Acropolis - Acropoli

Acropolis (Athens)
State	Greece
Region	Attica

Acropolis of Athens, together with its immediate surroundings, constitutes the main attraction located at center of the Greek capital and also one of the largest in the world, recognized as a World Heritage Site by theUNESCO in 1987.

To know

The Acropolis of Athens seen from the Pnyx hill

This article describes the neighborhoods on the south side of the Acropolis and on the Acropolis itself.

Background

The archaeological evidence found in the acropolis (which was also known as Cecropia in honor of the legendary snake-man Cecrops, the first Athenian king) date back to the Archaic period and therefore it is attested that imposing buildings stood on the acropolis at the end of the 7th century BC, a time when the walls dating back to the Mycenaean age (XVI-XII century BC) lost their defensive importance. In the first half of the 6th century BC, after the expulsion of the Pisistratids, the acropolis ceased to be a fortress.

The ancient fortifications, constructions, Templar buildings and statues were destroyed during the Persian occupation of 480 BC. The Athenians' first reconstruction efforts focused on the most useful works. The walls and ramparts were rebuilt under the rule of Themistocles and Cimon. During the time of Pericles to celebrate the victory over the Persians and the political, economic and cultural primacy of Athens, the reconstruction of the acropolis was carried out, with the construction of the Parthenon - inside which a colossal statue of Athena Parthenos was erected, made by the sculptor Phidias and now lost -, of the Propylaea and later of the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike.

The Venetian siege of 1687

In the late Roman Empire the Parthenon was transformed into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In the Middle Ages the acropolis was transformed into a military fortress first by the Franks and then by the Turks. In 1687 the Venetians bombed the Acropolis, causing extensive damage to the Parthenon, which, as it contained gunpowder deposits, blew up.

During the Ottoman domination, the Acropolis and in particular the Parthenon were stripped of most of the marbles that adorned the pediments and of the metopes by Lord Elgin, who brought them to England. In the nineteenth century the first excavations and restorations of the temples began, which led to sensational discoveries, such as the famous archaic statues of girls, the Kore. Most of the finds are exhibited in the Acropolis Museum.

In recent decades, the Greek government has undertaken a systematic restoration of the monuments, with the integration of many missing parts starting from the fragments.

How to orient yourself

Athens - Acropolis area with blue metro stations: full screen map.

Neighborhoods

The neighborhoods of Plaka is Monastiraki are described in the article dedicated to Syntagma square

• 37.97623.71791 Thision (Theseus in Italian) is an old quarter under the Asteroskopeio (the hill on top of which the old astronomical observatory stands. Usually tourists go there a little before nightfall to admire the splendid sunsets over the acropolis. tourist is the street Iraklidon, a pedestrian area surrounded by old houses transformed into bars and restaurants.
• 37.970823.712 Petralona it is a popular neighborhood, just beyond the Thisio but without the charm of this one. It is mentioned only because there are some taverns very popular with Athenians and with moderate prices close to the metro tracks. There are few foreign visitors who venture there as it is easily accessible by metro.
• 37.968623.72643 Makrygianni or also Acropolis is the residential neighborhood on the other side of the "Dionisyou Areopagitou" avenue where the new Acropolis museum is located. At the metro and tram stop Phix is situated 37.9649823.726521 Drakou a pedestrian street full of clubs, bars and restaurants very popular with young people.
• 37.963723.72234 Koukaki it is the district a little further south, bordered by Viale Andrea Singroù. It has the advantage of being in an elevated position with respect to the center and of preserving neoclassical houses transformed into bars, restaurants and pleasant B & Bs.
• 37.955323.72685 Neos Kosmos it is a neighborhood with no particular interest but with many luxury hotels and numerous night clubs. It is served by metro line 2.

How to get

The district is served by two metro stations:

• 37.96897323.7295192 The Acropolis stop line it is not exactly at the entrance to the Acropolis and you will have to walk a little to reach it. This line comes from the Larissis railway station and on continuing it stops at Omonia, Panepistimio, Syntagma square, while the following ones are "Fix / Syngroù" from the name of the brewery no longer in operation on Viale Andrea Syngrù and Neos Kosmos.
• 37.97673723.7206863 The Thissio stop line instead it is on the old line that goes from Kifisià to Piraeus. The next stop is Petralona. Note that this line has intermediate stops at Olympic stadium in Athens (Irini station)

The easiest way to get to the Acropolis district from the airport is to take a line train until Syntagma and then change with a train of the line getting off at the next stop.

How to get around

Inside the acropolis you can clearly move on foot, while as far as the district is concerned it is widely served by public transport.

What see

On the Acropolis

The entrance of theAcropolis of Athens it is located on the western side. After a short but steep ascent of the hill on foot, you enter the esplanade passing through the Propylaea, climbing the staircase. The map below shows the main archaeological remains (described below) and the route mentioned Peripatos, the ancient road located at the foot of the Acropolis that connected the numerous sanctuaries that stood on the slopes of the fortress, making a circular route, now restored for tourism purposes.

After visiting the top of the fortress with the remains of the main monuments and then descending again, it is possible to travel along the Peripatos, in particular for the southern part of the acropolis. Finally, it is advisable to visit the new Acropolis Museum, located a few hundred meters to the south-east, in the Makrigianni district.

