EMBASSY: Built by Anastasios
Metaxas (1928) and once the residence of
Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos and his
wife, Elena Skylitsi. The British Embassy
has been housed here since 1939. (1
Ploutarchou St, tel.: 210 7272600)
(5) MUSEUM OF CYCLADIC ART (N. P.
GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION): It comprises a
modern building on Neofytou Douka St and the
imposing Stathatos Mansion on Vasilissis
Sofias Ave. It houses the private collection
of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art of
Nikolaos and Dolly Goulandris, the Carolos
Politis collection (14th c. BC - 6th
c. AD), and the Thanos Zintilis
collection of Cypriot antiquities from the
Chalkolithic Period until early Christian
times.
The collection of Cycladic Art is, together
with that in the collection of the National
Archaeological Museum collection, the best
in the world as far as Cycladic art and
civilization (3000-2000 BC) are concerned.
The Othon Stathatos mansion was built in
1895 by the architect Ernest Ziller in
neoclassical style, with a few touches of
eclecticism. Today it holds replicas of
antique furniture and hosts important
changing exhibitions. (4 Neof Douka, tel.:
210 7228321-2)
(6) BENAKI MUSEUM: Housed in the
mansion of the distinguished family of
Emmanuel Benakis, built in 1905 by the
architect Anastasios Metaxas, and donated to
the Greek State by its founder Antonis
Benakis in 1929.
The exhibits from Greece
are presented in this, the main building,
the most noteworthy being:
• Neolithic statuette; end of the 4th
millennium BC {No. 31350}.
• One silver and two gold cups from Evoia;
early Helladic period (3000-2800 BC) {Nos. 2049 & 1516 respectively}.
• Mycenaean gold cylix with the design of a
dog; 13th century BC {No. 21081.
• Amphora of the Geometric period depicting
a dead man; a work of the
so-called "painter of the Benaki Museum"
(720-700 BC).
• The "Treasure of Thessaly",
marvelous
pieces of Hellenistic jewelry
{Nos. 1556, 1578, 8251, etc.}.
• Two sepulchral portraits in the Fayum
style from Antinopolis, Egypt of
the 3rd century AD.
• Coptic textiles; especially one bearing a
representation of Saint Mark {No. 69911}.
• Slender Processional Cross from Adrianople
(10th century) {No. 33794}.
• Part of the mosaic figure of the Virgin
from the Stoudion Monastery in
Constantinople (10th century) {No. 9074}.
• Parchment manuscript depicting the three
children in the furnace of the
Book of Daniel, from the Monastery of
Pantokrator, Mount Athos, cod -
ex 49, 1084 AD {No. 66}.
• Pectoral with a cameo of Christ
Pantokrator; 12th century {No. 21131}.
• Icon depicting the Hospitality of Abraham,
a symbolic illustration of the Holy Trinity,
end of the 14th century {No. 2973}.
• Icon of St. Anne with the Virgin, from the
workshop of the great Cretan master, Angelos
Akontantos (first half of the 15th century)
{No. 2984}.
• Two icons by Domenikos Theotokopoulos,
later known in Spain as El Greco. St Luke is
a rare example of work during his Cretan
period (1560-1567) {No. 11276}. The
"Adoration of the Magi", although painted in
Venetian style, is however dated to 1565-67,
before he moved to Venice. (No. 3048}.
The 1st floor of the Museum displays mainly
folk art, such as jewelry, embroidery, ceramics, wood sculptures, marble
sculptures, and costumes from
all over Greece, water colors aquarelles,
oil paintings, prints, and other illustrations of Athens and Greece, as well as
more recent icons. Some examples to be
noticed are:
• Jewelry from Patmos {No. 7324}
• Bridal bed-canopy from Rhodes of the 17th
c. {No. 7650}
• Gold-embroidered "Epitaphios" (a central
feature of the Lamentation
over Christ on Good Friday) of the mid 16th
c. {No. 34680}
• Textile from Brusa (16th c.) {No. 2864}
• Greek heirlooms from Asia Minor
The 3rd floor displays historic heirlooms of
the struggle for national independence from
the 18th century onwards, and a cross
section of photographs and paintings by
prominent painters and poets of the 20th
century, especially from the "Generation of
1930". (1 Koumbari St, tel.: 210 3671000)
We enter into the National Garden from the
entrance of Irodou Attikou St, and we come out
from the entrance of Zappion Megaro.
