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Last month due to my Easter break I didn’t share my monthly photo essay with you. But I’m back again this month and hopefully I will more than make up for it with this collection of photos of an old Greek mansion that is located in the center of town.
I happened to be walking by one evening with my daughter and she suggested we go in. To say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement.
I’ve included a video at the end of the post that shows areas that I was not able to get to.
It is the Panagiotopoulos Mansion, a large three story neoclassical building. It was built between 1856-1860 by the architect Panagiotis Kalkos for the family of a goldsmith. He was a very wealthy man and considered the Onassis of his time. The Mansion was named after him. It fell into disrepair in the early 1980’s when the last of the family died, and was eventually taken over by the Municipality.
In 1995 due to a catastrophic earthquake it was heavily damaged. However it has since been repaired and has been preserved as a work of art.
The evening we visited it was being used as a photo gallery. Since its restoration a few years ago it has become a part of the cultural buildings of the town.
There are Pompeian style frescoes on the ceilings. Much of the original artwork was done by Italian artists who were living in Patra at the time.
The building is constructed with masonry and wood. Below is the ceiling on the staircase.
Intricate stair rails. The stairs are made of marble
The ceiling of one of the staircases. It looks as if someone painted twinkling stars on the ceiling.
The ceiling of a hallway.
Ionic columns on the stairwell.
At the time of the construction Baroque was in but the owners at the time chose to go with the neoclassical style.
A fresco in one of the salons.
A detail of the corner.
The building fell into disrepair when the last owner died in 1982. It was looted after and much of the original furnishings were removed.
However the building was taken over by the Municipality and has since been restored.
This fresco is above the central doors to one of the rooms.
The main room upon entry into the building with massive Doric columns.
Just thinking about painting these would give me a backache. But they are gorgeous to look at.
A smaller room on the third floor. It was the only empty room on the evening we visited.
The building was packed with visitors, and so I chose to concentrate on the ceilings and walls. But I did get a small glimpse of some furniture. Although there is very little of the original furnishings.
When this mansion was built, it was surrounded by orchards. Now it is located on the main street.
I’ve included a video of an interview with the former mayor. At intervals 1:50 5:21 9:47 and 10:45 you can see portions of the building.
I hope you have enjoyed this look into a Greek mansion. It is located in the center of my town but it is a rarity even for me. And to think that it was restored just a few years ago.Are there any old mansions in your area?
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Beautiful building! I’m so glad to know that it was repaired and preserved when it was damaged and in disrepair. I visited Greece two years ago, and I was blown away by witnessing the richness and depth of aesthetic, ancient history, particularly regarding art and architecture. We, here in the USA, are not accustomed to such an ancient culture. Our culture is in it’s early adolescence, compared to Greece.
That is so true Carol. But in the States you have such a broad range of influences from all the immigrants who went over and who are still arriving. I have lived in New York and loved the concept of the melting pot.
Also and I am sad to say this, we have a lot of archaeological sites but they are not well maintained. If we were to take care of them our tourism would be double what it is. We simply do not tap into our natural wealth and cultivate it the way we should. And with the economic crisis still in full swing, it doesn’t look like we will be in a position to do that now.
What a gorgeous building – you’re so lucky to live close by. I do love visiting historical buildings. The workmanship and details are so beautiful.
It really is a treasure right in our town. Imagine my surprise when I walked in.
Hi Mary, you’d never guess how decorated the inside of the mansion is judging by the outside. It must have taken some work to restore. It would have been a shame to leave it to go totally to ruin…. If I remember rightly the earthquake back in 1995 was the first proper shake I felt and Zakynthos was quite some distance from the epicenter!
That was the one Debbie. It was a 6.9 Richter. We moved here the year after so we were lucky to avoid it. And it was in my town too. Scary stuff. I am really glad they found enough money to restore this gem!
What a stunning renovation!
I swoon over the art and handiwork that went into those ceilings. Such detail and care of the era.
Thanks Mary, I thoroughly enjoyed this tour!
I think this is the exception rather than the rule. I have never seen houses like this before. The owner certainly had money to throw around. And we are the lucky ones who got to see it.
Absolutely stunning!! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!!
Hugs,
Deb
Thank you Debbie!
Mary,
This is such a beautiful building! I’m glad the town leaders realized it was worth the expense to retrofit for earthquakes and to begin restoration on the inside. A shame many of the frescos on and around the ceiling look to be damaged from roof leaks ~ hopefully these will be repainted sometime by talented restorationists. 🙂
Thank you, I do enjoy your monthly photo essay tours! It’s nice to see your different interests. Pinned and G+ and I know I forgot to link up last week’s party, so went back and linked while linking this week’s… if that all makes sense. 😉
καλή Παρασκεύη!
