The project to restore the former royal palace and its surrounding estate at Tatoi, north of Athens, is in full swing. This comprehensive effort aims to create a unified experience of history and nature for visitors by harmoniously connecting the monumental buildings with the landscape.
Led by the Ministry of Culture, the project focuses on the restoration of the landscape and the buildings within the palatial and agricultural units. This includes reviving the palace’s immediate surroundings and important structures like the greenhouse and the tennis court, which are being restored for new use.
According to Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, the goal is to restore and reorganize the outdoor space with a focus on aesthetic and functional quality. The design treats the estate as a single entity, ensuring a seamless experience for visitors who will discover the landscape and its historical references through carefully planned paths, strategic plantings, and organized movement.
The project covers a total area of 34 acres, with specific attention to the palatial and agricultural units. The study’s principles include:
Respecting History: Using archival documentation like photographs and topographical maps.
Environmental Harmony: Analyzing existing soil and vegetation to ensure new plantings are appropriate.
Safety First: Adhering to the new Fire Protection Regulation by creating distinct planting zones around the buildings.
Key restoration details of Tatoi in Greece
Palace and Gardens
The restoration work centers on the area surrounding the palace and the kitchens, creating a cohesive introductory space for visitors. This includes:
Alley with the Rams: Reinforcing the iconic path with new statues and preserving the natural relief.
Western Path: Re-establishing a historic cluster of trees and reinforcing the path to the kitchens with new plane trees and shrubs.
Southern Gardens: Restoring historical, geometrically-designed flower beds with rose bushes and other traditional varieties, as well as the original marble seating bench.
Greenhouse and Tennis Court
The restoration efforts extend to two of the estate’s significant structures:
Greenhouse: This rare, preserved greenhouse from the 1890s is being fully restored to its original form and use. The project aims to highlight its architectural and historical value while ensuring its structural stability.
Tennis Court: The 1890s-era tennis court, which suffered significant damage, is being completely restored to its original form and will be made functional again.
Pathways and Landscape
The new network of paths around the palace and kitchens is being constructed with permeable materials like crushed stone and soil. This not only provides stability but also improves microclimatic conditions and enhances biodiversity.
The plan also includes preserving a historic grove of broad-leaved trees that frames the palace, creating informal routes to connect it with the surrounding area and historical trails. A semicircular plateau from a 19th-century plan is also being restored, complete with flowerbeds and tall shrubs.
The history of Greece’s Tatoi estate
The Tatoi estate was originally acquired by King George I in 1872. The palace and its gardens were built in the late 19th century under the direction of Ludwig Münder, a Danish forester and philhellene. The estate endured the great fire of 1916 and was again partially damaged in a fire in 2021.
After being returned to the state in 2003, it was designated a historical site, paving the way for the current restoration efforts.
Related: Royal Emblems of King Otto of Greece Rediscovered in Tatoi Palace
