Neoclassicism

After independence in 1829, Greece was rebuilt by European architects in the neoclassical style — ironically, the Bavarians (King Otto was a Bavarian prince!) reimported Greek forms back to Greece.

In Athens, the magnificent buildings of the "Athenian Trilogy" were created:

• Academy of Athens (1859-1885, Theophil Hansen): Ionic columns, sculptures of Apollo and Athena, probably the most beautiful neoclassical building in Greece.
• University of Athens (1839-1864, Christian Hansen): The oldest university building of modern Greece.
• National Library (1888-1903, Theophil Hansen): Doric staircase, impressive facade.

Beyond Athens: Ermoupoli on Syros is the best-preserved neoclassical city in Greece — an entire city ensemble of marble, less known than Santorini and ten times more elegant. Nafplio (first capital of modern Greece) has a charming old town with neoclassical mansions, Venetian fortresses, and Ottoman fountains.

Many neoclassical buildings in Athens and Thessaloniki were demolished in the 20th century to make way for the faceless concrete blocks (Polykatoikia) that dominate the cityscape today — a cultural catastrophe that is now widely lamented.