Barb 🙂
Barb, I think they are going to let the frescoes stay like that to preserve the integrity of the originals. Let’s hope we don’t have another shaker soon, the last one was a 6.9 Richter.
Oooh, such amazing frescoes. What a precious jem this house is. Fortunately it was repaired as well as preserved – would have been such a shame! I would be able to spend hours in that mansion (and step outside with a terrible pain in my neck from staring at the wonderful ceilings). Thank you for taking us along!
Marjan I know what you mean. I only wish I had more time to go in and really enjoy it. It was really crowded the evening we went.
What a stunner! So cool that it was brought back into glory! I love old buildings and their architecture, this one is a gem. All those gorgeous ceilings and the stair-railing! Swoon. So cool that you were able to go through, talk about being in the right place and the right time, and having your camera with you too! Thanks for sharing it, you have such a great eye for framing gorgeous photos!
Thank you Nikki. I remember peeking into the building when it had scaffolding all around and wondering what was inside. My husband would tell me about it but I certainly did not imagine this amount of grandeur.
Mary, This mansion is amazing! So many intricate details to take in. I’m so glad you saw it and took lots of fantastic photos.
I only wish I had taken more Carol. It was really crowded and we couldn’t go into all the rooms. But maybe next time!
I love these historic buildings, Mary!!
It seems like they put so much love and detail into their buildings at that time!
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Especially since the owner was very rich. Not a regular folks house that’s for sure.
Lovely interior design details you have captured! #mysundayphoto
Thank you. I was lucky to sneak in there.
Mary, this building is gorgeous!! The paintings are amazing! How much time and detail went into making such a masterpiece is beyond me. To be honest I’m not sure what the oldest building is in our little town is. We do have a historic district with some of the older houses and buildings in it probably nothing as grand as this though.
From what I understand he was a very rich man. I have never heard of another building like this one. Who can afford to hire artists to come to a house and paint frescoes?
Those ceilings are pretty awesome. Could you imagine living in a place like that? Thanks for sharing the inside. I love going in old buildings and mansions especially. Have a great week Mary!
Laurie I cannot imagine living here. Although I certainly wouldn’t mind it. And where would you find furniture that was grand enough to be able to co exist with those ceilings?
Wow – you’ve really captured the grandeur of the old building.
There were so many people in the building the only way to shoot was up!
So much beautiful history!
Thank you so much Sandra! It was quite a discovery!
I can’t even begin to come up with words to describe how wonderful this place is. So glad you shared at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-beautiful-city-of-jaffa.html
Thank you. I literally had to pick my jaw off the floor!
What a beautiful old place!
It was pure magic in there that evening!
A lovely guided tour Mary, it looks so ornate with every space filled with something extravagant
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The original owner was very rich so he could afford to hire these artists to do all of this for him. I can only imagine what the furniture looked like.
What a lovely place. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Patrick for visiting. It was enchanting!
A true piece of art full with history! I really enjoyed the virtual tour!
Thank you so much Katerina! It is a stunning place to visit.
What a beautiful building Mary thank you for sharing it with us all
Thank you Amber for taking the time to visit.
Beautiful! It always makes me wonder how the achieved such intricate and grand buildings that stand the test of time way back then without any of today’s modern technology and machinery. Those ceilings and all the detail of the plasterwork and art are simply gorgeous!
Maureen, we live in an earthquake prone area so buildings have to be made sturdy otherwise we’d be in big trouble. Most of the modern buildings are made with poured concrete.
The building doesn’t look like much on the outside but wow, pretty spectacular on the inside! So sad that many of the fresco paintings have been damaged. Thanks for sharing it with us, Mary!
My pleasure Marie. I knew all of you ladies would appreciate something like this. It doesn’t come along every day.
WOW! What a fantastic place! I love all the detail. I can’t decide what is my favorite. Maybe the columns! or the staircase. ooooor the ceilings….
Right? It is so hard to choose what is the best. I can’t even imagine it furnished.
This mansion is indeed a treasure. The frescoes are so beautiful. The intricate stair rails and massive columns are amazing. It makes one wonder what the missing furniture must have been. I could never imagine living in such grandeur on a daily basis, though I’d be up for the challenge! Thank-you for the tour and your gorgeous photos.
Haha Ellen I wouldn’t mind living there even if I had to sleep on the floor. I am so happy they were able to restore it.
Mary, what a beautiful building! The colors of the fresco’s are gorgeous ! You can imagine the owners having extravagant balls under the celestial blue ceiling tiles. Thanks for sharing it with most of us who would never get to see it otherwise.
Jeannee
Jeannee I remember walking by that building for years with the scaffolding outside and thinking what is going on? I am so happy we got to go inside now that it is done. I never would have imagined such grandeur.
