Culture Minister Lina Mendoni conducted an autopsy at the Venizelos, Agia Sofia and Sidrivani stations, as part of the systematic work visits she has been making, since 2019, to the Thessaloniki metro stations, where archaeological work is underway by the relevant Ephorate of Antiquities of the City Thessaloniki, as stated in the relevant announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the Venizelos station, the minister was informed by the competent officials of the Ministry of Culture, the managers of “Hellenic Metro”, and the representatives of the contractor on the progress of the project of relocating the temporarily detached antiquities and the final image of the archaeological site with the installation of digital media and applications and other informational material placed on the station.
In the presence of the minister, the repositioning of the antiquities was completed with the return to the position of the first stone, which was detached, on July 15, 2021, when the titanic project of the temporary detachment of the antiquities began, which was decisive for the entire evolution of the completion of the metro project of Thessaloniki.
After the autopsy, the minister stated the following:
“When we started the temporary deployment of the antiquities at the Venizelos station, we committed that within specific time frames the deployed antiquities would be returned to their exact location, based on the principles of science and ethics, forming a unique monumental ensemble within the station shell. With absolute respect for the institutional framework and the archaeological law, but also for the needs of Thessaloniki and its residents, we are completing an extremely complex archaeological project in the urban fabric of Thessaloniki, a model and innovator at an international level.
Complete studies were prepared for all the necessary and legally prescribed stages, for the entire process of the removal and repositioning of the antiquities under the continuous and uninterrupted supervision of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki and the close cooperation of the relevant Directorates of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
All of the studies received the positive opinions of the Central Archaeological Council, but also the positive judgment of the Plenary Session of the Council of State, to which those who ideologically opposed the construction of the Metro appealed.
Thanks to the daily and systematic cooperation of the Ministry of Culture with Attiko Metro and its contractors, a school for the management, documentation, protection and promotion of the cultural reserve is being created in Thessaloniki, in the context of the construction of a large and complex technical project .
We preserve and highlight the evidence of the city’s long history – from its founding by Kassandros to the last centuries – with pioneering and innovative solutions, utilizing modern techniques and technologies. Thessaloniki – in the case of the metro – has the first place, as it now has an extensive archaeological site integrated into the station shell. We practically show our respect for the past, present and future of the city and its citizens.”
The Venizelos station
According to the announcement of the YPPO, at the Venizelos station, the entirety of the oldest building and time phases of Thessaloniki, from the Hellenistic years, is documented in an absolute way. With the research carried out, until recently unknown archaeological fields were investigated as, after the removal of the layers of late antiquity, antiquities from Roman times were investigated.
The area of Venizelos Station is 1,260 sq.m. however, the archaeological research covered at least 3,500 sq.m. The founding phase of the city of Cassander was revealed, which developed according to the Hippodamian system, on the same road axes, with minor displacements. The layers of the Hellenistic and Roman central street were revealed, which was flanked to the south by the pillared portico, which ensured access to the building island.
Lina Mendoni then performed autopsies at the “Agia Sophia” and “Fountain” stations.
At “Agia Sophia” station“, at its northern entrance, the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki completed the project of highlighting and presenting to the public a new very important archaeological site, over 800 sq.m., which was revealed in the context of the technical work of the construction of the station.
THE “Fountain” stationis one of the eight subway stations where antiquities were discovered. Part of the mobile antiquities – together with the relevant information material – will be permanently exhibited inside the station shell.
In the autopsies at the metro stations, the minister was accompanied by the general secretary of Culture Giorgos Didaskalou, the director of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities Elena Kountouri, the director of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Antiquities Iulia Papageorgiou, the head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki, Elisavet Tsigaridas and the head of the department of Prehistoric Classical Antiquities of the Ephorate of the City of Thessaloniki, Tania Protopsalti.
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