The Apollo Theater is a building with a long history completely connected to the history of Syros and its culture. From the first moment of the founding of Ermoupolis, there was a need for the construction of a theater that would host both events and troupes. The initiative for its construction was taken by Mich. Salvagos.
On October 30, 1861, the Municipal Council accepted his proposal and unanimously decided to build a theater and a club in the central square of Ermoupolis. There were, of course, many reactions to this decision. He was still trying to heal his wounds, and I had a multitude of needs.
The foundation of the Apollo Theater on the plot of the theater square, near the central square of the island, was made at the end of 1862. The plans were edited by the architect P.Sampo who then worked as an architect in the Municipality of Ermoupolis. The operation of the Municipal Theater named APOLLO with the presence of the inspirer of the construction, Mich. Salvagou, began on April 20, 1864, with Vigi's Rigoletto.
As for the Apollo Theater, it is widely believed that it is a miniature of the La Scala in Milan, but this is not so accurate. Its architecture has been influenced by Italian standards and its design is influenced by at least Italian standards, the La Scala. Milan (1776), the renovated San Carlo Theater (1816) in Naples, the Castelfranco Academic Theater (1745) and finally the Teatro della Pergola in Florence (1755). On the other hand, the vaulted ceiling supports the French model. Regardless of its architectural quality, however, the building was not characterized by its solidity, as in 1874 it already needed a general repair. New repairs followed in 1881.1890 (seats and stage) and 1896 (general).
During the Greek-Italian war the theater was abused, it became a cinema and in the years that followed it never returned to its original state, although after the war some theatrical performances were given, with the leading one being Marika Kotopouli who gave the last performance of her life on March 24, 1953. During the 1950s the theater was deemed unsuitable for operation, while in 1959 the Municipality decided to renovate it. Its general repair finally began in 1970, but caused a major alteration inside.
Nowadays the work of its complete restoration has been completed as faithful as possible to its original form. Important was the contribution of the associations "Theatrical Cultural Club of Syros Apollo" founded in 1977 and "Artistic Club of Souris" ( 1978) who with their action and the presentation of performances in the concrete theater aroused the interest of the public. The Apollo Theater today is a unique gem for Ermoupolis which hosts many cultural events as well as the Aegean Festival.
