The garden of the Presidential Palace
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The garden of the Presidential Palace occupies an area of approximately 25 acres and is an oasis of green in the center of Athens. In the middle of the 19th century, this area was occupied by the vegetable garden of the Royal Palaces,as the soil in this location was particularly fertile.
After the completion of the Palace in 1897 and the carving of Herodos Attikou Street, the area surrounding the Palace of the Crown Prince was transformed into a large decorative garden. The design seems to have been undertaken by the technical office of Ziller.
However, the selection of suitable plants should have been overseen by a Greek expert, since most of the trees belong to the Greek flora. The garden, right from the beginning, was divided into two large sections due to the significant slope of the ground. The building was placed on the highest upper part.
The design of the garden on the facade of the building is also found in other neoclassical buildings of the time (Academy, University, National Library). The garden follows a relatively strict geometric French style design, with symmetrical grass beds and islands of seasonal flowering plants. The strictness of the composition towards Herodos Attikou Street is moderated by century-old plane trees, sycamores, palms and cypresses. A broad marble staircase leads to the largest part of the garden on the lowest level. Symmetry has been maintained here too, with a central point of reference being a long corridor lined with tall cypresses leading to the pool and pavilion. To the right and left of the corridor there are lawns, terraced terraces, flower beds and islands with trees and shrubs. Peripherally throughout the length of the garden there are tall rows of trees next to the railings that ensure the necessary isolation from the surrounding streets. In general, the botanical composition of the garden is quite rich since it includes about 140 different species and varieties of ornamental trees, shrubs, climbing plants, etc. Some of these plants are rare. Many of the trees in the garden, such as arias and cypresses, are more than a century old.
Source:The garden of the Mansion
After the completion of the Palace in 1897 and the carving of Herodos Attikou Street, the area surrounding the Palace of the Crown Prince was transformed into a large decorative garden. The design seems to have been undertaken by the technical office of Ziller.
However, the selection of suitable plants should have been overseen by a Greek expert, since most of the trees belong to the Greek flora. The garden, right from the beginning, was divided into two large sections due to the significant slope of the ground. The building was placed on the highest upper part.
The design of the garden on the facade of the building is also found in other neoclassical buildings of the time (Academy, University, National Library). The garden follows a relatively strict geometric French style design, with symmetrical grass beds and islands of seasonal flowering plants. The strictness of the composition towards Herodos Attikou Street is moderated by century-old plane trees, sycamores, palms and cypresses. A broad marble staircase leads to the largest part of the garden on the lowest level. Symmetry has been maintained here too, with a central point of reference being a long corridor lined with tall cypresses leading to the pool and pavilion. To the right and left of the corridor there are lawns, terraced terraces, flower beds and islands with trees and shrubs. Peripherally throughout the length of the garden there are tall rows of trees next to the railings that ensure the necessary isolation from the surrounding streets. In general, the botanical composition of the garden is quite rich since it includes about 140 different species and varieties of ornamental trees, shrubs, climbing plants, etc. Some of these plants are rare. Many of the trees in the garden, such as arias and cypresses, are more than a century old.
Source:The garden of the Mansion