Academy of Athens

The Academy of Athens is located on the corner of Sina street and Panepistimiou street and is part of the Neoclassical Trilogy: Academy - Panepistimio - National Library.

The idea of establishing the Academy had already begun during the revolutionary years of 1824. It was created however due to the persistence of Alexandros Rizos-Ragavis and the donation made by Simon Sinas, Ambassador of Greece in Berlin, Munich and Vienna.

The Academy was built in two periods, between 1859-1863 and 1868-1885.

The project was a study of the Danish architect Theophil Hansen, who was the inspirer and creator of the so called Architectural Trilogy. The Academy has elements of classical architecture of the 5th century BC as seen on the Acropolis. Indeed elements of the Ionic order can be see on the building of the Academy and are the same as the ones found in the Erechtheion of Acropolis. The pediment sculptures were designed by Leonidas Drosis.

The opening of the Academy was suspended for many years until 1926. In 1867 the Minister of Education Ch. Christopoulos submitted a draft law and in 1904, after the completion of the project, Spyridon Lambros established a plan of organization. The Minister of Education Sp. Stais made his last iniciative in 1908.

The determining factor, however for its foundation, was the participation of Greece in the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919, where Greece was required to feature through a Higher Academic Institution its national laws. In 1918 preceded the establishment of the International Union of Academies, in which Greece could not participate because it did not have a similar Institution. Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos pledged on the establishment of a similar Institution and was hence able to help Greece to participate successfully in the works of the Union. Despite the desire of Venizelos to create the Academy, political developments inhibited any progress on this direction.

The completion of the project was made after the Asia Minor catastrophe. This catastrophe served as an important factor for creating an emergency rescue and study center of cultural heritage and Greek language and the further cultivation of national self-awareness.

From March 18, 1926, the Academy of Athens is the highest research institution in command in Greece. The operation is governed by the Founding Act 4398/1929 which ratified the constitutional decision on the Agency of the Academy of Athens. It is a legal entity of public law and is under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs.

Today 13 research centers, 10 specialized scribes research libraries and the Library John Sykoutris are in operation in the Academy.

The purpose of the Academy is to foster and promote the Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts through the cooperation of numerous eminent Greek scientists, writers and artists. Moreover among the important objectives of the Academy is the study and research of products and elements of nature in the country, as well as scientific support and further enhancement and strengthening of agriculture, manufacturing and shipping in Greece.

Since 2002 the Academy has the supervision of the Biomedical Research IDDM.