Mapping the Artists’ Houses in Athens (Part 1)

The process of exploring a city is intimate and profoundly personal: an almost spiritual journey which, with the help of a map or a book, appears to be deceptively simple and straightforward, but, under the lustrous façade, it is complex, enticing, and everlastingly adventurous. Peeling away the outer layers, one delves into the unknown, and, while discovering strata of unusual stories, one ultimately engages in an inner dialogue, shedding light in parts of the psyche that may have remained obscure for far too long.

It is natural that, on such a journey, one eagerly seeks to hold on to points that carry a gravitational force, and are powerful enough to ground the wandering soul, offering guidance and solace. Hence, the residences of prominent individuals, especially artists, turn into sought-out marks on the map, occasionally becoming tourist attractions but, most frequently, remaining hidden from the many, urging the aspiring voyager to make an effort to discover them. Humble or luxurious, restored or crumbling, these edifices appear to be the gates to a realm of inspiration as if their walls have absorbed some of the intellectual genius and creativity of their once-upon-a-time residents and now radiate it generously to the passersby.

Given their rich social and economic background, most metropolitan areas act as a welcoming haven for hordes of artists who spent their lives experimenting and deciphering the most secret languages of the human soul. Athens, despite its short history as a European Capital, could be no different. As such, I recently launched into a long-term adventure – so daunting due to its size that it feels almost futile – and started mapping our artists’ residences, hoping to become a bit wiser when the buildings of my city turn from impersonal frontages tightly lined up on either side of the pavements into cherished friends and storytelling companions. This article is the first of several to follow, focusing on some of the most well-known and treasured figures of our arts scene.

1. The last residence of the poet Kostis Palamas (5, Periandrou Str, Plaka)

The short, narrow Periandrou street in Plaka is dominated by an ochre-coloured building which, despite its dilapidating state, is, supposedly, protected by the Greek State. There, just across the Hadrian Arc and the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, at the shadow of the Acropolis Rock, lived Kostis Palamas, one of the most beloved and prolific Greek poets of the 20th century. He moved to this house in 1935, after he was evicted from this home for forty years of Asklipiou street – a residence which had become the most prominent literary salon of Athens in the early 1900s and which, despite its historical importance, was demolished in 1966. In the building of Periandrou street – a simple, inter-war structure that follows the primary lines of the neoclassical architecture – the Palamas family occupied one of the apartments on the second floor, sharing the rest of the rooms with other residents. Among these walls, Palamas wrote many of his poems and literary works, and left his last breath in February 1943, while Greece was still under German occupation. His death touched so dearly the hearts of the Athenians that they chose to disregard the strict rules imposed by the subjugators’ army and, instead, united into a massive, peaceful procession, they escorted the poet to his last residence in the First Cemetery of the city.

Over the door, there is a note stating that “In this house, our national poet Kostis Palamas died on the 27th of February, 1943”

2. The house of the poet Odysseas Elytis (31, Ithakis Str., Kypseli)

Kypseli – one of the most beautiful districts in Athens – has been home to many artists and, despite the violent transformation of the neighbourhood’s character over the past decade, it still hides numerous treasures which, unfortunately, do not receive the recognition they deserve. Being away from the historical centre – which undoubtedly monopolises the attention from locals and tourists alike – the secrets of Kypseli are well-hidden, and we only hope they will not fall victim to the inevitable changes experienced by every city over time.

There, in No. 31 of Ithakis Street, the building from the ‘30s in an art deco style acted as the home of Odysseas Elytis – one of our most famous national poets and the second Greek to be awarded a Nobel Prize. He dwelled in this house for 17 years (1940-1957), and the initial letter of his last name – “A” for Alepoudelis (Elytis was his literary name) – can be seen on the decoration of the door. The erker (that is, the bay window that projects outwards on the first and second floor) combines a multi-faceted concept (expressed through the three sides of windows) with curves that smoothen the corners and make the structure appear lighter and welcoming. The building is surrounded by other edifices of the same period and similar architectural value, while the street leads to the St George Square – a haunt for many actors who perform every night in the nearby theatres.

Today, the house is still a residence, which is heartwarming, because such buildings crave to be used. I also read that it was one of the settings for the TV series “Wedding List” – a story that was based on the homonymous theatrical play by Dionysis Charitopoulos.