Admission to the acropolis is € 20 full ticket, reduced 10 €. Further information can be found at official greek site.

You can buy a special package at € 30 full price and € 15, more information in the box on the side.

Free admission on days:

• March 6
• April 18
• May 18
• Last weekend of September
• October 28
• Every first Sunday from November 1st to March 31st.

Entrance fees to archaeological areas:

• 37.97136323.7234634 West acropolis entrance Mon-Sun 08: 00-17: 00.
• 37.96961323.7290035 South acropolis entrance Mon-Sun 08: 00-15: 00 (1 Nov-31 Mar), Tue-Sun 08: 00-19: 30, Mon 11: 00-19: 30 (31 Mar-31 Oct)

The Propylaea

• 37.97172223.7251391 Propylaea. They constitute the monumental entrance to the Acropolis of Athens. Their construction began in 437 BC, but they were never completed. By extension, other monuments based on the same typology have also been called "propylaea"; the structure of the Propylaea in particular served as a model in the neoclassical age (19th century).

The monumental access to the sacred area of ​​the Acropolis of Athens was built on a project by the architect Mnesicle between 437 BC. and 432 BC However, the following year, at the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, the works were interrupted and never completed. The monument, in white Pentelic marble and gray Eleusinian stone, is part of the great reconstruction works of the Acropolis promoted by Pericles.

The propylaea in 2018

The structure consists of a central body with two lateral wings, one to the north (called the Pinacoteca) and one to the south (a simple portico). The facade of the central body is decorated with six Doric columns similar in proportion, but not in size, to those of the Parthenon; the central pair of columns is further apart to leave more space for the chariot of the solemn procession of the Panathenaeus, in honor of the goddess Athena Poliàs, protector of the city.

Outside the structure is unmistakably Doric in style while inside there are columns and elements of Ionic style. The harmonization of these two styles in a single building required great skill.

The project had to overcome considerable technical difficulties, mainly due to the steep slope of the passage. The central body was the real entrance, closed between two Doric facades with six columns. Of the four rooms that were to occupy the two wings, only the north-west one was created, the Pinacoteca, where paintings of mythological subjects were collected.

The Propylaea were partially destroyed in 1656 by an explosion of the Turkish ammunition that was stored there.  

Facade of the Parthenon

• 37.97152723.7266012 Parthenon. This temple, octastyle, peripteral (with eight columns on the facade, surrounded by a colonnade) of Doric order, was dedicated to the goddess Athena and is the most famous find of ancient Greece; it has been lauded as the finest achievement of classical Greek architecture and its decorations are considered to be some of the greatest elements of Greek art. The Parthenon is an enduring symbol of ancient Greece and Athenian democracy and is undoubtedly one of the greatest cultural monuments in the world.

The name of the Parthenon derived from the monumental chryselephantine cult statue (covered in gold and ivory) made by Phidias, which depicted the goddess Athena Parthénos, who was housed in the eastern room of the building and was about 12 m high.

The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BC, on the initiative of the Athenian general Pericles, by the architect Ictino, as a continuation of a project already started with Kallikrates under Cimon. The construction took place under the close supervision of the sculptor Fidia. The Parthenon replaced the older temple of Athena Poliàs, which had been destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC, at the time of Xerxes, and of which the foundations still exist.

The southern side of the Parthenon

The construction of the Parthenon began in 447 BC. and was substantially completed around 438 BC, but the work on the decorations continued at least until 432 BC. We know that the greatest expense was the transport of the stone from Mount Pentelicus, about 16 kilometers from Athens, to the Acropolis. The funds were partly drawn from the Delian League treasure, which was moved from the Panhellenic sanctuary of Delos to the Acropolis in 454 BC. Like most Greek temples, the Parthenon was in fact used as a treasury and, in fact, served as the treasury of the Delian league, which later became the Athenian Empire.

In the 6th century the temple was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary; after the Turkish conquest it was converted into a mosque. In 1687, during the siege of Athens by the Republic of Venice, the Parthenon was hit by a cannon which caused the gunpowder deposited there to explode; the explosion seriously damaged the temple and its sculptures.

In the 19th century, the British Lord Elgin removed some of the remaining sculptures and brought them to England; known today as Elgin marbles, are on display at the British Museum: the Greek government and part of the international community have been requesting their return home for many years.

The Parthenon, together with the other buildings on the Acropolis, is today one of the most visited archaeological sites in Greece. The Greek Ministry of Culture thanks to funding for the 2004 Olympic Games and funding from theUNESCO, inaugurated an impressive restoration project, which is still in progress.

Parthenon friezes in the British Museum

The new Acropolis Museum (opened in 2009 at the foot of the fortress) collects all the fragments of the frieze in the possession of the Greek government, in an architectural space that reconstructs the exact dimensions and orientation of the Parthenon.

The entire frieze was conceived to be read from the south-west corner: the viewer from this corner could choose whether to head north, or head directly east. From the south-west corner of the frieze, therefore, two processions start and go around the cell to then merge on the east side (that of the entrance to the temple), at the center of which is represented the gesture of handing over the Peplos to the goddess Athena. The host of gods and heroes attends the gesture of handing over.

