Bίλα Αλλατίνι | Villa Allatini
Βίλα Καπαντζή | Villa Kapantzi
Bίλα Μοδιάνο | Villa Modiano
Πρώην Ορφανοτροφείο Μέλισσα | Ex Orphanage Melissa
A look at the magnificent villas will take you back in time and will help you understand why in this“ corner” of the city, oncecame the rich, who kept their country villas here, in order to chill and relax. Indeed, it was the first district“ out of the walls” that was residentially developed since the 1880. Here there was no distinction by nationality, as was in the districts of Christians, Jews and Muslims, but the criteria were simply social and economical. The composition of the population in the region was purely cosmopolitan and the houses were customized to the way life of bourgeois European elite. Owners build their mansions to international standards of eclecticism( harmoniously combined different trends) and adopt different characteristics that symbolize their ethnicity and religion. Thus, the triangular pediments created in Greek mansions in neo-Renaissance standards and the Athenian neoclassicism standards, villas were built in the Ottoman Baroque style and houses with Central European architectural influences, mainly the type of chalet, favored by Jews owners. Even today, the impressive villas called by some people « Towers ». The size and the magnificence leave any visitor speechless – even with the picture of abandoned gardens, the walls cracks and timeworn frills, noone can doubt that they arearchitectural masterpieces. You can admire the Château Mon Bonheur( The Tower of Happiness), the House of Hassan Tachsin Pasha( Historical Archive of Macedonia), the Orphanage Melissa of the 20th century that now is the Byzantine Research Center, the House Mordoch with the tower and the octagonal dome that now is the Municipal Art Gallery, the Villa Bianca which now serves as an exhibition center, Villa Alatini etc.
Must know
Από τις βίλες επισκέψιμες είναι η Βίλα Καπαντζή, όπου από το 1997 μέχρι και σήμερα στεγάζεται το Μορφωτικό Ίδρυμα Εθνικής Τραπέζης και φιλοξενεί κυρίως εικαστικές εκθέσεις( Δευτέρα κλειστά, Τρίτη-Κυριακή 10:00- 18:00, είσοδος ελεύθερη, www. miet. gr), και η Βίλα Μοδιάνo που το 1970 παραχωρήθηκε στο Λαογραφικό και Εθνολογικό Μουσείο Μακεδονίας- Θράκης( καθημερινά, 09:00-15:30, Τετάρτη 09:00-21:30, Πέμπτη κλειστό). From all mansions, only two could be visited: a) The Villa Kapantzi, which since 1997 houses the National Bank Cultural Foundation and mainly hosts art exhibitions( οpening hours: Monday closed, Τuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00, free entrance www. miet. gr). b) The Villa Modiano, which in 1970 was given to the Folklore and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia- Thrace, that was founded the same year( opening hours: daily 09:00-15:30, Wednesday 09:00-21:30, Thursday closed).
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