While most of us view the Acropolis as the iconic and unchanging monument and symbol of the city of Athens and of Western civilization, it has undergone many transformations over the millennia. From Castle to Monument: Metamorphoses of the Acropolis from the 19th to the 21st Century by Fani Mallouchou-Tufano focuses on the most recent of these transformations beginning in the 19th century up to the present day.

The book deals with the changes that the Acropolis landscape underwent during the 200 years of its most recent history and the successive transformations of the Acropolis from a fortified castle on the eve of the founding of the modern Greek state to the great monument and archeological archetype of classical art.

The book includes five sections in chronological order, starting from the end of the 18th century, when European interest turned to Greece, then under Ottoman rule, and it seemed everyone was just discovering the ancient Greek world for the first time. The second section focuses on the interventions at the Acropolis after its declaration as the first archaeological site of the newly established Greek state and throughout the 19th century.

The third section deals with the restoration work by Greek architect Nikolaos Balanos which was extremely important because it completed the process of forming the established image of the Acropolis as the symbol of Western civilization, but his misguided and invasive restoration methods led inevitably to the major restoration efforts that began in the last quarter of the 20th century. The fourth section of the book highlights the few interventions that established the image of the Acropolis in the immediate post-war period, while the last section focuses on the modern restoration of the Acropolis.

A professor at the Technical University of Crete and an expert in the restoration of historic monuments, Fani Mallouchou-Tufano has served as the alternate president of the Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments (ESMA) since 2016 and is the Vice President of the Society of Friends of the Acropolis which published her book.

In an interview with Kathimerini in January, she noted that “the idea for the book was sparked by the controversy which erupted three years ago over the installation of wheelchair ramps and pathways on the [Acropolis] site.”

“Even international media took a position on the issue at the time, denouncing the ‘concreting’ of the monument, because reinforced concrete was used to make the paths,” Mallouchou-Tufano told Kathimerini. “The Ministry of Culture argued that concrete wheelchair paths have existed on the site for the past 20 years, but had been damaged over time by heavy use. It also argued that this was the only way for thousands of visitors with mobility problems to reach the monuments. Even UNESCO was notified and Culture Minister Lina Mendoni suggested that it send a delegation to check the monuments firsthand. We, the members of ESMA and the Acropolis Restoration Service, showed the three-member UNESCO committee all of the different phases of the work that was carried out on the Acropolis. The briefing actually began with a lecture by me and a PowerPoint presentation on what the Greek state has done to the monuments since 1834. Even these high-ranking members of UNESCO knew nothing about the modern history of the Acropolis.”

The fascinating history unfolds in the pages of the book, showcasing how and what the beloved monument has endured through the years as it continues to draw visitors from around the world.

The book is dedicated to the memory of Evi Touloupa, the renowned Greek archaeologist and Curator of Antiquities of the Acropolis, who passed away at the age of 97 on October 10, 2021.

The book is available in Greek and in English.

More information is available on the Society of Friends of the Acropolis website: https://acropolisfriends.gr.