What I can see

In the surrounding space of Agios Dionysios Church in Kolonaki, we find the brass bust of Nikolaos Mantzaros, a work by Michalis Tombros. Mantzaros is depicted in a Doric style and a serious facial expression. The marble base bears his name, the dates of his birth and death and the sculptor’s signature.

What I can't see

Nikolaos Chalikiopoulos Mantzaros (1795-1873) came from Corfu and was a composer and founder of the Heptanisian School of Music. He is considered one of the founders of Greek music and -among his many works- the most important is the composition of the poem “Hymn to Freedom” by Dionysios Solomos, which became the national anthem of Greece. He set many Greek and Italian poems to music, but unfortunately, many of his works are ignored. Mantzaros probably wrote the first Greek opera “Don Crepuscolo” (1815).

Info

• Address: Lycavittou Sq.

Bibliography