First stop at kifisia to Kouvoutsakis Art Istitute.
Kifissia or Kifisia is one of the most expensive northern suburbs of Athens, Greece, mainly accessed via Kifissias Avenue, running all the way from central Athens up to Theseos Avenue in the suburb of Nea Erythraia. It has traditionally been home to rich Greek families and major Greek political families. (By Wikipedia)
Kouvoutsakis Art Istitute.
Unfortunately, they didn't allow me to take any pictures, only one very quickly. I found it really awkward. I have been to many museums in Greece and abroad as well, never happened before.
Well, there is always a first time for everything. I have to say that when I asked, why you couldn't take any pictures they told me it has to do with the copyright and you can see the whole collection throught their website.
Next stop at Monastery of Penteli.
The Ceonobic Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Pendeli was founded in 1578 by Bishop Timotheos of Evripou (Evia), the memory of which honors our Church on 16 August. The Monastery is located roughly 18 kilometers from the center of Athens and is built in the Southern side of Pendeliko Mountain at altitude of around 430 meters.
The Holy Monastery from its founding until the end of the Turkish occupation was under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. During this time, Abbot Ierotheos of Pendeli Monastery travelled to Constantinople where he was able to secure the Stavropegaic merit of the Monastery from Patriarch Jeremias the B' (1572-1595) with a sigil, which unfortunately has not been recovered. A renewal of the Patriarchal privilege was granted by a second sigil from Patriarch Dionysius D' of Constantinople in the year 1678. In 1858 the Monastery came under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Church of Athens. The Sultans occasionally offered various firmans that guaranteed the privileges and the rights of the Monastery, though these firmans were often abolished resulting in continued pillages. Many were the times that the Holy Monastery bore witness to pillages such as during the fall of Athens to Morozini (1688-1690) and another that took place during the battles for independence against the Turks in 1821, were the pillage was the result of the Holy Monastery's contribution to the efforts for the independence of the nation.
In 1692 with a Patriarchal sigil the Monastery was amalgamated along with the Holy Monastery of Ntaou Pendeli and the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas Kalision. Today, however they are once again independent.
In 1778 the holy Monastery constituted the shelter for the residents of Athens, which along with their Metropolitan Gabriel of Athens remained on the grounds of the Monastery in order to avoid a horrible epidemic of plague which decimated a large part of population of Athens. These citizens were cared for by the Monastery for roughly two years.
The Holy Monastery was renovated in the year 1768 and in 1858 the building was extended in order to accommodate approximately 120 monks. During the time of Abbot Cyrillos B’ the main Church was repaired and decorated. Today in the Monahologio (a list of Monks serving the Monastery) of the Monastery there are 58 monks and hieromonks registered, 17 monks reside permanently in the Monastery and 1 is a postulant. The Monastery also includes monuments of significant traditional and historical value such as the Museum of the Monastery and the Main Church or Catholicon. (By http://www.gtp.gr)
Here are some pictures from my visit:
Last stop at The Mansion of Sophie de Plaisance.
In 1802, Sophie married Anne-Charles Lebrunthe eldest son of Charles-François Lebrun later duc de Plaisance (this last one who along with Napoleon Bonaparte had served as one of three Consuls of France from 1799-1804). The marriage was unhappy and the couple separated without ever taking divorce. Sophie lived in Italy while the Duc served as the Governor of Holland from 1811-1813.
Upon the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence, the Duchess and her daughter generously supported the Greek cause and in 1830, they moved to Nafplion, the capital of Greece at that time and she was reacquainted with the Greek leader John Capodistria whom she had met in Paris in 1826. She became an ardent financial supporter of public education. Eventually, she became an opponent of Capodistrias, and after a 17-month stay, she left for Italy. When Capodistrias was assassinated by Konstantinos Mavromichalis and his nephew Georgios Mavromichalis, she spoke out against the way Capodistrias had run the Greek government.
In 1834, the Duchess returned to Greece and settled in the new capital Athens. She purchased large amounts of agricultural land chiefly near Mt. Penteli, but all around Athens. She engaged the Greek architect, Stamatios Kleanthis to design a palace for her on the slopes of Mt. Penteli. Meanwhile, in 1836, the Duchess and her daughter traveled to Beirut, where Eliza died of pneumonia. Such was the sorrow of the Duchess that she had her daughter's body embalmed and returned to Athens where it was placed in a crypt under her temporary home on Peiraios Street.
Kleanthis completed the Tower of the Duchess of Plaisance in 1841 and then set to work on Villa Illisia, which was completed in 1848. Today the Villa Illisia is the site of the Byzantine Museum. A central fixture in the social life of Othonian Athens, the Duchess would host symposia on various topics of religion and politics in her palace. She was also known to dole out funds and titles of courtesy to those whom she found favorable. Something of an iconoclast, the Duchess rejected the prevailing faith, Greek Orthodoxy and instead converted to Judaism. She sponsored the building of a Jewish temple in Halkida, Euboea.
Later in life, she commissioned Kleanthis to begin the construction of a final home and resting place for her beloved daughter's remains, the Castle of Rododafni. She would never live to see the house completed. In 1847, it caught fire and was burned to the ground. After that, the Duchess withdrew from public life only agreeing to see her old friend, Fotini Mavromichali, Lady-in-waiting for Queen consort Amalia of Oldenburg . She died in 1854 and her nephew sold her lands to the Greek state. She is buried with her daughter in her Tower near Penteli. (By Wikipedia)
Here are a few pictures from my visit:
Kifissia or Kifisia is one of the most expensive northern suburbs of Athens, Greece, mainly accessed via Kifissias Avenue, running all the way from central Athens up to Theseos Avenue in the suburb of Nea Erythraia. It has traditionally been home to rich Greek families and major Greek political families. (By Wikipedia)
Kouvoutsakis Art Istitute.
