With its majestic marble façade and its celebrated statues, Greece’s highest home of scientific learning is a fine example of neoclassical design.
A short walk from the city centre will bring you to the imposing Academy of Athens, one of the most respected seats of higher learning in Greece. Admire the building’s fine neoclassical architecture paying close attention to the statues of both deities and historical icons. You will be hard pressed to find a more photogenic spot in all of Athens.
The Academy of Athens was constructed in the 19th century according to the neoclassical style. Its design was inspired by ancient Greek architecture, and the academy takes its name from the Academy of Plato, an exclusive society of learning founded in the 4th century B.C. by Plato himself. Now the academy is Greece’s most prestigious scientific institution, and the building where it is housed is considered to one of the world’s most exquisite examples of neoclassical architecture.
Approach the Academy of Athens from Panepistimiou Street to see the site in all its glory. Not for nothing is the site included in the neoclassical trilogy, a trio of buildings in central Athens that showcase the best of that particular design style. The structure consists of a central part and two wings, designed in adherence to the principles that ruled construction of temples in the ancient world.
Take in the grand marble façade, which is decorated with Ionic columns and bountiful sculptures. This element of the academy building was based on designs from the ancient Acropolis. Look closely at the relief sculptures that provide decoration to the structure. These were created over the course of more than a decade by a sculptor named Leonidas Drosis.
Head to the Academy’s entrance to see a depiction of the birth of Athena sculptured in the round. The eight smaller sections of the building’s two wings house a number of terracotta sculptures created by the Austrian sculptor Franz Melnitzky.
Statues of Plato and his mentor Socrates can be found in front of the building. Apollo and Athena are also present in sculpted form, each held high by a tall Ionic column.
The Academy of Athens is located a short walk from central Athens, nearby to the Acropolis. It is not open to the public, unfortunately, but it is well worth visiting to admire from the outside.
