Stamatios Kleanthis
Encyclopedia
Stamatios or Stamatis Kleanthis ' onMouseout='HidePop("16826")' href="/topics/Velventos">Velventos
, Ottoman Empire
(modern-day Greece
) - 1862, Athens
, Greece
) was a Greek
architect
.
He was born in the town of Velventos in Kozani
. As a youth he moved to Bucharest
where he studied at the Greek School. On 1821 he fought at the insurrection against the Turks led by Alexander Ypsilanti and was captured at the Battle of Dragashani
. After escaping, he traveled to Vienna
, and then to Leipzig
, where he studied architecture. Afterwards he pursued his studies further in Berlin
with Karl Friedrich Schinkel
.
After graduation, he returned with his colleague and friend Eduard Schaubert to Greece, where they were appointed public engineers by John Capodistria. On 1832 they created a new city plan for Athens, which included wide avenues, gardens and grand public buildings and gave the first street names in Athens. This plan was however was simplified by Leo von Klenze
, as it was considered too expensive. After disagreements with the administration, Kleanthis resigned his position.
Kleanthis gained great wealth not only through architecture, but also through the marble quarries he operated on the island of Paros
. Marble from his quarries received a gold medal at the London Great Exhibition.
On 1862 he was seriously injured in an accident in a quarry and he was transported to Athens, where he died.
Kleanthis designed many important buildings in Athens, including the Dutchess of Plaisance
's mansion, Villa Ilissia (today the Byzantine Museum
of Athens). The University of Athens was initially accommodated in his house in Plaka
, which now houses the Athens University Museum
.
Velventos
Velventos is a town and a former municipality in Kozani peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Servia-Velventos, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies at the foot of the Pierian Mountains, 33 km northeast of the city...
, Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
(modern-day Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) - 1862, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
) was a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
.
He was born in the town of Velventos in Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
. As a youth he moved to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
where he studied at the Greek School. On 1821 he fought at the insurrection against the Turks led by Alexander Ypsilanti and was captured at the Battle of Dragashani
Battle of Dragashani
The Battle of Dragashani was fought on June 19, 1821 in Drăgăşani, Wallachia, between the Ottoman forces of Sultan Mahmud II and the Greek Filiki Etaireia insurgents...
. After escaping, he traveled to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and then to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, where he studied architecture. Afterwards he pursued his studies further in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
with Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassical and neogothic buildings.-Biography:Schinkel was born in Neuruppin, Margraviate of...
.
After graduation, he returned with his colleague and friend Eduard Schaubert to Greece, where they were appointed public engineers by John Capodistria. On 1832 they created a new city plan for Athens, which included wide avenues, gardens and grand public buildings and gave the first street names in Athens. This plan was however was simplified by Leo von Klenze
Leo von Klenze
Leo von Klenze was a German neoclassicist architect, painter and writer...
, as it was considered too expensive. After disagreements with the administration, Kleanthis resigned his position.
Kleanthis gained great wealth not only through architecture, but also through the marble quarries he operated on the island of Paros
Paros
Paros is an island of Greece in the central Aegean Sea. One of the Cyclades island group, it lies to the west of Naxos, from which it is separated by a channel about wide. It lies approximately south-east of Piraeus. The Municipality of Paros includes numerous uninhabited offshore islets...
. Marble from his quarries received a gold medal at the London Great Exhibition.
On 1862 he was seriously injured in an accident in a quarry and he was transported to Athens, where he died.
Kleanthis designed many important buildings in Athens, including the Dutchess of Plaisance
Duchess of Plaisance
Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, Duchess of Plaisance was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where her father, François Barbé-Marbois, was serving as French Consul-General in the United States....
's mansion, Villa Ilissia (today the Byzantine Museum
Byzantine & Christian Museum
The Byzantine and Christian Museum is situated at Vassilissis Sofias Avenue in Athens, Greece. It was founded in 1914 and houses more than 25,000 exhibits with rare collections of pictures, scriptures, frescoes, pottery, fabrics, manuscripts and copies of artifacts from the 3rd century AD to the...
of Athens). The University of Athens was initially accommodated in his house in Plaka
Plaka
Pláka is the old historical neighborhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens...
, which now houses the Athens University Museum
Athens University Museum
The Athens University Museum is a museum in Plaka, Athens, Greece.The building was a structure of the Ottoman period but fundamentally restructured between 1831 and 1833 by Stamatios Kleanthis and Eduard Schaubert for their architectural office. From 1837 to 1841 it housed the newly founded...
.