When you pronounce this word you immediately think of Greece and its glorious capital Athens. For this extraordinary monument alone it is worth stopping by even if in reality the metropolis offers other sites of global importance and enchanting beauty. The Parthenon is one of the best preserved Doric temples and the most colossal from the time of Pericles.
Symbol of the entire nation, it is and has always been the most famous in the world with such absolute architectural perfection that people come from all over the planet to admire it. Above all, so much so that you can see it from any angle of the city rather than from the outskirts, it is its beating heart. Its imposing dimensions take your breath away and the colors it takes on during the day with every change in light always make it fascinating and shrouded in a sort of sophisticated mystery.
It was built in the 6th century BC to commemorate the victory of the Athenians over the Persians at Marathon in 490 BC. and it was called Hekatompedon. Made of white marble from Mount Pentelicus which is located north-east of Athens with its wonderful quarries, it was dedicated to the Goddess Athena Parhenos in her unmarried and virgin state, protector of the city and daughter of Zeus, it represented wisdom and war and the magnificent building was built in his honor.
The execution of the Parthenon
The initiative for its construction came from Pericles, a political leader of the 5th century BC. Esteemed architects such as Ictinus, Mnesicles, Callicrates and Cimon participated in the work under the supervision of the sculptor Phidias who took care of the decorations with the twelve meter high statue of Athena covered in gold and ivory as an offering to the polis which was located inside a sanctuary. Ten years after its beginning, Xerxes passed through Thermopolis and arrived in Attica and in revenge for the defeat at Marathon destroyed all the religious buildings of the Acropolis including the Parthenon. For thirty years nothing remained but rubble when in 454 BC Pericles decided to bring the treasure of the Delian League to Athens with which he began his rebirth again, also giving life to the Propylaea, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike. In the new project the old foundations were used but it was further expanded in the northern part with eight columns on the front walls and seventeen on the side walls. The interior of the temple was divided into two parts by a wall. The largest room, the Naos, housed the chryselephantine statue of Athena by Phidias and on the outside a magnificent bas-relief was created which depicted the procession of the Panathenaea, a very important religious festival for Athens where all the citizens brought homage. The smaller chamber, the Opistodomos, instead had three naves with four Ionic columns and here the city's treasure was kept. The roof of the wooden temple supported the tiles made of marble and each in its final part had a decorative element, the Antefix in the shape of a palm tree. The columns were grooved and polished thoroughly with maniacal craftsmanship.
His story and his misfortunes
Without a doubt one of the longest, it has existed for over two thousand years and has been subject to various transformations. It was actually born in the 5th century BC as a temple dedicated to Athena, and was then transformed during the Byzantine period into a Christian church but the many sculptures dedicated to the pagan deities were destroyed. The spectacular statue of Athena was taken by Emperor Theodosius II and taken to Constantinople only to be destroyed during the Fourth Crusade. In the 15th century it became a mosque, in 1687 the Turks used it as a powder magazine only to be partially demolished again by a mortar shot at the hands of the Venetians and in 1801 most of the statues were taken away especially by Lord Elgin with the aim of raising the Great Britain to the sense of art considered in that period the maximum expression of civilization and who could represent it better than the architecture of ancient Greece. It was practically considered the largest theft in history and continues to be an open controversy even today for its return to its rightful owners. You can currently admire the precious pieces at the British Museum in London. But that's not all: in 1894 a terrible earthquake, considered one of the most devastating in Greece, inflicted serious damage on the monument. But all this has not discouraged the idea and enthusiasm of bringing a structure of such scope and importance to the world, in fact even today you can see cranes and machinery taking care of this precious jewel.
How to get to the Parthenon
It's really very easy but above all very pleasant if you do it on foot, for example like we did. You can choose a hotel (if you want we can help you, write to us at info@meraviglioseisolegreche.com) not far from the center so you can enjoy a walk passing through its wonderful neighborhoods such as Monastiraki or Plaka.
If you don't feel like walking, the metro is an excellent alternative. Choose Acropolis (Red line), at the exit of the stop go towards Makrygianni street and then turn right towards Dionysiou Arepagitou.
For lazy people, there is always a comfortable taxi.
Useful information for visiting the Parthenon
Address: Dionysiou Arepagituou Street Athens
Telephone: +30 2103214172
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8.00am-5.00pm (last entry at 4.30pm)
Sat-Sun depending on the season 8.00-19.30/8.00-15.00
Website: http://odysseus.culture.gr/index_en.html