All the figures of the frieze were represented by Phidias in an idealized way, as if all the characters were inhabitants of a transcendent dimension of eternal celebration and joy. This overall effect of divine aura is given by the choice of young subjects, whose expressions do not show fatigue, although many are engaged in some action (such as carrying amphorae or riding), but solemn joy.

Reconstruction of the Parthenon frieze

• 37.97209623.7264723 Erechtheum. Ionic temple of the 5th century BC, it was a sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Athena Poliàs or Poliade (protector of the city), linked to archaic cults and to the most ancient memories of the legendary history of Athens, constituting the true sacred nucleus of the Acropolis and of the whole city.

The loggia with the Caryatids

The Erechtheion was built to replace the archaic temple (6th century BC) having the same votive function of which the foundations between the more recent building and the Parthenon remain; in Roman times the new building took the name of "Eretteo". Built in Pentelic marble, the Erechtheion is the work of the architect Filocles. Its construction was begun by Alcibiades in 421 BC. in a moment of relative peace, to be interrupted during the expedition to Sicily (Peloponnesian War) and resumed in the years 409-407 BC.

The temple consists of a rectangular amphiprostyle body (ie with columns in the front and rear of the temple), with six Ionic columns on the east front; to the west the intercolumns (spaces between the columns) are closed by partitions with large windows and the columns appear on the outside as raised semi-columns on the 3-meter wall built to overcome the unevenness of the ground. The interior was divided into two cells at different levels and not communicating with each other: the eastern one, higher, which was accessed from the hexastyle pronaos, which housed Palladio, and the lower western one, divided into three rooms: a vestibule common gave access to two twin rooms that housed the cults of Poseidon and the mythical king Erechtheum.

The whole building of the erechtheion

The loggia with the Caryatids to the south, which houses the tomb of King Cecrops, and a portico to the north, more protruding than the central body towards the west, built to protect the salt water pool made by Poseidon. The portico consists of four columns on the front and two on the side; from here you can access both the cell for the cult of Poseidon and Erechtheus, and an open-air area in front of the full base that supports the semi-columns of the western front, where the olive tree of Athena and the tomb of Pandroso (Pandroseion ).

The columns are particularly slender and elegant and the temple was adorned with a refined decoration: the bases of the columns, the decorative band that surmounts and runs along the walls of the central body with a motif of lotus flowers and palmettes; the continuous frieze along the outside of the building, in dark Eleusinian stone, on which figures sculpted in white marble were applied. Particularly rich are the decorations of the north portico, in the intertwining of the columns and in the ornamental frieze of the entrance door. Gilded bronzes, gilding, glass pearls in four colors emphasized the richness of the elevation.

The statues of the Caryatids, perhaps the work of the sculptor Alcamene, are currently replaced by copies, while the originals are kept sheltered in the Acropolis Museum. One of the angular caryatids, removed by Lord Elgin, is in the British Museum of London.  

The Temple of Athena Nike in 2016

• 37.971523.72494 Temple of Athena Nike. It is located on the west side of the acropolis, near the Propylaea, a few meters from the edge of the overhanging rocks that characterize the Acropolis. Probably built around 425 BC. in Ionic order, it is a tetrastyle amphiprostyle temple (with four free columns on the front and on the back) decorated in the friezes with precious bas-reliefs that tell the story of a battle between Greeks and one between Greeks and Persians (probably Marathon).

Battle between Greeks and Orientals, block from the southern temple frieze, ca. 425 BC

This magnificent example of classical architecture, likely the work of the architect Callicrates, co-author of the Parthenon, is the first (and only) fully Ionic building on the Acropolis (all other buildings feature original Ionic and Doric). Around 410 BC it was surrounded by a balustrade carved with Nike motifs caught in various activities (the famous one tying up a sandal) which also served to prevent visitors to the temple from falling over the precipice; the reliefs are now preserved in the Acropolis museum.

Under the Turkish domination the temple was dismantled and the stones reused in 1687 to build a defensive bastion; the latter remained on the site of the ancient temple until the independence of Greece, when the highly symbolic reconstruction of the chapel was decided in 1831; the temple has been dismantled again twice (in 1930 and 1998) to allow the restoration of the stones and the integration of other pieces found in subsequent excavations; still in 2010 numerous original parts of the building were integrated.  

Temples no longer existing

Traces of the foundations of the temple of Athena Poliàs (foreground) in front of the Erechtheion

• 37.97194423.7263895 Ancient temple of Athena Poliàs. Next to the Parthenon, in front of the Erechtheion, lie the foundations of the ancient temple of Athena Poliàs, an archaic temple destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC, which was the sanctuary of Athena Poliàs (or Poliade), the patron deity of the city of Athens , being then replaced by the Parthenon. The temple contained the ancient xoanon or wooden statue of Athena, believed to have fallen from heaven.

The building was located right in the center of the Acropolis plateau, probably on the remains of a Mycenaean palace. The complex (sometimes described as "Dörpfeld foundations" after the name of the archaeologist who first studied it) was also nicknamed ekatónpedon, or "temple of 100 feet". It measured 21.3 by 43.15 meters, with an east-west orientation, and was surrounded by a peristasis of 6 by 12 columns. The sculptures of the pediments depicted a gigantomachy in the eastern part (of which some figures have been preserved) and a scene of lions killing a bull in the west.  