3. The house of the writer M. Karagatsis (14, Spartis Str., Amerikis Square)

In this inter-war building – initially owned by a Greek-Egyptian family and now used by the Cultural Foundation “Alexandria” – the novelist M. Karagatsis (his real name being Dimitris Rodopoulos) lived for a while as a kid, when his father rented the rooms for his family. Karagatsis returned in the 1940s, this time with his wife, Niki (a well-known painter), and their daughter, Marina, and stayed for another 14 years. During the German occupation, the house turned every Friday into a literary salon, hosting other prominent artists (most belonging to the Generation of the ‘30s), such as Empeirikos, Venezis, Elytis, Eggonopoulos, Katsimpalis, Loudemis, and others.

“Here M. Karagatsis lived and wrote from 1940-1954”

4. The house of the actor Orestis Makris (Adrianou & Thespidos Str, Plaka)

The building that stands in one of the central crossroads of Plaka and, on the ground floor, hosts the tavern “Ta Giouvetsakia”, used to be the house of the beloved Greek actor Orestis Makris. Aside from the restaurant, the rest of the structure appears to be falling apart and, although it is well located at a corner, it is barely noticed by the passersby, for its view is hindered by the tents of the nearby tourist shops.

Orestis Markis, whose career coincided with the golden age of the Greek Cinema, triumphed in his roles as a drunkard (ironic, considering he never drank alcohol), and as an austere father overtaken by the fast-paced changes of his times. In real life, he fled with and married his younger by ten years Barbara Damigou, daughter of the Damigos family, one of the oldest to settle in Anafiotika and owners of the tavern “Mpakaliarakia ou Damigou” (just a few metres away from the house). The traditional, underground tavern, decorated by an ancient Roman column, was used as a setting for several movies and was the favourite haunt for some of the most prominent Greek artists of the mid-20th century, including Manos Chatzidakis and Kostas Varnalis.

5. The house of the author and poet Georgios Drossinis (Adrianou & Thespidos str, Plaka)

On the other corner of the same crossroad, just across the Makris residence, there is the house where the poet Georgios Drossinis was born in 1859 and lived throughout his childhood. Although the building is still well-maintained, it has lost its status as a mansion, i.e. a cluster of several residences, all connected around a courtyard with a garden, flowers, and trees. Today, the ground floor is used by tourist shops – as is the case in most of the buildings in Plaka – and the upper level seems occupied (though I do not know by whom).

This house is connected with some of the most beautiful memories of the poet, as described by him. The window that oversees the crossroad was his preferred spot: from there, he could observe the lively neighbourhood, the locals, visitors, and travellers, the man who turned on the oil lamps in the evening, as well as the famous Plaka carnival procession. It is also possible that one of the most renowned poems of Drossinis – the “Blooming Almond Tree” – was conceived here, inspired by the vision of his cousin in the garden, standing under an almond (or, sour orange) tree in full bloom, the white-rosy petals cascading over her, twirling in the morning breeze.

6. The house of the poet Giorgos Seferis (9, Kydathinaion str, Plaka)

At the beginning of the Kydathinaion street and just around 200 metres from the Drossinis and Makris houses, there is the residence of the families Seferiades and Tsatsos. It is a two-storey, inter-war edifice, built in the 1920s by Stylianos Seferiades (the father of the poet) who predicted the unfortunate developments in Asia Minor and wished to move his family to a safer place. Indeed, they relocated to Athens and, when the building was ready in the early 1930s, they moved there. The ground floor was allocated to the son, Giorgos Seferiades (known today as Giorgos Seferis, one of the most prominent poets and winner of the first Nobel Prize in Greece), who kept returning there every time he was in Athens, based on his travels as a diplomat. The upper floor was initially retained as an office for the father, while, later, it became the residence of Ioanna Tsatsou (daughter of the family and poet) and her husband, Konstantinos Tsatsos (who, among other things, served as President of the Hellenic Republic during the period 1975-1980).

7. The house of the soprano Maria Callas (61, Patission str & Skaramaga str, Athens)

On the second floor of the building that once upon a time decorated Patission Avenue, there lived the soprano of international renown, Maria Callas, during her adolescence. She arrived in 1937, after the divorce of her parents, when she was just 14 years old, to stay in Athens with her mother and sister, and left in 1945 for New York, to pursue her career.

The building was constructed in 1925, designed by the architect Kostas Kistikis who combined classical and modern elements in an eccentric and dynamic way. It is known as the Papaleonardou Building or otherwise, Villa Skaramaga (named after the small street adjacent to one side of the edifice) and, despite its former glory – still evident on the decorative facades – it stands now desolate and bleak. There are several reasons – some of them legitimate, like lack of the necessary funds or entangled ownership status – that may explain the abandonment often encountered in the streets of Athens. Yet, it is always painful to see the ornaments of the city falling to pieces and ignorance gradually prevailing among the locals for the treasures that end up unwanted.

Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou

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