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The Zappeion (Ζάππειον Μέγαρο) is the first building to be constructed for the revival of the modern Olympic Games. It sits between the National Garden and Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, Greece.
Origins of the Zappeion
Greek businessman Evangelis Zappas (1800-1865), who spent most of his life in Romania, drew inspiration from an 1833 poem written by Greek journalist Panagiotis Soutsos (1806-1868) about the revival of the ancient Olympic Games. In 1856, Zappas proposed a series of athletic contests to be organized in Athens on March 25, 1857. He sent an advance to cover the cost of the event, which would be called the First Zappeian Olympiad, and to construct a building to house an exhibition of Greek art and industry as well as antiquities. There was much initial opposition.
Zappas’ vision didn’t become reality until August 19, 1858, when a royal decree was published on the “constitution of the Olympia”. The Zappas Olympics were finally held on November 15, 1859, at Ludwig Square (now Koumoundourou Square) in Athens. All the participants were from Greece or the Greek diaspora. They competed in running, discus, javelin, wrestling, jumping, and pole climbing.
Unfortunately, Zappas died in 1865, but in his will he left a vast part of his fortune to fund the continuation of the games in four year intervals. He also named his cousin, Konstantinos Zappas (1814-1892), in charge of building a structure as close to the Panathenaic Stadium as possible and other permanent facilities.
The Zappas Olympics were held three more times, in 1870, 1875, and 1888. An excavated and restored Panathenaic Stadium held the 1870 and 1875 games.
The Building
In 1869, the Greek government allocated 80,000 square meters of public land for the construction of the Zappeion. The cornerstone was laid on January 20, 1874. After many delays, it opened to the public on October 20, 1888. The building was designed in the Neoclassical style by Danish architect Theophil Hansen (1813-1891).
The Zappeion contains a Corinthian portico and 25 halls. They range in size from 97 square meters (1,044 square feet) to 984 square meters (10,592 square feet). The circular atrium is surrounded by 32 columns and the center is open to the sky. A box containing the head of Evangelis Zappas was built into one of the walls off the atrium.
Statues of Evangelis and Konstantinos Zappas flank the entrance while their portraits hang on opposite sides of the main foyer.
Uses of the Building
The Zappeion served as the fencing hall for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and as the Olympic Village for the 1906 Intercalated Games. The first state radio station began operating there on May 21, 1938, and remained there until 1970. In 1940, it was converted into a hospital, and the following year it was taken over by the Nazis who used it as a storehouse. In 1944 it became a barracks and was also bombed. There was talk of demolishing the building after World War II, but fortunately it was restored in 1960.
More recently, from 1998 to 1999 it hosted the organizing committee (ATHOC) for the 2004 Olympic Games and served as the press center during games. It’s now used as a conference and exhibition center as well as a venue for both public and private meetings and receptions.
Zappeion Gardens
The beautiful Zappeion Gardens surround the building. They’re made up of 83,000 square meters of planted area, 41,000 square meters of paved surfaces, and 2,400 square meters of atriums and patios. The gardens were designed by Theophil Hansen and the first trees were planted in 1857.
The fountain was donated in 1932 by American contractors Ulen & Company, who also installed the irrigation system. In addition to the fountain, there’s also a playground.
Statues at the Zappeion Gardens
Several statues decorate the gardens. Among the most popular are the statue of national benefactor Ioannis Varvakis (1745-1825) by Leonidas Drosis (1836-1882) and Fishing Boy, which sits just west of the building.
Lord Byron Statue
At the southwest corner of the gardens is a statue of British poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), a hero of the Greek Revolution. It was commissioned in 1888 by Dimitrios Scalitsis, the president of the Society of Friends of Lord Byron. French sculptor Henri Chapu (1833-1891), executed the design and began work on the statue, but he died before it was completed. Alexandre Falguière (1831-1900) took over and finished it in 1895. The statue depicts a female figure representing Greece holding a palm branch above Byron’s head, symbolizing his immortality.
Alexander the Great Statue
Opposite the Lord Byron statue at the intersection outside the gardens is an equestrian statue of Alexander the Great. It stands 3.5 meters high and was completed in 1972 by Greek sculptor Yiannis Pappas (1913-2005). The Greek government acquired the statue in 1992, but didn’t install it until April 2019.
Cine Aegli
Cine Aegli is an open-air cinema east of the Zappeion. It’s one of the oldest of its kind in Athens and first operated in 1903. The cinema is used during the summer and is next to the Aegli restaurant.
Roman Baths
On the west side of the Zappeion Gardens, best seen along Queen Amalia Avenue, are the remains of a Roman bath complex. They were discovered during the construction of a ventilation shaft for the Athens Metro. The ruins continue east into the gardens and west under Queen Amalia Avenue.
The bath complex was established in the late 3rd or early 4th century. It was later destroyed, then repaired and enlarged in the 5th or 6th century. Visible are the remains of the caldarium (hot baths) and tepidarium (warm baths) as well as an underground passage to two furnaces. Wall paintings were also discovered.
During the Byzantine period, the baths were converted to warehouses to store cereals. Large clay jugs were sunk into the floors. One of these rooms on the south side of the site was restored.
