Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday met with the President and Treasurer of the Onassis Foundation, Antonis Papadimitriou, to discuss the foundation’s decision to finance efforts to improve the lift and lighting on the Athens Acropolis.
Papadimitriou briefed the prime minister on the Foundation’s decision to fund the installation of a modern slope elevator instead of the existing lift, as well as the renewal and upgrade of the night-time lighting of the archaeological site.
Mitsotakis thanked Papadimitriou for the Foundation’s valuable contribution, noting that its actions “promote an image of Greece [as a country] that has lost neither its values nor its sensitivity, especially towards its cultural heritage, which is also the heritage of all humanity.”
On his part, Papadimitriou said that by “improving accessibility to one of the most important monuments of international cultural heritage, we point out the importance of equal opportunities for all, while restoring the lighting on the Acropolis is a least token of our respect for the monument and the archaeologists that protect it on behalf of us all.”
In the place of the old lift, a new and modern slope elevator will be installed – such as those used in all similar sites abroad, which will provide access to people with mobility problems in the best possible way. For the upgrade of the lighting system installed in 2004 ahead of the Olympic Games, the project foresees a complete overhaul so that the lines and shadows on the monuments and the cliff will be displayed on the Athens night skyline using new-generation lights.
Both projects are expected to be completed before the summer of 2020, while the cost is estimated at 1.5 million euros.
The meeting was also attended by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and the director for culture at the Onassis Foundation, Afroditi Panagiotakou.
SOURCE: ANA-MPA