(For details about the National
Garden, see
August's Issue.)
(7) PRESIDENTIAL MANSION:: Built in
1891-1899 by Ernest Ziller for Crown Prince
Constantine, on the grounds of the Royal
Palace's vegetable garden. The dancehall to
the north of the main building was added
shortly after, and a new wing facing
Vassileos Georgiou St was built in 1963-4.
The main building follows the arrangement of
a private mansion. Once the royal palace
(19131967), and since 1975 the residence of
the President of the Republic of Greece. (Irodou
Attikou St)
(8) ZAPPION MEGARON: One of the
finest examples of Athenian neoclassicism.
The great benefactor Evangelos Zappas
offered the money for the building in 1856.
According to the original design, made by
Francois Boulanger, the mansion was to be
built on the turning point of the Stadium.
The Zappion was finally built by Theofilos
Hansen and completed in 1879 in its current
location. The official opening was in 1888
and its management was the responsibility of
the Foundation for the Olympics and for
Legacies. It housed the first Olympic
village during the 1st Olympic Games of
modern history in 1896.
(9) PANATHENAIC STADIUM or KALLIMARMARO:
Built in 329 BC by the orator and
administrator Lykourgos for the athletic
competitions of Panathenaia (the major
Athenian festival in honor of the patron
goddess Athena). In the mid 2nd century AD,
the whole Stadium was laid out in marble by
Herodes son of Atticus. In 1894-96, the
Stadium was re-constructed with new marble,
following a donation by George Averof, to
the design of Anastasios Metaxas. The
opening ceremony was in 1896 at the 1st
modern Olympic Games. (16 Archimidous St,
tel.: 210 7526386, 210 7522986)
(10) OLYMPIEION: The Temple of Zeus
Olympios was built by the Philhellene
Emperor, Hadrian (117-132 AD). This, the
most monumental temple of its time, was
dedicated to Zeus, the father of gods.
Initially there were 104 columns; of which
today only fifteen remain standing, with a
sixteenth lying on the ground. There used to
be three rows of eight columns each on the
east and west sides, and two double rows on
the two long sides. The temple was built on
the site of other earlier temples, also
dedicated to Zeus Olympios. The ancient
Athenians considered the shrine to Olympian
Zeus as one of the oldest in the city. North
of the Olympieion, and inside a small park,
one can still see the remains of a propylon,
which was part of the Themistocleian wall,
and a Roman bath. (1 Vasilissis Olgas Ave,
tel.: 210 9226330)
(11) HADRIAN'S GATE: Built by the
Athenians in honor of emperor Hadrian, a
friend of the city of Athens. Hadrian
himself passed under this glorious gate to
attend the inauguration of the Temple of
Olympian Zeus. The Corinthian style gate
marked the border of the old city of Athens
in relation of the new district that Hadrian
built. On the east frieze, and under the
arch, one can still see today the
inscription "on this side it is
Hadrian's city, not Theseus's". On the
west side of the gate, the inscription says "on this side is Athens, the former city
of Theseus." (Junction of Vasilissis Olgas
and Vasilissis Amalias Aves)
(12) CHURCH OF AGHIA AIKATERINI: A
medieval church that dates from the second
quarter of the 11th century, originally
dedicated to the Saints Theodore. In 1767 it
became a Dependency of the monastery of
Saint Catherine on Sinai and has since been
dedicated to Saint Catherine. It became a
parish church again in 1882. A further
extension in 1927 distorted its appearance
and brought it to its current form. Note the
Byzantine dome, of the so-called
"Athenian-type".
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TRIPODON ST
-
ELLINIKI ETAIRIA
-
LYSICRATES' MONUMENT
-
ACROPOLIS STATION (M)
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To read about these 4
locations, please refer to our March
newsletter featuring
Heritage Walk #1 |