Every year, millions of travelers arrive in Athens, eager to admire the ancient city and enjoy its classical heritage. But what was Athens like in the late 19th century with its neoclassical buildings, wide boulevards, and literary salons? An Athens where music echoed from Otto’s palace and the aristocracy danced under crystal chandeliers. A city of dignitaries, scholars, and architects who designed and revised plans, leaving their mark on every dimension of the young capital. An Athens where the common masses gathered around low-lit fireplaces and children played in the mud among the ancient ruins. Where criminals settled disputes with knives and prostitutes roamed the ports, attracting sailors to dirty, smoky taverns. Where Greek refugees lived in wind-swept streets without sewage or water, singing about their worries under the stars. An Athens where intellectuals, writers, poets, and artists gathered in local cafés, planning the future of the newly established country, discussing philosophy, literature, and their shared passion for restoring Greece for the Greeks. “Athens Revealed” pays tribute to the people, streets, and neighborhoods of late 19th century Athens, where some of the finest neoclassical buildings stand next to abandoned mansions, public houses, and old workshops; where people still haggle over the prices of clothes and goods in the old commercial streets and where young artists create dynamic graffiti, bringing everything about the city into sharp focus.
