Thessaloniki Metro: Venizelos Station’s Collection of Antiquities
A unique journey through the long history of Thessaloniki is awaiting passengers from the first steps of the first level of the Venizelos station of the Thessaloniki metro.
In particular, the images published from levels -1 and -2 of the station give a first glimpse of the antiquities on display. In essence, in addition to moving around, the passenger can wander through an informal museum, which for the first time will be located under the ground and not above it.
After many years of preparation, the Thessaloniki Metro is expected to open its doors to the public on November 30.
A journey to the distant past
From the first level of the Venizelos station, passengers will be able to see the ancient artifacts that were found during the construction of the metro by walking on them on glass floors that serve as walkways.
The second level of the station is the main archaeological site. The passenger-visitor can stand and observe the antiquities on display.
Archaeological study’s discoveries in Thessaloniki Metro
While most of the ancient objects are located in Agia Sophia and Venizelos Stations, the archaeological study of Venizelos Station, which covers an area of 1,260 square meters, has helped to reconstruct the history of the city from its foundation during the Kassandros period to the beginning of the 20th century.
The Roman and Hellenistic Decumanus Maximus road or the Byzantine Middle Way has been excavated, as well as an important complex of buildings of the urban fabric of Late Antiquity.
It should be noted that the difficult task of extracting and repositioning the antiquities was carried out by a special team of architect Dimitris Korres, who has carried out various projects at the archaeological site.
“It’s fantastic”
Carsten Rasmussen, head of the Greece-Cyprus section of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional Policy and Urban Development, said during his visit to the station:
“It is fantastic! You all know how people will react when they see the Venizelos station. It is something unique in the world. I don’t want to describe what I saw. Be patient. I don’t want to say. It is something incredible.
“We are preserving the history of Thessaloniki”
During her last visit to the Venizelos station, Lina Mendoni had said: “With absolute respect for the institutional framework and the archaeological law, but also for the needs of Thessaloniki and its residents, we are completing an extremely complex archaeological project.”
She then added: “We are preserving and highlighting the evidence of the city’s history – from its foundation by Kassandros to the last centuries – with pioneering and innovative solutions, using modern technology.
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