Philopappou Hill Pathways in Athens, Greece
Philopappou Hill takes its name from Prince Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos. Philopappos came to Greece in the 1st century A.D.E. from the Kingdom of Commagene after it was assimilated into the Roman Empire. Philopappos was extremely wealthy and was known for his philanthropy, funding many projects in the city. When Philopappos died in 116 AD his sister built his tomb as a monument directly southwest of the Acropolis atop what was then known as the Hill of the Muses. The Philopappos' monument was a magnificent, two-story structure, built with solid Pentelic and Hymettian marble. The monument remained intact until at 15th century, when portions were stripped by the occupying Ottomans for various uses. The remains of the monument sat on Philopappos Hill in that condition for the next 500+ years.
In 1951 the Greek government developed a plan to beautify and make the area south of the Acropolis more accessible to the citizens of Athens. The project included pedestrian paths that led to the summit of Philopappos Hill. Local architect Dimitris Pikionis was selected to oversee the project. Pikionis was born in Piraeus, Greece in 1887. He was interested in building design as a youth and eventually enrolled at the National Technical University of Athens to study civil engineering. He graduated in 1908 and left Greece to continue his studies in France and Germany. He returned to Greece in 1912 and began focusing his studies on modern Greek architecture. In 1921 he accepted a position as a lecturer at the National Technical University of Athens and in 1925 accepted a position as a full professor. He worked on various projects throughout the city while teaching, and in 1951 he was selected by the Greek government to lead the efforts to implement the project.
The project began in 1954. Pikionis collaborated with his colleagues, students and local stonemasons and together they developed a plan that was mostly reliant upon impromptu on-site decisions. The approach did not involve detailed written plans, nor was there a need for approval from the Greek government.
At the time Philopappou Hill was a mostly barren, rocky hill with narrow dirt paths leading to the summit. Pikionis’ vision for the hill was to reforest it with a large number of pine and olive trees, insert steps, pave the paths, and install numerous seating areas with views of the nearby Acropolis.
A collage of ancient ruins, cut marble, salvaged stone pieces from demolished neoclassical buildings, and ceramic shards found in the area were then gathered and organized. The students and workers then shaped the objects with chisels and carefully cemented them in a collage into the numerous paths leading to rest areas and the summit. The merging of all these objects created what many considered an amazing piece of art.
The project was completed with little fanfare in February 1958 and included the pedestrian walkway leading to the Propylaea and the area surrounding the Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris. Despite the low-key approach, this project was recognized as part of the Acropolis of Athens when it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. This project is considered by many to be one of the most significant landscape architecture works in the 20th-century.