Photoshoot at villa Kapantzi
Villa Kapantzi houses the Cultural Centre of MIET in Thessaloniki and is one of the few extant, late nineteenth-century mansions and one of the most important modern monuments in the city. It is one of the few remaining villas of Thessaloniki’s Countryside District, that has been successfully restored.
The villa takes its name from the Kapantzi family, who were the original owners in late 18th century. It was a very luxurious construction that cost over 40.000 gold pounds, a mythical amount of money in that time.
The villa has had many residents such as Prince Nicholas, the first Military Governor of the city (1912), prime minister Eleftherios Venizelos (1917), the Kapantzis and Cohen families (1918-1922) and refugee families from the Greek defeat in Asia Minor (1922-1928). It also housed the American Foundation Company (1928), the Fifth Boys High School (1938-1940 and 1945-1972), the Greek Army (1940), German authorities during the occupation (1941-1944) and British Army headquarters after liberation (1944-1945).
After 1972, the building was abandoned in dilapidated state and in need of serious repairs, following its long-term usage in different capacities. The National Bank of Greece, that has owned the building since 1928, decided to restore it and to use it for cultural purposes. The painstaking restoration process lasted from 1982 to 1988.
