What I can see

The Italian embassy is housed in a neoclassical building that was designed by Ernst Ziller and was the residence of banker Stephanos Psychas. The portico with the Ionic columns on both floors is rather imposing. In addition, the openings of the upper floor have a pediment. A second building was added later and was designed as an architectural continuation of the first, but we do not know who the architect was.

What I can't see

After Psychas, it was bought by Prince Nikolaos, who settled here with his wife Grand Duchess Helen of Russia and made some modifications. With the eviction of the royal family in the 1920s, it was modified again and operated as an annex of the Hotel Grande Bretagne, under the name Le Petit Palais. It had 32 rooms, 60 beds and only 1 bathroom. There was also a tennis court in the garden. A few years later, it housed the Italian embassy and this use remains to this day. Here, the famous ultimatum by Italian dictator Mussolini declaring war to Greece was given to the Greek dictator Metaxas.

Info

• Address: 2 Sekeri St.
• Postal Code : 10674
• Phone: +30 210 3617260 - 3
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Website: https://ambatene.esteri.it/el/

Bibliography