Reconstruction of the statue of Athena Promachos

• 37.971823.72576 Statue of Athena Promachos. It was a colossal statue of Athena created by the famous sculptor Phidias, which has now disappeared. Only the position in which it was stored remains.  
• 37.97368623.72467 Eleusinion. Ancient temple dedicated to the Eleusinian mysteries no longer present today.  
• 37.971523.72558 Sanctuary of Artemide Brauronia (Brauroneion). It was a sanctuary dedicated to Artemis Brauronia  
• 37.97134323.7257759 Calcoteca. It was a building located on the Acropolis of Athens used as a deposit for bronzes, weapons and the beaks of ships, as well as for sacred furniture and precious offerings from the sanctuaries of the Acropolis.  

The space of the Pandroseion

• 37.97194423.72611110 Pandroseion (Pandroso Sanctuary) (West of the Erechtheion). It was a sanctuary of the Acropolis of Athens dedicated to w: Pandroso, one of the daughters of w: Cecrops, the mythical first king of Attica. An olive tree has been added according to the local tradition.  
• 37.972223.72611 Arrephorion (House of the arrefore). It was a small building located in the northern part of the Acropolis. The building provided accommodation for the arrefore, four girls, between seven and eleven years old, each year chosen from among the most distinguished families by the Archon King. Of the four girls, two worked for a whole year to weave the new peplos for the processions. Panathenaic. The other two had the task of carrying the sacred vessels of the goddess during the Arreforie, festivities that were held in Athens in the month of June-July of each year.  
• 37.9718823.7268112 Altar of Athena Poliàs. Only the base of this altar remains, which was used for several temples later built in the center of the Acropolis. Here the cults in honor of the gods were carried out, offering animal sacrifices.  
• 37.971823.727313 Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus. It was an ancient sanctuary of which only a few traces remain.  
• 37.971423.72814 Pandion sanctuary. It was a sacred enclosure located east of the Parthenon dedicated to the legendary king of Athens Pandion.  

South side of the Acropolis (Via Dionigi Areopagita)

The hate of Herodes Atticus

• 37.97084323.72452415 Odeo of Herodes Atticus. The Odéion of Herodes Atticus is a small stone theater located on the southern slope of the acropolis, originally covered and intended for musical performances. Built starting in 161 and completed before 174, it was erected by the very wealthy Greek politician and sophist Herod Atticus in memory of his wife Appia Annia Regilla, who was perhaps killed by his own order.

It was originally a sloping amphitheater, the stage of which measured 35m wide, with a stone front wall and wooden floor. It was protected by a wooden cover. It was used as a meeting place for musical concerts. The steps, arranged in 32 rows, could hold 5 thousand people. The construction work lasted about ten years. The theater was destroyed in 267, following the invasion of the Heruli. In the fifties the auditorium and the "orchestra" (the current stage) were restored, using white and cipollino marble. Since then the theater has always been one of the major auditoriums of the Athenian Festival, which takes place every year from June to September.  

The stoà seen from the peripatum

• 37.97055623.72611116 Stoa of Eumenes. The Stoà or portico of Eumenes was a covered passage for public use (stoà) located between the Odeo of Herodes Atticus and the Theater of Dionysus. It takes its name from its builder, Eumenes II (whose brother Attalus II built the Stoa of Attalus in the agora of Athens, probably commissioning it to the same architect). Today the base remains of the stoa, which is flanked by the Peripatos route.

The stoa of Eumenes was built on the slope of the hill, which meant that it needed a retaining wall supported by pillars and round arches. It was two-story, 46 meters longer than Attalus' Stoa and, unlike it, had no rooms beyond its double-aisled main classroom, meaning it was designed for strolling rather than conducting business. Originally it had a marble facade; its arches were incorporated into the Byzantine defensive wall of 1060 and are still visible. It had Doric columns on the outside, while inside it featured Ionic columns on the ground floor and chalice capitals (also called parchment-type) on the upper floor.

In front of the building, in the center of the portico and the esplanade, stood an immense statue which is believed to be that of the client. At the end of the stoà are located the foundations of the Monument of Nicias of 320 BC, which had the shape of a small Doric temple.  

Remains of the Sanctuary of Asclepius

• 37.9707823.7268117 Sanctuary of Asclepius (Asclepieion). It was a temple built around 420 BC. on the southern slopes of the Acropolis, under the Parthenon and immediately behind the Stoà of Eumenes and the Theater of Dionysus. The cult of the god of medicine to whom it was dedicated, Asclepius, had been brought to Athens from Epidaurus after 420 BC. The sanctuary was dedicated to the healing of the sick and also had hospital functions. The sanctuary had a square enclosure, a temple and a 50 meter long Doric stoà with a double gallery separated by a row of columns, built in the 4th century BC. In the portico there is a grotto (currently converted into a chapel) with a spring. still considered curative.

The nucleus of the Asclepeion (the stoà and the temple) were incorporated into an early Christian basilica.  

• 37.97055623.72861118 Odeo of Pericles (Odeo of Athens). It was a 4000 m² odéo built at the southeastern base of the Acropolis, next to the entrance to the Theater of Dionysus.

