Upgrades and renovations to the Acropolis were discussed during the 7th International Meeting for the restoration of the Acropolis Monuments, organised by the Acropolis Monuments Preservation Service (YSMA) and the Acropolis Monuments Conservation Committee (ESMA), in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities and the Acropolis Museum.
The three-day meeting, which ended on Saturday, 13 November, focused on repairs and restorations currently taking place at the old Acropolis Museum.
Greece’s Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said that her ministry was focused on renovations of the old Acropolis Museum located at the ancient site. “This is the most prominent building in Athens – in the immediate vicinity and conversation with the Parthenon,” she said. “This building is planned to host exhibitions, modern, innovative, high standards, conventional and digital.
“The digital revival program using artificial intelligence that we launched yesterday in Ancient Olympia, shows the way.”
Koletti House at 3 Polygnotou Street will also be renovated to function as a Documentation Center for the Acropolis Works within the framework of works from the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF 2014-2020). The project, budgeted at 3,300,000 euros, was included in the Ministry of Public Investment Program in April 2021, and is in the final stage of selecting a contractor. The Documentation Centre will be named after the late architect Charalambos Bouras to honour the Chairman of the Acropolis Monuments Conservation Committee for many years. Mr Bouras had devoted much of his life to the Acropolis.
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Apart from Koletti Mansion, real estate currently owned by the Ministry of Culture in Plaka will be restored. Adjacent to the mansion, the property on Dioskouron Street will accommodate the Odysseys Elytis Archive, Ms Mendoni said.
Works to restore the Acropolis monuments will continue, and cost 10 million euros, and the implementation body of the Acropolis Monuments Preservation Service joined the Fund for Recovery and Resilience.
Greece’s Secretary General of Culture, George Didaskalos, referred to the importance of the restoration works being carried out in compliance with the principles of the Charter of Venice and the International Conventions and the upgrading of infrastructure. He said progress had been impeded by the COVID-19 pandemic, and gave an analysis of the works.