Avdi Square ( el, Πλατεία Λέοντος Αυδή) is a public gathering place located in the
Metaxourgeio
Metaxourgeio or Metaxourgio ( ), meaning "silk mill", is a neighbourhood of Athens, Greece. The neighbourhood is located north of the historical centre of Athens, between Kolonos to the east and Kerameikos to the west, and north of Gazi. Metaxour ...
neighbourhood of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
, bounded by Leonidou, Kerameikou, Giatrakou and Germanikou streets. On the edges of the square stand the
Municipal Gallery of Athens, several cafes, theatres, businesses and residential buildings. The City of Athens renovated the square in 2008, increasing the amount and quality of greenery, improving lighting and renewing tile surfaces.
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Since then, the square has also begun to bear signs of the neighbourhood’s steady revitalization by its residents through anonymous artwork,
guerrilla gardening
Guerrilla gardening is the act of gardening – raising food, plants, or flowers – on land that the gardeners do not have the legal rights to cultivate, such as abandoned sites, areas that are not being cared for, or private property. It enco ...
, festivals, and performances of dance, music and other artistic expression.
The square’s 2008 overhaul was part of the city’s “We're Taking Note and Taking Action" program, which aimed to solve everyday problems in Athens' neighbourhoods. In Avdi Square, the city added 39 trees, 112 bushes, 500 flowers, 1,000 square metres of grass, and 271 square metres of new tile surface.
On 21 July 2008, following the completion of the renovation, Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis held a public ceremony to hand over the square to the area's citizens for caretaking and use as a recreational oasis. "This square will become the heart of culture and recreation in your neighbourhood,” he said during the launch of the revamped space.
The square is named for Leon Avdis (1937–2000), a Greek lawyer and public servant who enjoyed wide respect across the political spectrum.
[
] In 1994 he was elected Municipal Councillor of Athens as head of the "Fighting Cooperation for Athens" coalition.
[
][
] Avdis was elected to Parliament in 1996 on the
Greek Communist Party (KKE) ticket, then resigned in 1997 to run for
mayor of Athens. His platform including improving living conditions in run-down areas and creating bicycle lanes in the capital.
External links
Map of Avdi Square and adjacent restaurants, theatres and art gallery
Photo gallery
File:Avdi Square 007.jpg, Lunch and street party
File:Avdi Square 010.jpg, Lunch and street party
File:Avdi Square 006.jpg, Lunch and street party
File:Avdi Square 008.jpg, Festival
File:Avdi Square 009.jpg, Hula hoopers
File:Avdi Square 005.jpg, Artwork
File:Avdi Square 003.JPG, Artwork
File:Avdi Square 001.jpg, Tiled walkways
References
{{Squares in Greece
Squares in Athens