What I can see

The marble statue (3.73m, work of Giannis Pappas) attributes Eleftherios Venizelos in motion, creating liveliness and symbolising his strong political personality. The face is very realistically modelled (the sculptor knew Venizelos personally). The left leg following the contrapposto style is placed in front, and his right hand is in a stance as if he was giving a political speech, while the left rests on a marble column. This sculpture is a usual meeting point for demonstrators before the beginning of demonstrations.

What I can't see

Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936) was the Prime Minister of the Cretan State before its unification with Greece and seven times prime minister of Greece. In World War I he sided with the Entente against the king’s intentions, which caused the National Schism. During his days, he sought the modernisation of the state, doubled the land of Greece and signed the Treaty of Lausanne, which included the exchange of Greek and Turkish populations after the Greco-Turkish war. Earlier, he had discouraged the unification of Cyprus and the Dodecanese with Greece. Initially, he had the warm support of refugees, for whom he sought to develop a unified urban identity earning him political benefits. With the Lausanne Treaty, however, he evened compensations of Greeks with those of the Turks and refugees had lost all hope to return to their ancestral home. Hence, he lost many supporters, who turned to the popular royalist party. Finally, he was a fierce opponent of communists and anarchists, penalising even their ideas (Special Law).

Info

• Address: Dikastirion Sq.

Bibliography