Keeping up appearances: Greece reveals Parthenon façade after 220 years

For the first time in about 220 years, the west façade of the Parthenon in Greece can be see in its fullest possible form. External scaffolding has now been permanently removed from the monument, marking a key step in its long restoration. Greece is marking a major milestone with the completion of work to reveal the western pediment of the Parthenon. For the first time in more than two centuries, the country's most famous monument is now definitively free of its external scaffolding. The restoration of the orthostates of the tympanum constituted one of the most complex interventions of recent years for the Acropolis Monuments Restoration Service (YSMA). According to Greece's culture ministry, the project required highly specialised technical solutions and absolute precision at every stage of the process, from working the new marble to lifting it into place and installing it on the monument. The large orthostate of the west pediment was restored to its original geometry by bonding the surviving ancient fragments and supplementing them with new marble, while the second was made entirely from new marble. For the final placement of the blocks, a new functional scaffolding system was installed, meeting the strictest modern safety standards and being aesthetically adapted to the monument. The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, noted:“Today we are talking about the completion of an extremely demanding restoration intervention, thanks to which the west pediment of the Parthenon is being presented in its fullest form in some 220 years. The sight is truly breathtaking. The pediment, which generations of Greek citizens and visitors from all over the world had grown used to seeing incomplete, is regaining its architectural unity. The two new orthostates, which have been placed in its vacant positions, do not simply make good a morphological gap. They allow the unique proportions and geometric perfection of the Parthenon’s western façade to be highlighted once again. Today we are looking at the west pediment of the Parthenon as it has not been seen for two centuries. It is a moment of historic significance for the monument, for the Acropolis and for world culture. A moment that fills us with pride, but also with a sense of responsibility to continue, with the same consistency, the great work of protecting and showcasing the foremost symbol of Western civilisation.” The completion of the programme to restore the western façade was carried out as part of a project funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility.