The Schliemann Palace, also known as Ilios Melathron, is one of the most beautiful neoclassical buildings in Athens, built between 1878 and 1880 to designs by Ernest Ziller and was the residence of Eric Schliemann, the discoverer of the treasure of ancient Troy. Today it houses the Numismatic Museum.
For years "Ilios Melathron" was the centre of the political, social and intellectual life of Athens. It is significant that part of the mansion also housed the political office of Eleftherios Venizelos. However, it was also associated with a trivial incident. Twenty-four statues of the gods were placed on the parapet.
However, their nudity provoked the shamefulness of some, leading to a protest against the government. Schliemann decided to clothe the naked statues after the complaints, but the result caused laughter the next day.
The building had ventilation and heating systems with air ducts ending in the floors of the rooms, gas installation, shutters on the doors and windows and even fire protection
The 24 statues were placed on the roof
The large clay statues were made in Vienna and represented figures from the Pantheon of ancient Greek philosophy and mythology. They were Meleagros of Skopas, the wine-drinking Satyr of Dresden, the Amazon of the Vatican, Apollo, Athena, the Farense-type Diadoumenos, Artemis, the Doriforos of Polykleitos of Naples, Chlorida of Naples, Zinon, Seilinos and Dionysos of the Louvre, the Great Irakleotissa, Antinous of Capitol Museum and the Castelgandolfo-type Cyniscos. Many of them are found more than once in the decoration of the roof and the garden of the building.
The meeting of Ziller and Schliemann
The two men met in 1864, when Schliemann first visited Greece. The occasion was a pamphlet of maps and drawings of Troy that Ziller and the astronomer Dr. Smith published during their visit at the invitation of Austrian Ambassador Dr. Han. This pamphlet was given by Schiller to Slieman when they met on Greek land, and this acquaintance was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
Meleagros of the Parian sculptor Skopas
Installation and dedication
A decade after settling in Athens and becoming wealthy, Schliemann entrusted the construction of his home to his best friend: Ernst Ziller. The plans for Schliemann's house at Panepistimiou Street were drawn up in 1878, and when he commissioned Ziller with the project, Schliemann is reported to have said the following:
"I have lived all my life in a small house, but I want to spend the rest of my years in a big house, I ask for space and nothing else, choose any architecture you like, my only conditions are a wide marble staircase leading from the ground floor to the upper floor, and upstairs a huge terrace".
The huge clay statues of the parapet have been removed today for protection, while Diadoumenos was transported and decorates the exterior of the National Archaeological museum
Special constructors came from Italy to build the mosaic floors. Bavarian and Viennese painters also came to do the Pompeian murals and the paintings inside the two balconies. Local craftsmen built the rest of the building, such as the railings. The decoration work was carried out in 1880, with Schliemann himself selecting some of the decorative elements, mainly with archaeological themes. The basic concept of the decoration came from Ziller, who was inspired by the Trojan and Mycenaean finds for the mosaic floors.