Unfortunately, they didn't allow me to take any pictures, only one very quickly. I found it really awkward. I have been to many museums in Greece and abroad as well, never happened before.
Well, there is always a first time for everything. I have to say that when I asked, why you couldn't take any pictures they told me it has to do with the copyright and you can see the whole collection throught their website.
Next stop at Monastery of Penteli.
The Ceonobic Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Pendeli was founded in 1578 by Bishop Timotheos of Evripou (Evia), the memory of which honors our Church on 16 August. The Monastery is located roughly 18 kilometers from the center of Athens and is built in the Southern side of Pendeliko Mountain at altitude of around 430 meters.
The Holy Monastery from its founding until the end of the Turkish occupation was under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. During this time, Abbot Ierotheos of Pendeli Monastery travelled to Constantinople where he was able to secure the Stavropegaic merit of the Monastery from Patriarch Jeremias the B' (1572-1595) with a sigil, which unfortunately has not been recovered. A renewal of the Patriarchal privilege was granted by a second sigil from Patriarch Dionysius D' of Constantinople in the year 1678. In 1858 the Monastery came under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Church of Athens. The Sultans occasionally offered various firmans that guaranteed the privileges and the rights of the Monastery, though these firmans were often abolished resulting in continued pillages. Many were the times that the Holy Monastery bore witness to pillages such as during the fall of Athens to Morozini (1688-1690) and another that took place during the battles for independence against the Turks in 1821, were the pillage was the result of the Holy Monastery's contribution to the efforts for the independence of the nation.
In 1692 with a Patriarchal sigil the Monastery was amalgamated along with the Holy Monastery of Ntaou Pendeli and the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas Kalision. Today, however they are once again independent.
In 1778 the holy Monastery constituted the shelter for the residents of Athens, which along with their Metropolitan Gabriel of Athens remained on the grounds of the Monastery in order to avoid a horrible epidemic of plague which decimated a large part of population of Athens. These citizens were cared for by the Monastery for roughly two years.
The Holy Monastery was renovated in the year 1768 and in 1858 the building was extended in order to accommodate approximately 120 monks. During the time of Abbot Cyrillos B’ the main Church was repaired and decorated. Today in the Monahologio (a list of Monks serving the Monastery) of the Monastery there are 58 monks and hieromonks registered, 17 monks reside permanently in the Monastery and 1 is a postulant. The Monastery also includes monuments of significant traditional and historical value such as the Museum of the Monastery and the Main Church or Catholicon. (By http://www.gtp.gr)
Here are some pictures from my visit:
Last stop at The Mansion of Sophie de Plaisance.
In 1802, Sophie married Anne-Charles Lebrunthe eldest son of Charles-François Lebrun later duc de Plaisance (this last one who along with Napoleon Bonaparte had served as one of three Consuls of France from 1799-1804). The marriage was unhappy and the couple separated without ever taking divorce. Sophie lived in Italy while the Duc served as the Governor of Holland from 1811-1813.
Upon the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence, the Duchess and her daughter generously supported the Greek cause and in 1830, they moved to Nafplion, the capital of Greece at that time and she was reacquainted with the Greek leader John Capodistria whom she had met in Paris in 1826. She became an ardent financial supporter of public education. Eventually, she became an opponent of Capodistrias, and after a 17-month stay, she left for Italy. When Capodistrias was assassinated by Konstantinos Mavromichalis and his nephew Georgios Mavromichalis, she spoke out against the way Capodistrias had run the Greek government.
In 1834, the Duchess returned to Greece and settled in the new capital Athens. She purchased large amounts of agricultural land chiefly near Mt. Penteli, but all around Athens. She engaged the Greek architect, Stamatios Kleanthis to design a palace for her on the slopes of Mt. Penteli. Meanwhile, in 1836, the Duchess and her daughter traveled to Beirut, where Eliza died of pneumonia. Such was the sorrow of the Duchess that she had her daughter's body embalmed and returned to Athens where it was placed in a crypt under her temporary home on Peiraios Street.
Kleanthis completed the Tower of the Duchess of Plaisance in 1841 and then set to work on Villa Illisia, which was completed in 1848. Today the Villa Illisia is the site of the Byzantine Museum. A central fixture in the social life of Othonian Athens, the Duchess would host symposia on various topics of religion and politics in her palace. She was also known to dole out funds and titles of courtesy to those whom she found favorable. Something of an iconoclast, the Duchess rejected the prevailing faith, Greek Orthodoxy and instead converted to Judaism. She sponsored the building of a Jewish temple in Halkida, Euboea.
Later in life, she commissioned Kleanthis to begin the construction of a final home and resting place for her beloved daughter's remains, the Castle of Rododafni. She would never live to see the house completed. In 1847, it caught fire and was burned to the ground. After that, the Duchess withdrew from public life only agreeing to see her old friend, Fotini Mavromichali, Lady-in-waiting for Queen consort Amalia of Oldenburg . She died in 1854 and her nephew sold her lands to the Greek state. She is buried with her daughter in her Tower near Penteli. (By Wikipedia)
Here are a few pictures from my visit:
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