‘Under the Light of Apollo: The Louvre in Delphi’ exhibition opens

The Archaeological Museum of Delphi on Thursday launched “Under the Light of Apollo: The Louvre in Delphi,” an exhibition organized with the emblematic Parisian museum and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Fokis that forms part of events marking the bicentennial of the 1821 Greek War of Independence.

Inaugurating the show in a ceremony that was also attended by the honorary president and director of the Louvre Museum, Jean-Luc Martinez, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni explained that the exhibition comprises 28 masterpieces from the Louvre. They include antiquities of Greek, Egyptian and Cypriot origin, the oldest of which date back to 1400 BC, as well as works of art of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, which are being showcased alongside star exhibits of the Greek museum.

“Delphi’s evolution into the center of the ancient world was not a coincidence, nor is it a coincidence and it continues to retain this radiance, which led to the recognition of the sacred and the wider natural environment as a world cultural asset. The Delphic Landscape is rightly a symbol of outstanding universal significance, inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. At the same time, it is an internationally recognized name, a brand name with clear growth potential. ‘Under the Light of Apollo: The Louvre in Delphi’ pays homage to these elements of universal and timeless value in Delphi,” said Mendoni.

Pointing to the close historical ties between Greece and France that the show represents, she also referred to a major exhibition at the Louvre, “Paris – Athens: The birth of modern Greece, 1675-1919,” which will be inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday.

The exhibition runs through January 31, 2022. Opening hours are Wednesday to Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call 22650.823.13.