On this day in 1834, Athens became the capital of Greece

·

In the early 1800s, Athens was a small village boasting a population of up to 7,000 people, sitting below the Acropolis hill. Now, it is the capital of the Hellenic world. A landmark of history thousands of years old.

On September 18, 1834, Greece’s first politicians chose Athens as the headquarters of the first Greek parliament, following the assassination of Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias.

Many had considered Patras or Thessaloniki as the next Greek capital, with the Greek cities having more than twice the population of Athens. According to historical sources, however, King of Bavaria Ludwig I influenced Greece’s politicians to vote for Athens as the capital, admiring it’s ancient history.

Parthenon, Athens. c. 1895 – c. 1915. Rijksmuseum.

On this day in 1834, Athens was officially proclaimed “Royal Seat and Capital”.

At the time, the city was clustered only to two areas; The Acropolis Hill and Plaka. A major issue faced by architects was the lack of a water supply network, public lighting and transport systems.

Greek architect Stamatis Kleanthis and the Bavarian Leo von Klenze were placed in charge of redesigning the new Greek capital, being specifically instructed not to damage the archaeological sites.

READ MORE: On this day in 1968, legendary Greek architect Pikionis Dimitris died aged 81

Within four years, around 1,000 houses were built in Athens, with no street plan in place. Greek architects like Pikionis Dimitris later redesigned the streets to make them structurally beautiful, gazed upon by tourists around the globe.

By 1896, when Greece hosted the first modern Olympic Games, the city housed around 140,000 residents.

Athens remains one of the world’s most visited capitals. It’s history, architectural design and central placement in the country, makes it one of Greece’s most developed cities.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Spurs sack Ange Postecoglou despite Europa League glory

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Ange Postecoglou will not continue as manager next season, despite ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought with a Europa...

Meet TIFFANY: The Greek Australian artist making waves in RnB

Are you looking for your new favourite Greek artist who combines unique sounds of RnB, house and EDM music?

Heirs of a Greek inheritance: Most common problems to deal with

There are many people of Greek descent all over the world whose parents or other close relatives had properties in Greece.

Niki Louca shares her family favourite Indokaridopita (coconut cake) recipe

It is a cake her aunty Panayiota used to make often in years gone by, and one she hasn’t had for a long time.

Naz Vardar to give Melbourne seminar on shaping Vlach identity

The focus lies on the story of a Vlach priest navigating his way within the local Vlach community in Manastir (Bitola).

You May Also Like

Ancient Greek statues ‘speak’ of migration and multiculturalism at the Melbourne Museum

Ancient Greek statues 'speak' of migration and multiculturalism at the Melbourne Museum opening of 'Open Horizons.'

Labor commits $1.223m to GCM’s multi-function community and performance space

The completion of the GCM's long-awaited multi-function community theatre space at St Dimitrios in Windsor is now supported.

Pavlos Tsakiris wins prestigious EU Young Farmers Prize for 2020

Pavlos Tsakiris from Thessaloniki has been named the winner of this year’s prestigious 'EU Young Farmers Prize.'