Thessaloniki_EN

54
6 th walk:
NEA PARALIA – VASILISSIS OLGAS AVENUE
it is a busy street along which
Depot, Analipsi, Salamina and
Faliro Districts extend from the
east towards the city centre.
Despite the area’s urbanization,
you will still see here several
impressive buildings dating
to the late 19 th – early 20 th c.
which paint a vivid picture of its
older character and continue to
be one of the best promenade
places in town.
MUST SEE:
3.1 Allatini Villa.
This impressive red brick
mansion is surrounded by a
large garden and was built in
1898, to plans by V. Poselli, as
a country residence of K. Allatini,
owner of the Allatini business
establishment. The Ottoman
Sultan Hamid II was confined
to this place for three years,
after the Young Turks Movement
took power in 1908. In 1926
the then newly founded
University of Thessaloniki was
housed in the villa (see also
p. 38); during World War II the
premises were used as a military
hospital. Today it is the seat of
the Region of Central Macedonia
offices. In the neighbouring
Delfon St, at no. 201 you will
see another residence dating
to the same period.
3.2 Casa Bianca.
It was built in 1912 by Dino
Fernadez-Diaz, to plans by P.
Arrigoni, and it was named
after his wife, Bianca. The
building features eclectic and
art nouveau elements and it
has been a scheduled one since
1976. Today it houses a branch
of the Municipal Art Gallery.
At 203, Vas. Olgas Ave. you
will come across the eclectic
Nehama Villa, which was built
in 1907 by Al. Nehama,
a banker. It was originally a two
storey building; a third storey
was added in 1940-1945.
3.3 Mordoch Villa
(Municipal Art Gallery).
This impressive eclectic
style construction (1905, X.
Paionidis) is located at the
corner of Vas. Olgas Ave.
and 25 th March Street. It was
built as the residence of the
Turkish officer Seifulah Pasha,
but it became finally known as
Mordoch Villa, after the last
owner, a Jewish Merchant by
the name of S. Mordoch who
died in a concentration camp
during World War II. It was also
used as military barracks and
as a polyclinic; since 1986
it houses the Municipal Art
Gallery (see p. 76). A copper
sculpture by sculptor K.
Kampadakis graces its lovely
garden. At a short distance,
at the corner of Vas. Olgas Ave.
and Gravias st., you will see
the Hirsch villa (early 20 th c.,
P. Arrigoni), a deserted building
which once housed the 1 st
Police Department. Notice the
old pillbox at the end of the
yard – a remnant of the Civil
War Period (1946 – 1949).
3.4 Chatzilazarou
Residence.
Also known as Siaga residence,
this house was built in 1890
to plans by X. Paionidis. Next
to it, you will see the impressive
Marokou Residence which
was used at earlier times
as a boarding school; today
it houses a Traffic Police
Department. Opposite to it,
there is a small garden with
a small Roman Catholic chapel
dedicated to the Sacred Heart
of Jesus.
3.5 Mehmet Kapanci Villa
(108, Vas. Olgas Ave.).
The mansion was built in 1893
to plans by the Italian architect
P. Arrigoni, within a 0.4 hectare
garden, for Mehmet Kapanci,
a Thessalonian Jewish merchant
and banker. Following the central
European architectural trend of
the time, the main building is
a three storey construction with
elaborate interior decoration
and has access to a tower.
Prince Nicholas, the city’s first
Greek military commander, was
accommodated here in 1912;
in 1916-1917 E. Venizelos
stayed in the villa as head of
the temporary revolutionary
Government of National Defence.
In 1928 the building was bought
by the National Bank of Greece
and during the years 1938 –
1961 it housed some of the city’s
highschools. Since 1989, this
is the location of the Thessaloniki
Cultural Centre of the National
Bank of Greece Cultural
Foundation (MIET, see p. 77).
Next to it there is a red brick
castle, known as Chateau mon
bonheur, dating to 1890.
3.6 Ahmet Kapanci Villa
(105, Vas. Olgas Ave.).
It was built in 1905 by P.
Arrigoni, as a country (seaside)
residence for Ahmet Kapanci,
a Jewish merchant and Mayor
of the City. The architectural
style is a mixed one as the
eclectic features combine
neoclassical, renaissance, art
nouveau and gothic motifs.
In 1926, the Greek State took
ownership and since then
the premises housed the Red
Cross, the Gestapo, and NATO
services until 1973. Offices for
the 1997 European Capital of
6 th walk:
NEA PARALIA – VASILISSIS OLGAS AVENUE
55
60
61 62
60, 61 & 62.
Three
imposing villas
(mansions)
on Vas. Olgas
Ave.: [from left]
Ahmet Kapanci
Villa, Casa
Bianca and
Mordoch Villa.