The President of Maria Callas Lyric Art Academy, Vasso Papantoniou, and the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, announced today, at a press conference, the restoration of the historic building in which the leading Greek soprano, Maria Callas, lived. The restored building will house the namesake Academy of Lyric Art. The project, undertaken by the Athens Anaplasis SA, will be fully financed with European funds.
The City of Athens is taking the first important step towards its restoration by announcing the project’s tender through the “Athens Anaplasis SA” at the beginning of the year. The building of about 1,500 sq.m. is a listed building of exceptional architecture and aesthetics, Jugendstil type, in which Callas lived with her family from 1937 – after returning from America, where she was born and lived her childhood – until 1945. It is a true ornament in the heart of Athens. The Mayor of Athens supported the concept to house the Maria Callas Lyric Art Academy, in the building of 61 Patission Avenue, from day one – a vision that the President of Maria Callas Lyric Art Academy, soprano, Vasso Papantoniou, was struggling to implement for many years.
“It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, equal to the best similar buildings in cities like Paris, London or Rome. However, the decaying building – abandoned for a long time – caused mixed emotions. Though connected to Callas’ glamour, its image did not correspond to what it should have been. So today, we give it a new life aiming to offer it a second glorious period”, said the Mayor of Athens, stressing: “The tender documents are ready. We have managed to secure full funding, and we will launch the tender at the beginning of the year”.