It was built in 435 BC. from Pericles for the musical competitions that were part of the Panathenae, for the public of the adjacent theater as a shelter in case of bad weather and for choir rehearsals. Few remains now survive, but it appears to have been "adorned with stone columns" (according to Vitruvius and Plutarch) and square instead of the usual circular shape for an odéon. Its roof was made with timber obtained from captured Persian ships and ended in a square with a pyramidal roof similar to a tent.

According to the excavations, the roof was supported by 90 internal pillars, divided into nine rows of ten. From some other short literary passages and from the few remains of this type of building it can also be concluded that it had an orchestra for the choir and a stage for the musicians. It required no scene changes, but the back wall of the stage appears to have a fixed painted decoration. The original Odeo of Athens was burned during the siege of Silla in Athens in the First Mithridatic War in 87-86 BC, either by Silla himself or by his opponent Aristion for fear that Sulla would use his timber to burn the Acropolis . It was then completely rebuilt by Ariobarzane II of Cappadocia, using C. and M. Stallio and Menalippo as his architects. The new building was defined by Pausanias in the 2nd century AD. as "the most beautiful of all the structures of the Greeks".  

The theater of Dionysus seen from the acropolis

• 37.97027823.72777819 Theater of Dionysus. It is the oldest permanent theater in the whole classical world. It was used by the most important Greek theater authors (Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides for tragedy, Aristophanes and Menander for comedy), who staged their texts on the occasion of the festivities dedicated to Dionysus, god of the theater. It was built in the early 5th century BC. close to the sanctuary of Dionysus. Next to the entrance stood the Odeo of Pericles. In a period that can be placed between the end of the fifth century BC and 330 BC, the theater gradually assumed the following appearance: the stage was introduced, raised above the orchestra and connected to it by some steps. The actors acted on the stage, while the orchestra, further down, was reserved for the choir. Stone steps were also built to replace the previous wooden ones, divided into sectors corresponding to the wealth and nobility of the spectators. The central seat of the first tier, a richly decorated marble seat, was reserved for the priest of Dionysus.

Seats of the theater of Dionysus

It seems that the theater of Dionysus could even hold 15,000 spectators. In the 6th and 5th centuries BC the theater of Dionysus was undoubtedly the most important in the entire Greek world, since all the greatest authors of the time staged their plays there.

At that time the theater consisted of an orchestra with a diameter of 25 meters, in which the actors and the choir performed. Probably there was no stage reserved for the actors, so the latter and the choir were on the same level, thus being able to interact. Behind the actors stood there skené, that is some wooden panels where a landscape or a building was represented (the setting of the work).

The theater was used at least until the period of the Roman Empire (and it is to this period that most of the ruins visible today date back), but later it fell into disuse, to the point of being buried by the ground and vegetation. From the Byzantine period, the entire complex was completely destroyed. It was brought to light thanks to the excavations of the archaeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld, between 1882 and 1895.  

The remains of the sanctuary of Dionysus

• 37.96998923.7278420 Sanctuary of Dionysus (Temenos of Dionysus Eleuthereus). The Temenos of Dionysus Eleutereus was a sanctuary located on the southern slopes of the Acropolis. Built in the second half of the sixth century BC, adjacent to it was built the Theater of Dionysus, originally born for worship functions.

The sanctuary was enclosed with a polygonal wall, which developed throughout the area behind the stage of the theater.

The entrance to the sanctuary consisted of a small columned building (propylon) on the eastern side. The main temple was prostyle (that is, it had columns only on the facade) with four columns. Next to it is a second smaller Doric temple. Almost in contact with this small temple, there was a long stoà (arcaded path) leaning against the scenic building of the theater of Dionysus.

The sanctuary was begun towards the middle of the 6th century BC, when the cult of Dionysus was introduced to Athens by importing the wooden statue (xoanon) of the god from Eleutere and placing it in a small temple built on temenos (sacred ground) consecrated to the god.

A second one was added to the archaic temple in the 4th century BC, also dedicated to Dionysus. Also part of the sanctuary was a large stoa on which the stage building of the theater later leaned.

A circular open space began to be used near the temple, during the feast in honor of the god, for the ritual dithyrambic dance which was performed in a circle by men masked as goats, while the crowd watched from the slopes of the hill. The officiants danced around an altar.

The theater developed in Attica in the Archaic period precisely as a form of dramatic representation in close connection with the cult of Dionysus. The theatrical space was an indispensable architectural element of any sanctuary of Dionysus of some importance. Theatrical spaces have been found in all the demi of Attica, always connected to sanctuaries where the cult of Dionysus was strong. The festivities to the god were characterized by the massive use of wine, in particular in the drama from which the comedy would later develop: the satyric drama, linked to alcoholic intoxication.

The word theatron it was first coined by the Athenians to indicate the theater in the sanctuary of Dionysus Eleutereus. The expansion with steps and stage (scene) occurred only in the fifth century BC.

The area of ​​the theater and the sanctuary was the subject of careful excavations between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century by the German archaeologists Wilhelm Dörpfeld and Ernst Robert Fiechter, who brought to light the ruins visible today.  

Monumenti lungo il peripato (versante nord-est)

Fonte micenea

• 37.972523.72611121 Fonte micenea. La fonte micenea era posta sul lato nord delle mura dell'acropoli ad un livello superiore rispetto al peripato. Oggi è appena visibile la cavità che in passato era raggiungibile attraverso una scala in pietra costruita dagli stessi micenei. Oggi resta ben poco salvo l'indicazione della posizione.  

