Zappion Palace

The building of the Zappion Exhibition Hall was built in classical style by Austrian architect Theophilus von Hansen. It took 14 years to build the Zappion Palace and in 1888 it was officially completed. The building was named in honor of the Greek patriot, merchant and philanthropist Evangelos Zappas. He financed the construction and dedicated his life to restoring the tradition of the Olympic Games. He also sponsored the first three Greek sporting events Olympia, similar to the Olympic Games, but on a smaller scale. The people nicknamed the competitions Olympia Zappas, so highly they honored this patron of the arts. It is worth paying tribute to this great man, because only thanks to his activity the first Olympic Games were held in 1896. It was in the Zappion Palace that one of the stages of the competition was held, where the best fencers from all over the world gathered. Ten years later, Zappion once again hosted the world's athletes, this time as the Olympic Village. Since its construction, Zappion has been used for many purposes. It has repeatedly hosted trade fairs and is an ideal venue for congresses, conferences and scientific symposia. Since then, the palace has become the center of cultural and political life not only in the city of Athens, but also in the whole of Greece. The inner courtyard of Zappion is adorned by a colossal rotunda with snow-white Ionic columns surrounding it and it is no wonder that the palace has been favored by many political figures.