The city centre square where lawns lie, trees sway and parliament lives – as does the changing of the guard.
While the centre of gravity for ancient Athens – with its temples and forums, crumbling ruins and shiny new museums – is the Acropolis, for the modern city of Athens it is Syntagma Square. This 18th century square, fronting the Greek Parliament, has been the focus of much of the political turmoil that has gripped Greece since it became independent in 1832. It's where the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior sits solemnly, and where the changing of the guard is a uniquely Greek spectacle. It is also at the buzzing centre of Athens, a tree-line square where Athenians come to meet, greet and eat.
The name comes from the Greek for 'constitution'. It was here, in front of the Royal Palace, that the Greeks demanded – and got – a new constitution from their Bavarian King Otto, in 1843. His Palace, built in the Neoclassical style, is now the Greek Parliament and still dominates the square. Somewhat ironic, when you realize its Neoclassical style, so loved by the north Europeans, was inspired by Ancient Greece – which they then brought back to the heart of Athens.
Syntagma Square is also where crowds gather to watch the changing of the guard – the evzones, with their striking uniform – adding to the bustle of the place. The recently refurbished Syntagma Metro Station, also one of Athenians' pride and joys, opens out here too. The crowds can get a little more boisterous than just busy commuters, though. With the Parliament fronting the Square, Syntagma has been the focus of repeated demonstrations from 2010 until 2012, over the Euro-crisis.
Those have subsided now, but in many ways are as important a part of Syntagma Square, as its buildings and parks. After all, Athens is the capital city that birthed democracy – and the ancient Athenians would surely approve a little bit of heckling of the modern-day parliament.
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