Un tratto del Peripatos

• 37.97166723.72861122 Peripatos. E' un'antica via ai piedi dell'Acropoli che collegava i numerosi santuari che sorgevano alle pendici secondo un percorso circolare attorno alla rocca. Il percorso è stato ripristinato in preparazione alle olimpiadi del 2004, partendo dal versante occidentale giunge fino a nord dell'Odeo di Pericle. Collega inoltre il Teatro di Dioniso, passando a fianco della Stoà di Eumene.

Sul versante orientale dell'Acropoli si trova un'iscrizione del IV secolo a.C., indicante il nome del percorso e la sua lunghezza di cinque stadi e diciotto piedi, corrispondenti a circa 1100 metri.  

Fonte Clepshydra

• 37.97208323.72505623 Fonte Clepshydra. Si tratta della più importante fonte dell'Acropoli, costruita nel V secolo a.C. e posta nel punto in cui la via del Peripato si congiungeva con quella Panatenaica. Oltre alla fonte vi era un lastricato di 24x10 m sulla cui funzione ancora si discute. Il suo uso probabilmente si legava alla presenza del santuario di Apollo o per altre ragioni. Nel I secolo d.C. una frana la divise in due parti per poi essere abbandonata nel III sec d.C.

Il primo scavo venne effettuato nel 1870, poi successivi scavi nel 1897, tra il 1937 e il 1940 sino all'ultimo del 1997-2004 ne hanno riportato alla luce la struttura. Tra il 2011-2015 sono stati eseguiti dei lavori di ristrutturazione e messa in sicurezza tra l struttura e le parti laterali, oltre a dotarla di un apparato informativo.  

Le grotte di Zeus, Apollo e Pan

• 

  Il Santuario di Afrodite e Eros
  37.97205623.72502824 Grotte di Apollo Hypocraisus, Zeus Olimpio e Pan. Le grotte erano dedicate al culto di Apollo, Zeus e Pan, in prossimità delle sorgenti di acqua e dovrebbero risalire al V secolo a.C. Successivamente venne eretta sul lato orientale una chiesetta per il culto di Atanasio l'Atonita.  

• 37.97238223.72694125 Santuario di Afrodite ed Eros. In questo luogo sorgeva un santuario dedicato alla dea dell'amore e al figlioletto Eros. Sono visibili sulla roccia i punti in cui venivano inseriti i pinakes, le tavolette votive come ex voto per la divinità. Oggi i turisti lasciano delle pietre e in alcuni casi persino dei biglietti augurali, mantenendo un filo conduttore col passato. 

Iscrizione del peripato

• 37.97229923.72753326 Iscrizione del Peripato. È un'iscrizione a caratteri greci incisa su una roccia lungo il percorso del peripato appena percepibile. 

La grotta di Aglauro

• 37.97166723.72861127 Aglaureion (grotta di Aglauro). Era il luogo di culto dedicato ad Aglauro (o Agraulo) situato alle pendici dell'Acropoli. Si trattava di un piccolo santuario dedicato alla figlia di Cecrope, mitico primo re dell'Attica. La sua posizione precisa è discussa: fino agli anni ottanta del Novecento la maggior parte degli studiosi concordava che l'Aglaureion fosse collocato da qualche parte lungo il versante settentrionale dell'acropoli (il candidato più popolare era l'antica fonte micenea), tuttavia il ritrovamento nel 1980 di un'antica stele nel versante orientale (a buona distanza sotto la caverna orientale) ha spostato la possibile collocazione del tempio. Tale stele era dedicata dagli ateniesi a una sacerdotessa di Aglauro e presenta iscrizioni che risalgono al III secolo a.C.; le iscrizioni precisano che la stele doveva essere eretta "nel santuario di Aglauro".

Erodoto riferisce che i Persiani scalarono la rocca dell'Acropoli nei pressi dell'Aglaureion quando catturarono e distrussero la cittadella nel 480 a.C.  

La via Panatenaica sull’agorà

• 37.974623.723928 Via Panatenaica. Era una strada su cui si svolgevano le processioni legate alle feste Panatenaiche. Parte di essa percorre l'agorà di Atene per poi ricongiungersi a sud con la via del Peripato.  

Il monumento coragico di Trasillo

• 37.9710223.72769529 Monumento coregico di Trasillo (Versante sud dell'Acropoli, prossimo alle pareti delle mura). Questo monumento, visibile solo a distanza lungo il peripato. Venne eretto nel 320-319 a.C. da Trasillo e poi completato dal figlio Trasicle nel 270 a.C. Era composto da due portici divisi da una colonna quadrata sovrastati da un architrave decorato in cui vi erano posti dei tripodi. In epoca romana venne poi aggiunta una statua di Dioniso successivamente spostata nel 1802 da Lord Elgin condotta a Londra.

Dopo l'epoca classica venne costruita al suo interno la chiesa ortodossa di Santa Maria della Cava che verrà distrutta durante l'assedio ottomano nel 1827 da un bombardamento. Nel 2016 è stato completato il restauro e il ripristino parziale di marmi che oggi mostrano parzialmente la forma del monumento.  

