Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Athens, Greece: Old Royal Palace

There's a little irony in the way this building worked our for the leadership of Greece. The old home of the royalty is now the home of its most democratic branch.

The Old Royal Palace was built in the seven years leading up to 1843. That's when King Leo and his wife moved in. But he didn't get to stay long, as he was more or less told to leave by the military. King George took over in 1864 and had a nice long run. A fire did considerable damage to the building in 1909, and the occupants decided to get out for a new place called the Crown Prince's Palace. 

In 1924, Greece got rid of its monarchy, and a few years later the Parliament was placed there. The monarchy eventually returned in a weakened way, but the legislative body remained there.

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