Luigi Beschi

Luigi Beschi (December 27, 1930, Desenzano del Garda, Northern Italy - July 14, 2015, Athens) studied the History of Greek and Roman Art at the University of Padua. He participated in the archaeological missions of Cyrene and was a scholar at the Italian Archaeological School of Athens. From 1972, he taught successively at the Universities of Chieti, Naples, Pisa, and Florence, while simultaneously conducting excavations at Hephaistia and the Sanctuary of the Cabeiri in Lemnos. His exceptionally rich research and writing illuminated many obscure aspects of specific topics, such as the structure and logic of the Parthenon frieze, the succession of sanctuaries on the western and southern sides of the Acropolis, the history of the sacred rock during the period of foreign rule, and various topographical or architectural questions surrounding different monuments in Athens and Attica. Equally valuable are his studies on the origin of certain sculptures in Italian museums from Venetian-ruled Crete, as well as the adventurous fate of some columns from the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion that ended up in England. His parallel contribution to the research of classical music, particularly Johann Sebastian Bach, should also be noted. For his internationally acclaimed contributions, Luigi Beschi was honored by a large number of renowned academies, university faculties, intellectual institutions, and the Archaeological Society of Athens.