The glory of ancient Athens

Dear friends,For starters, allow me to wish you a happy new year and apologise for disappearing for so long.Too much claimed my time and attention, the last (but not least) of which is a series of lectures I’m currently preparing … Continue reading →

Report from the Acropolis – the new walkways

The end of October saw the beginning of the construction of new walkways on the Acropolis. The construction was purportedly prompted by the need to provide access to the monuments for people with disabilities; its completion should coincide with the … Continue reading →

Mycenae, in bloom

Let us visit Mycenae at its most beautiful, on a bright spring day. Continue reading →

The Acropolis opens its gates again

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Today is a historic day: after two months of lockdown, Greek archaeological sites are open again. So, our virtual journey will take us to the Acropolis, on its first day after the lockdown.   In these two months, Greece managed … Continue reading →

Corinthian style: the truth

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Today, our virtual journey will take us back to Athens to explore the true roots of the “Corinthian” order. I’m putting the term in brackets, because Vitruvius may have said that the Corinthian order was invented in Corinth, but as … Continue reading →

For want of some water…

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By the time the Greek War of Independence broke out, in 1821, the Acropolis had become one of the most heavily fortified castles in Greece. Three of its slopes were so steep that an attack there was impossible. The only … Continue reading →

The temple of Nike

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Right next to the Propylaia (the gate to the Acropolis), stands the tiny temple of Athena Nike (Victory), built between 432-424 BCE. An inscription informs us that the building was designed by Callicrates, one of Parthenon’s architects. The temple was … Continue reading →

Divas of the Acropolis

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The Acropolis fauna comprises many species, most notable of which are the tortoises, often making an appearance among the vegetation of its Southern slope. There are also the ubiquitus pigeons, doves and sparrows. However, a new species has come to … Continue reading →

Caryatids at sunset

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The original Caryatids have withdrawn to the safety of the Acropolis Museum. It is their modern avatars, still graceful, despite the ravages of time, that now hold up the roof of the southern porch of the Erechtheion. One of them … Continue reading →

Don’t stand in line, get your ticket on line

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or Ticket tips for the sites of Athens The Acropolis is of course the top attraction of Athens. It is not surprising that its entrance fee is the priciest of all other sites in Athens, at € 20. Naturally, this … Continue reading →