What a Jem! Wow! I love buildings like this. Thanks.
Wow indeed I was just as much impressed as you Kellie!
Wow! What a gem ! I cannot believe how immaculate with beauty and history this mansion has and right there in your home town ! Thanks for sharing . Hugs and blessings , Cindy
Cindy it took them almost 15 years to restore it. And it also cost a pretty penny but it was totally worth it.
Omg!!! Mary this is so gorgeous!!! It is a piece of Art. Thank you for sharing these photos with us
Christina you know that Greece is full of treasures everywhere we look. We are blessed to live in such a country that is so rich in history.
I love history and old architecture. This home is just beautiful, I’m glad they restored it. There’s tons of historic buildings in my area, and like you, I have never been in many of them. You’ve inspired me to change that!
I was quite intimidated to go inside but my daughter is very curious so that was all the prodding I needed.
Oh my goodness! Why oh why can’t new buildings look like this instead of the faceless junk being built?? So gorgeous!
The frescos are over the top beautiful and the railings simply stunning! Thank you for sharing this Mary 🙂
xxx
It really is a unique house Doreen! Even by our standards. Anyway who can afford artists who will do the frescos?
Hi Mary, wow…what a beautiful find…right in the middle of your town!
Your country has such a rich history…and it’s all around you. So glad you and your family take advantage of these wonderful opportunities.
Once again, thanks for the virtual fieldtrip.
Hugs, Lynn
It really is all around us. I can only imagine how much more we would have had if we were not prone to earthquakes. I’m so glad they were able to restore this gem Lynn.
Beautiful architecture and paintings, but my neck was hurting looking at ceilings, ha ha.
We have few mansions around here too. One is turned into a high-end restaurant and another is a B&B and venue you can rent for celebrations, conferences, etc.
I don’t know of any others open to public. I’m always intrigued by them. Besides German castles, South Carolina mansions are worth visiting! 🙂
Wow can you imagine this place as a B&B. That would be incredible. As for South Carolina mansions that would go on my bucket list for sure Jas.
Wow, what a building, I love each ceiling, especially the one with the little stars. So much art and work and how lovely to have this right in your town! We love going into old buildings, there are many here as well, so much history!
I can imagine Katrin. I was thinking that you probably have a strong Moroccan influence in your buildings there , with lots of pretty tiles.
Oh my, rich people in those days sure knew how to live like royalty and they picked the most amazing craftsmen and women (I hope) to add something special to their homes. Such a gorgeous space Mary. I wish I could see it in real life
It truly is amazing Michelle. I think we could replicate some of this but the real beauty is in the scale. The stairs were so grand and the rooms had really high ceilings. That is something I could never do no mater how many house of painting I did. Not that I can paint, but you certainly can do frescoes on your ceilings.
The inside of this mansion is beautiful. It’s hard to believe it was originally surrounded by orchards. I’m glad you were able to visit (with your camera in hand no less!). It’s easy to miss the sites in our own towns and cities…
This building has been prominent in our town forever. But it was recently opened to the public. So I was lucky to sneak in.
What a beautiful building! The ceiling is just incredible!
Yes and each one is a different fresco. Can you imagine how long that must have taken to paint?
What a beautiful bit of history. I am so glad the building was restored and that you showed it to us. The ceilings are amazing.
They really are. I remember when they were fixing it there was a hole in the wall and we could see inside but I never imagined these frescoes.
Wow it’s beautiful. The art work is amazing!
And you never would have expected it by just looking at the outside. 😉
Beautiful tour Mary. Did you get a crick in your next looking up. Everything is so ornate and beautiful. Was it still cool on a warm day?
Leanna my neck still hurts haha!! But the pain is worth it. I had gone in the wintertime to see this but didn’t have a chance to upload it till now.
What a beautiful building. All of the intricate detail work is amazing, especially those ceilings. Wow. It makes me want to visit Greece even more.
I have to say Rebecca this was a surprise for me too. I knew it was an old mansion but I certainly did not expect this level of grandeur!
Wow, Mary! That place is awesome! Looks like it’s been beautifully restored, which is good to preserve that old place. Yes there are a lot of big old mansions around here…a few left from Antebellum days you know. A lot are scattered around Alabama. I love old houses & mansions. I like to see them even in their abandoned state too.
I hear you Florence Even in ruins some things are still beautiful.
Wow, what a beautiful building! I love the stairs, and all the detail work in the mansion! I bet the tour was so fun and interesting for you. Especially for it being there so many years and you finally get to see the inside. Thanks for sharing your tour with us 😊
Linda we snuck in when there was a photography exhibit going on. Lucky us.