Greece’s Central Archaeological Council (KAS) has approved recently the restoration of the workshop of iconic ancient sculptor Pheidias in Ancient Olympia, according to greekreporter.com
Pheidias, who lived from approximately 480 to 430 BC, who was also a painter and architect, is the creator of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The ingenious polymath also designed the statues of the goddess Athena Parthenos inside the Parthenon on the Acropolis, and the Athena Promachos, a colossal bronze at the Propylaea, where today stands the administrative building of the University of Athens.
The restoration of the workshop of Pheidias, which later was transformed into the Early Christian Basilica of Olympia, was approved by the KAS as part of the program to highlight the Roman phase of the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia.
Greece’s Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni noted in a press release that visitors will spend more time at Olympia after the restoration because of this highlighting of the Roman phase of the history of the site.
“The highlighting of the buildings of the Roman period – in addition to the protection of the monuments themselves – will give an extremely interesting picture of the archeological site of Olympia,” the Ministry says.
“This will significantly increase the stay time of visitors. Today, most visitors limit their tour to the area of the sanctuary with the classical antiquities.
“With the completion of the program of highlighting the Roman phase of the Sanctuary of Ancient Olympia, the image of the archaeological site is expected to change radically, offering the visitor a more complete experience of the site and the different time periods, as reflected and presumed in the monuments of Olympia.”
The location of the building that housed Pheidias’ workshop in Olympia has been identified by researchers, who also presume its continuous use from the classical to the Byzantine era.
Its history and elements discovered by German excavators certify the presence of the great sculptor there.
The study, organized and funded by the German Archaeological Institute, aims at the complete protection of the monument and the wider area.
The restoration proposal is to present the Byzantine building inside the building based on the elements it has from each phase as well as the architectural qualities that express individual elements of each phase.
The Central Archaeological Council, approving the study for the restoration of the early Christian phase, requested that the Classical phase of the building be highlighted to a greater extent, both internally and externally, in order to document all the surviving authentic material of the classical times.
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