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News
Sights of Interest in Greece
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Academy of Athens
08-06-2013 12:41The building of the Academy of Athens is one of the greatest examples of neoclassicism, part of an architectural trilogy along with the University and the National Library. It is located between Panepistimiou Street and Akadimias Street in the centre of Athens, across the Panepistimio metro station.
A private donation made by the Greek benefactor Simon Sinas to the Greek state in 1856 was the starting point of the erection of a building where the future Academy would be accommodated. In 1859, the Petraki Monastery and the Municipality of Athens ceded an area of 9.900 sq.m. alongside the University for this purpose and in the same year the cornerstone of the Academy's Building was laid. In 1887, nearly thirty years later, the building was completed and was handed over to the then Prime Minister Charilaos Trikoupis.
The building was designed by the Danish architect Theophil Hansen and it is considered the most important of his works, considered by some experts as the most beautiful neoclassic building in the world. His source of inspiration was the classical architecture of the golden age of ancient Athens portrayed in the monuments of the Acropolis.
The principle multi-figure pediment is work of the Greek sculptor Leonidas Drosis, based on a design by painter Carl Rahl on the theme of the birth of Athena. This brought first prize at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873. The statues of Athena and Apollo with lyre on the Academy's flanking pillars and the seated figures of Plato and Socrates are also Drosis’ works that were executed by the Italian sculptor Piccarelli.
The name of the Academy of Athens hearkens back to the spiritual glory of ancient Athens and is a direct reference to the ancient Academy of Plato. The building was used also for housing the Numismatic Museum in 1890, and in 1914 the Byzantine Museum and the State Archives.
The Academy of Athens is the highest research establishment in Greece, established in 1926, it operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. It maintains 12 research centres, 10 research offices and the "Ioannis Sykoutris" central library. Since its foundation, the Academy of Athens has been a member of the International Association of Academies and the International Council of Scientific Unions. It also participates in all European Academies, European Academies Science Advisory Council, Inter Academy Council and Inter Academy Medical Panel.
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Aktaion - Writing gastronomic history since 1922
Like a relay race of three generations; a journey with happy days, sad days, joys, sorrows, wars, Occupation, poverty, hunger, deaths, volcanic eruptions, catastrophic earthquakes, flee for a better life, return, better days, feasts, tourism explosion, financial crises and so on… Everything has been indelibly inscribed on the walls of this small building, Aktaion. I feel grateful that life has given me the opportunity to hold the reins of Aktaion all the way to its centennial.
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Something old, something new.... Marmita combines them both!
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