Altre attrazioni della zona dell'Acropoli

Opere esposte

Statua colossale di Atene

Statua in terracotta di Nike

Sfinge in marmo

Cariatidi dell'Eretteo

Bassorilievo di Athena assorta

Moscoforo

Efebo di Kritios

Cavaliere Rampin

Statua di Kore in marmo

Nuovo Museo dell'Acropoli

• 37.96841723.72847230 Nuovo Museo dell'Acropoli, Via Dionigi Areopagita. Biglietto intero: 5 euro ridotto 3 euro. Gratis per i giovani che non abbiano compiuto 18 anni e studenti muniti di tessera ISIC (anno 2012). Orario estivo (dal 1 aprile al 31 ottobre): Lun 08:00-16:00, Mar-Gio e Sab-Dom: 08:00-20:00. Venerdì prolungato fino alle 22:00. Orario invernale (Dal 1° novembre al 31 di marzo): Lun-gio: 09:00-17:00. I venerdì orario prolungato fino alle 20:00. Sab-dom: 09:00-20:00. Chiuso lunedì e festivi (1 gennaio, domenica di pasqua, 1 maggio 25 e 26 dicembre). Come affermato in precedenza, la visita al nuovo Museo dell'Acropoli è irrinunciabile per turisti che si recano per la prima volta in visita ad Atene. I reperti, un tempo esposti all'omonimo museo sulla collina dell'Acropoli, vi furono trasferiti con l'ausilio di gigantesche gru a partire dall'anno 2007. Il museo fu inaugurato due anni più tardi. Gran parte delle opere esposte sono sculture in pietra e argilla che ornavano la vecchia acropoli prima della distruzione operata dai Persiani e della successiva ricostruzione voluta da Pericle. Molte di questi reperti furono rinvenuti durante scavi nel corso dei secoli XIX e XX che riguardarono la cosiddettà "Colmata Persiana". Notevole anche l'edificio in cui è allestito il museo. Esso è frutto di un concorso internazionale cui parteciparono gli architetti italiani Manfredi Nicoletti e Lucio Passarelli ma vinto alla fine dallo svizzero Bernard Tschumi e dal greco Michail Photiadis.

Il museo è dotato di tutti i servizi necessari nonché c'è la possibilità di fare domande agli archeologi presenti nel museo dalle 09:00-17:00.  

L'areopago visto dall'acropoli

Presunta prigione di Socrate

• 37.97222223.72361131 Areopago (Άρειος Πάγος). L'aeropago identifica sia il nome di questa collina, posta a occidente rispetto all'acropoli, e sia l'antica assemblea con funzioni giudicanti e legislative. Era presieduta da personalità della polis ma anche dal re. L'aeropago perse poi di importanza durante il periodo classico con l'introduzione della boulè. Il nome significa letteralmente "collina di Ares", perché secondo la leggenda il dio venne giudicato per un suo delitto.

In questa collina vi predicò anche San Paolo facendo un discorso agli aeropagiti sulla resurrezione di Cristo.  

• 

  Monumento di Filopappo
  37.969323.720932 Prigione di Socrate (A sud della collina di Pnice). Secondo la tradizione in queste grotte Socrate avrebbe passato le ultime ore della sua vita prima di bere la cicuta. 

Osservatorio astronomico e chiesa di Agia Marina

• 37.96721923.72111133 Monumento di Filopappo (Sulla collina della Pnice). Questo mausoleo è dedicato a Gaio Giulio Antioco Epifane Filopappo principe vissuto in epoca romana morto nel 116 d.C. In suo onore fu eretto questo pomposo monumento con bassorilievi in marmo e iscrizioni in greco che rievocano la sua figura.  

• 37.973323.7234 Osservatorio astronomico (Asteroskopeio) (Nei pressi della collina della Pnice). Un osservatorio astronomico fondato nel 1842.  

Museo del Gioiello

• 37.969323.7266835 Museo del Gioiello, Via Kariatidon n° 4a e Kalispèri n° 12. Chiuso il martedì. Noto anche come Museo "Ilias Lalaounis", dal nome del famoso gioielliere. Per chi ama i lavori orafi questo è l'indirizzo giusto. 

Agios Nikólaos Ragavás

• 37.97249623.72908736 Agios Nikólaos Ragavás (Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου Ραγκαβά), Pritaniou 1, ☎ 30 21 0322 8193. Chiesa bizantina alle pendici della collina dell'acropoli. 

What to do

• 

  Collina della Pnice
  37.97166723.7194441 Collina della Pnice (Πνύκα,pronuncia Pnìka in greco moderno). Da questo luogo è possibile passeggiare ammirando l'acropoli e la città da una prospettiva panoramica, e oltretutto si può sfuggire al traffico cittadino.  

