Minister pledges to restore building wrecked by fire
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni has promised to restore a listed building in central Athens that was destroyed by a fire on Friday morning as the fire service probes the cause of the blaze.
The fire in the long-abandoned neoclassical building at 43 Stadiou Street ripped through the second floor, causing extensive damage. “This destruction further degrades the image of Stadiou Street, which is one of the main avenues of central Athens,” Mendoni said.
The minister said specialist engineers will assess the damage when the fire service says it is safe to do so and take the necessary measures to protect passers-by from falling debris.
The ministry will seek to get the restoration work covered by the 2021-27 EU funding program.
The building was the home of Alexandros Soutsos, a Greek poet from a prominent Phanariote family. In 1896, Soutsos left his art collection and fortune to the Greek state to create an art museum.
