Ancient Corinth is changing its face – How will the archaeological site be shaped – Photo

Its holistic and unified promotion and management Ancient Corinth is launched by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, with the aim of enhancing the readability of the organized archaeological site, improving its visitation, but also its functional connection with the tourism product of the region and the local economy.

The updated strategic plan for the restoration and promotion of the cultural reserve, the natural and the built environment in the wider archaeological site and the settlement of Ancient Corinth, was presented in a broad meeting led by the Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni, with the participation of the Director of the American Athens School of Classical Studies (ASCS) Dr. Bonna Wescoat, Administrative Director of ASCS Pantelis Panos and the Mayor of Corinth Vasilis Nanopoulos.

As stated by the Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni, “The protection and holistic promotion of Ancient Corinth, an important city and critical commercial hub of the ancient world, through the modern, coherent consideration of the monuments, in connection with the past and present of the city, is at the heart of the strategic management plan that have been prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the American School of Classical Studies, which has been active in the archaeological field since the 19th century. Our aim is, through the prioritization of the monumental ensembles, the unification of the archaeological sites, the connection of the scattered monuments and the improvement of their accessibility, to strengthen the visitation to the core of the archaeological site, to create new poles of cultural interest within it, contributing overall in upgrading the experience of the visitor, but also the connection of the archaeological site with the local society and economy. With the local Superintendent, the Mayor and the Directorate of the American School of Classics, we determined the next steps, the timelines of our actions, so that in early February 2023, the masterplan together with the studies for the store of the Cultural Resources Management and Development Organization ( ODAP) and the Arena of the South Stoa, to be introduced to the Central Archaeological Council, for the legal opinion. Taking advantage of the longstanding excellent cooperation of the YPPOA with the American School, but also with the Municipality of Corinth, we are creating the framework of principles and actions for Ancient Corinth on the basis of a sustainable development approach to its cultural heritage”.

Strategic Management Plan of Ancient Corinth
The main axes of the Management Plan are the connection of the scattered monuments with the aim of highlighting the identity and cultural continuity of the place, the unification of the archaeological sites by ensuring accessibility, the organization of the necessary parking spaces, the redefinition of the entrances to the core of the archaeological site and the reorganization of the public space in the center of the settlement. Among the proposals for intervention are the unification of the archaeological site of the Conservatory and the Theater by abolishing the intermediate road, the release of the current parking area and the formation, on the Xenia hill, of an open-air gathering place for the public, the creation of a “Northern Archaeological Park” with the Asklepiion , the Gymnasium and the Courtyard of Lerna and connection to the Aphrodite Baths and the Kiamil Bey hamam. Functional and aesthetic upgrading measures of the square and the streets in contact with the archaeological site are proposed.

The proposed routes within the archaeological site, which were formed in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth and the American School of Classical Studies, aim to highlight the monuments and ensembles through lighting, as well as to improve attendance. It is proposed to renovate the exit from Lechaiou Street highlighting its monumental dimension, to create an elevator for disabled access and to create a stop and connecting platform with the entrance to the Old Museum.

Building complex of the Old Museum
The building complex of the Old Museum, which functions as a storage space for the ASCS, is planned to be restored – the study has been launched by the Ministry of the Interior for the beginning of 2023 – and to be turned into a temporary exhibition space for the hundreds of Roman frescoes, which have been found in excavations. The building of the complex described as “Epigrafikon” is planned to be restored and transformed into an ODAP store and refreshment stand.

South Portico
For the South Stoa, one of the most important monuments of the Agora, an architectural study is underway for the protection, restoration and promotion of the building complex, which will allow the management of the monument as a whole and in harmony with the management proposals of the central archaeological site. In the Amphitheater, one of the South rooms, a roof is planned to be built to protect its mosaic and access it. The study, prepared by ASKS, is expected to be submitted to the Central Archaeological Council.

Xenia Hill
A new exhibition-museum space to house the hundreds of Roman frescoes will probably be created on the Hill, according to the announcement of the Minister of Culture in April 2021, during her visit to the archaeological warehouses of the American School of Classical Studies in Corinth.
Today, in the modern archaeological warehouses of the American School of Classics in Corinth, the highly demanding task of restoring the Roman frescoes, which were located in the excavations begun in 1982 by the historical director of the Corinthian excavations, Dr. Charles Williams, in the eastern area of ​​the theater, is being carried out. of Ancient Corinth. The excavations, which lasted until 2011, produced, among other finds, about 120,000 fragments of wall paintings from various buildings of the Roman period.
The specific location of the exhibition space on the Hill is judged to be the most suitable, as it is in direct connection with the core of the archaeological site, is part of the network of walking routes and has a pivotal position for the creation of recreational and cultural spaces. A working group has undertaken, by the end of January, to submit the final proposal in order to be introduced to the Central Archaeological Council for discussion, together with the overall management plan.

The Director of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Bonna Wescoat, developed in the debate the School’s vision for Ancient Corinth based on the principles of the strategic plan, for the creation of an archaeological site that is a model of sustainable development, with a focus on art. After the meeting, the General Director of the School, Pantelis Panos, said: “Our collaboration was very important for the coordination of our actions, because the archaeological site needs a substantial improvement. We discussed the masterplan, which concerns the highlighting and further improvement of the visitor’s experience, in the archaeological site of Corinth, but also the construction of a new Museum that will house the frescoes that are currently preserved in the new warehouse built by the American School”.

The Mayor of Corinth Vassilis Nanopoulos, stated: “At the meeting with Minister Ms. Mendoni, the local Ephorate of Antiquities and the American School, we had the opportunity to thoroughly discuss the strategic plan for the development and consolidation of the archaeological sites in Ancient Corinth. The next steps were mapped out, with a tight timetable, to enable us to complete the studies to a competency level. The Municipality has undertaken the process of allocating space, in order to be able to implement what is foreseen in the single plan on which the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the American School have agreed.”

The meeting was also attended by the Secretary General of Culture Giorgos Didaskalou, the General Director of the American School of Classical Studies of Athens Pantelis Panos, the President of the Organization for the Management and Development of Cultural Resources Nicoletta Valakou, and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the head of the Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities Elena Kountouri, the head of the Department of Restoration of Ancient Monuments Themis Vlahoulis, the head of the Department of Studies and Execution of Museums and Cultural Buildings Konstantinos Frisiras, the head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Corinth Panagiota Kasimi.

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