Shopping

How to have fun

Teatro Dora Stratou

• 37.9678423.717581 Teatro Dora Stratou. Amfiteatro sul versante occidentale della collina di Filopappou. Nel periodo estive vi vengono dati spettacoli di balletti folcloristici. 
• Teatro di Erode Attico. All'antico teatro di Erode Attico si tengono annualmente spettacoli molto attesi nell'ambito del di Atene e di Epidauro^{[link non funzionante]}. Vi si esibiscono cantanti affermati in campo internazionale di opera lirica ed anche di musica leggera. 
• Alli Ochti (L'altra sponda), 9, via Artèmonos (Neos Kosmos), ☎ 30 210 9270628. Bar con musica dal vivo (Musica tradizionale greca). Il locale è stato arredato da Nikos Triandafyllopoulos (Νίκος Τριανταφυλλόπουλος), uno scenografo che ha curato i costumi di alcuni film di Thodoros Angelopoulos, famoso e pluripremiato regista a Cannes e a Venezia. 
• Architektonikì, 8, via Minoos (Neos Kosmos), ☎ 30 210 9014428. Rock greco e di importazione. Alcuni giorni alla settimana vi si esibiscono cantanti locali. 
• Stavròs tou Nòtou, 37, via Tharipoù (Neos Kosmos), ☎ 30 210 9226975, 30 210 9239031. Un club con musica dal vivo. 
• 37.966723.73032 Oxygono Live, Vùrvachi e Koryzì (Quartiere di Neos Kosmos), ☎ 30 21 0723 9272. Locale con musica dal vivo. 
• 37.96261523.7235653 Koukles Club Drag Queen Show, 32, via Zan Moreas, ☎ 30 694 755 7443. Ven-Dom 00:00-06:00. Koukles (Bambole) è l'unico locale trans di Atene. Il sabato ospita drag shows e spesso vi avvengono concorsi di bellezza. Il gestore Marilù ha ricreato un'atmosfera di un vecchio cabaret tedesco. Molti i vip che vi sono passati, tra cui l'attrice tedesca Hanna Schygulla, amica di Marilù. 
• ^{[link non funzionante]}Sadist, Viale Syngroù n° 147 (distretto di Nea Smyrni), ☎ 30 693 427 2154. Aperto dalle 23,30 fino al mattino. Ordinare una bottiglia di whisky al tavolo costa 110 € (la soluzione più economica generalmente adottata dai Greci nei locali più lussuosi. Naturalmente bisogna essere in gruppo). Spettacoli sexy hard e soft. 
• ^{[link non funzionante]}Baby Gold, 140, Viale Andrea Syngrou, ☎ 30 210 9228902. Locale di strip show (anche maschile). 

Where to eat

Average prices

• Ikonomi, 41, via Tron (Petralona), ☎ 30 210 346 7555. Chiude d'estate 
• O Periklìs, 2, via Kilìs (Petralona), ☎ 30 210 345 8664. 

Where stay

Moderate prices

• Thission, 2, via Aghias Marinas - Thissio, tel. 30 210 3467634, 30 210 3467655. Piccolo albergo di cat "C" con 18 stanze
• Erechthion, 8, via Flamarion (angolo via Aghias Marinas). 11851 - Thissio, tel. 30 210 3459606, fax 30 210 3462756. Albergo di cat "C" con 22 stanze.
• Erato, 72, via Heraklidon - Thissio, tel. 30 210 3459996-7. Albergo di cat "C" con 21 stanze
• Ami, 10, via Heras, 11743 Neos Kosmos, tel. 30 210 9220820, fax 30 210 9220820. Albergo di cat "C" con 18 stanze.

Average prices

• Jason Inn, 12, via Assomaton (Thissio), ☎ 30 210 3251106, fax: 30 210 3243132. Albergo di cat "B" 

Prezzi elevati

• Ledra Marriott 115, via Syngrou - Neos Kosmos, tel. 30 210 9300000, fax 30 210 9358603, 9359153 sito web. Albergo di lusso
• Athenaeum Intercontinental, 89-93, via Syngrou 11745 Neos Kosmos, tel. 30 210 9206000, fax 30 210 9206500, sito web. Albergo di lusso.
• Athens Atrium, 21, via Okeanidon - Neos Kosmos, tel. 30 210 9319300-4, fax 30 210 9319305, [1] Albergo di cat "A".
• Athenian Callirhoe, 32, viale Kallirois - Neos Kosmos, tel. 30 210 9215353-7 Fax: 30 210 9215342, Sito web Albergo di lusso
• Ilissos, 72, viale Kallirois - Koukaki, tel. 30 210 9202000, fax 30 210 9215371, 9223528 Sito web. Albergo di cat "A"
• Divani Palace Acropolis, 19-25, via Parthenonos - Makrygianni, tel. 30 210 9280100 Fax: 30 210 9214993 Sito web. Albergo di lusso.
• Hera, 9, via Falirou - Makrygianni, tel. 30 210 9236682, fax 30 210 9238269, Sito web Albergo di cat "A"
• Royal Olympic, 28-34, via Athanasiou Diakou - Makrygianni, tel. 30 210 9288400, fax 30 210 9233317, 9231473, Sito web
• Herodion, 4, via Rovertou Galli - Makrygianni, tel. 30 210 9236832-6, fax 30 210 9211650, 9235851, Sito web. Albergo di cat "A"

How to keep in touch

Informazioni utili

• Informazioni, ☎ 30 210 3214172, fax: 30 210 9239023, @[email protected]. 

Guida : l'articolo rispetta le caratteristiche di un articolo usabile ma in più contiene molte informazioni e consente senza problemi una visita al distretto. L'articolo contiene un adeguato numero di immagini, un discreto numero di listing. Non sono presenti errori di stile.

Athens: districts and tourist districts, surroundings, excursions