Description:
Athens, the oldest and most famous city of Europe, presents part of her most recent History: the period commencing in 1832, when she was appointed capital of the newly-founded Modern Greek State by its first king, Otto. The tour of the Museum includes many other sectors of the History, Civilisation and Life of Athens (both past and contemporary). Several specific collections and typical sitting and living rooms of the Athenian 19th century aristocracy present a rich view of the life in Athens at the time.
THE FOUNDERS
The museum of the City of Athens bears the names of Lambros Eutaxias (1905-1996) and his uncle Alexandros Vouros (1871-1959), a high-ranking member of the Greek diplomatic corps. The former was the Museum's founder, aided in this venture by the latter's bequest, which included the building housing part of the Museum.
Lambros Eutaxias (pronounced Eftaxias) was born in 1905. He studied law, political and economic sciences in Athens, Vienna, Leipzig and Paris and was repeatedly elected a member of Greek Parliament, also holding a number of ministerial positions during the same period.
Lambros Eutaxias was also keenly interested in cultural issues and was a renowned art collector recognized by the art lovers throughout Europe. He was also a great lover of Athens and therefore collected everything related to the Greek capital with a passion. His efforts bore fruit in 1973, when he founded the Museum (a sort of a quasi-private collection at the beginning), which opened to the public in 1980 and, since 1990, has played an active role in the capital's cultural life. The wish of its founder was for the Museum to become not only a place suitable for exhibitions, but something more: a centre for artistic and intellectual activities, an achievement recognized by the accolade that the Academy of Athens' award represents.
Lambros Eutaxias had the good fortune of seeing his efforts crowned with success while still alive. Being very generous by nature, he also contributed to the foundation of the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron Mousikis).
HISTORY
The Vouros-Eutaxias Museum is the Museum of the City of Athens, situated in Klafthmonos Square in two of the capital's oldest and most beautiful buildings. The Museum's collections of paintings, engravings, sculptures, pieces of furniture and important relics of Modern Greek History present a panorama of the evolution of Athens since the Frankish domination.
Moreover, the Museum's building at 7 Paparrigopoulou Street, was the residence of Otto, first King of Greece, and his wife, Amalia, from 1837 up to 1843, a fact that explains why the mansion's first floor is dedicated to their memory. The careful restoration of the building and the discreet presentation of the royal couple's personal objects contribute to the revival of the romantic and heroic atmosphere that Otto and Amalia inspired in the country at the time.
The other building, located at 5 Paparrigopoulou Street and connected to the first by a covered bridge, was built by architect Gerasimos Metaxas in 1859. Today, it contains typical sitting and living rooms of the Athenian 19th century aristocracy and an art gallery presenting Athens in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
The museum was founded in 1973, but only opened to the public in 1980. The inauguration ceremony was attended, among others, by Franz-Josef Strauss, Prime Minister of Bavaria at the time, Constantine Mitsotakis and Athos Tsoutsos, Vice-President of the Greek State Council and later first President of the Museum's Board of Trustees.
On May 22, 2000, Mr. Constantine Stefanopoulos, President of the Hellenic Republic, inaugurated the Museum's new wing in the second building, at 5 Paparrigopoulou Street. |
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