What I can see

The former royal estate of Tatoi consists of four sections: the palace, the administrative section, the agricultural-residential section and the royal cemetery. It was organized and built with an English neo-gothic style and is located at the foot of Mount Parnitha. The palaces, together with the forest of Tatoi, occupy an area of approximately 42,000 acres. The main palace, designed by Savvas Boukis, is a copy of a villa (Ferme) in the Peterchof palace, the former residence of Tsar Alexander I, who was an uncle of Queen Olga. The bronze sculpture in front of the building (bought by Queen Olga of Russia) is the “Cossack Hunter” (Evgenii Lanseray, 1848-1886). The palaces have 30 more buildings, including wineries, houses, cattle farms, barracks and a hotel. The palace kitchens stand out for their excellent interior arrangement, as well as for their underground tunnels connecting them with the palace. Next to the kitchens, there is a war reserve. The adjutant’s office, a replica of a villa in Bernstorf, Denmark, was designed by the same architect and is another stand out of the property. Finally, as a park, Tatoi is ideal for long walks and physical activity in nature. Unfortunately, the ecosystem and some buildings suffered a huge damage from the 2021 fire.

What I can't see

Tatoi was the summer residence of the royal family. During the interwar years –when Greece did not have a monarchy– the Head of State lived here. Later, during the restoration of the monarchy, the building was renovated in order to accommodate the royal family during the winter months. The palace was shut down by the Germans and plundered during the civil war that followed the occupation. The forest is a wildlife sanctuary, a part of which was recently burnt. The Aleppo pine found here is of vital importance to the ecosystem of the forest and the development of fir in particular, which can be found at a higher altitude, on Mount Parnitha. As Konstantinos Doxiadis has said,

“Tatoi is a barrier between the urban sprawl and the protected massifs of Parnitha”.

Today, the park and its buildings are in poor condition but comprehensive redevelopment efforts are now in progress. The 2021 fire destroyed a huge part of the park and the wider area. This is not something new. From the early decades of the 19th century until shortly after the mid-20th century, the area was often burned to ashes, as many stock breeders set fires to create pastures.

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