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Villa Amalia

The origianal name of the building on Acharnon and Heyden Streets, widely known as Villa Amalia, is "Villa Argyropoulos”

  1. Modern and Contemporary era (1821 - )


    Constructed at the end of 19th-century, probably in Ernst Ziller’s drafts.

    1862 2nd High School was founded, which operated in Plaka.

    1973 2nd High School was moved to Villa Amalia.

    1990 Year of establishing the squat.

    2013 Final police evacuation.

  2. Ottoman era (1453- 1821)


  3. Byzantine era (331 AC- 1453)


  4. Roman era (30 BC- 330 AC)


  5. Hellenistic era (322- 31 BC)


  6. Classical era (478-323 BC)


  7. Archaic era (800-479 BC)


  8. Geometric era (-1100- 800 BC)


  9. Prehistory (-1100 BC)


What I can see

This is a two-storey neoclassical building with a basement and balanced provisions on the façade. On Acharnon St. façade, the axis of symmetry is defined by the balcony of the first floor and the two of the ground floor. On the side of Heyden Street, there are three symmetry axes to the façade, i.e. the balconies of the first floor and the arched entrance. The windows have Doric elements and their keys are specially decorated.

What I can't see

Before it was occupied by anarchists, it used to be the second male high school. Significant artistic personalities and intellectuals (e.g. Alekos Fasianos, Theodoros Angelopoulos, Christos Giannaras) graduated from here. It became the most famous squat of the city for 23 years, becoming a symbol of the movement and a landmark for punk concerts. When it was evacuated by police, a “war” started, with the government and municipality on the one side and the anarchists on the other. The cause of the war was the decision of the municipality to turn the squat into a school, but the hidden political and ideological motives were obvious. After the evacuation, school unit construction projects began, keeping the shell, but completely destroying the interior, and thus much of its architectural value. The name “Villa Amalia” was given by the squatters. It derived from a previous squat on Amalias Avenue, which lasted a little and then was moved here. The origianal name of the building is “Villa Argyropoulos”.

Info

  • Address: 80-82 Acharnon & 32 Heyden St.

Bibliography

Archive of traditional settlements and listed buildings, (d.u.), Δεύτερο Γυμνάσιο, [Second High School], Ministry of Environment,

http://estia.minenv.gr/EXEC

Last visit 27/8/2015

 

San Simera, (2015), Η ιστορία της Βίλας Αμαλίας, [The history of Villa Amalia], Cultural Institute of Academic Research and Studies

http://www.sansimera.gr/articles/590

Last visit: 27/8/2015