On Syntagma Square

The History of the Square, its planning characteristics

Date: 12/1999

By Ger. Sklavounos

Syntagma is one of the three squares of "Kleanthis's Triangle" of the initial Athenian master plan. The third square, within contemporary Gazi (Keramicos), was never materialized. Therefore, Syntagma was always fixating with Omonia.

Syntagma was located further up from Omonia. This fact, together with the climate and the psychology of imposition and authority, contributed to erecting the Palace in Syntagma. This was different from what was proposed in the original plans of Kleanthis- Schaubert (1833) in Omonia and to Kleenze's plan (1834) in Keramikos. Beside the Palace and higher up, at the base and slopes of Lecabetus, construction began to accommodate the nobles of the Court, the members of government and the new middle class. The social divisions of the urban environment in Athens were therefore established.

Evidently, the third square ranking Syntagma would have been a folklore square. Probably this was the reason it never materialized. Its place was taken over by that which was destined by name to homogenize, the square of equilibrium and middle class, Omonia square.

Syntagma concentrated all the air-transport companies' offices and was the departure point of buses towards the airport. Located nearby were also the central government building, the Parliament (former and current), most of the Ministries, the headquarters of foreign companies and the biggest hotels. Syntagma was upper-class, cosmopolitan, cold, large, square.

In Syntagma things are more covered, orderly, politics takes place within official realms. However, this is where the battle for political power took and still takes place, where political battles climax.

This is where the revolution of 1843 broke out and where the Constitution was proclaimed, this is were all movements concluded. This is where the greatest marches occurred that marked Hellenic history, from the marches of Venizelos, the gathering of December 1944 till the gathering of the change of government of 1974. And quite recently, the great gatherings of support towards the Kurdish population and the renouncement of the bombardment of Yugoslavia.

The displacement of the middle-upper income citizens, during the last decades, around the axis of NE and SE of Syntagma, up to Dionisos and Aniksi on the one side, Voula and Vouliagmenis on the later side, contributed to the social division of the Athenian basin and emphatically defined the -αστικό-urban character of Syntagma.

Despite the distance, the upper income citizens shop for cloths and other luxurious commodities with the axis of Kolonaki - Voukourestiou - Syntagma - Ermou. Particularly with the latest addition of paved roads. The axis of Kolonaki - Voukourestiou - Syntagma continues as an axis of pedestrian flow towards Plaka and Acropolis, not only for tourists but also for natives that wish to walk and relax within the environment of Plaka. It is located upon the geophysical axis of Lecabetus - Akropolis, in the center of which one would find Syntagma.