Tatoi

Partial view of the Tatoi

Tatoi ( Greek Τατόι ( n. Sg. )) Is located 20 km north of Athens in Dekeleia and was the summer residence , then the main residence and burial place of the former Greek royal family and the birthplace of King George II. The area is densely wooded and lies on the southeast slope of Parnitha Mountain range. The buildings are in very poor condition.

Royal palaces

The Greek King Otto resided in Nafplio from 1832 to 1834 before moving the capital to Athens . In 1841 King Otto moved into the castle (= Old Royal Palace) built by Friedrich von Gärtner , which today houses the Greek Parliament . A fire on Christmas Eve 1909 destroyed large parts of the palace, whereupon King George I initially temporarily moved into the Kronprinzenpalais (= New Royal Palace). This was from 1891 to 1897 by Ernst Ziller for the Crown Prince and later King Constantine I built. After the assassination of George I in Thessaloniki in 1913 and Constantine I's accession to the throne, the Crown Prince's Palace became the New Royal Palace. Today it is the official residence of the Greek President .

The estate

King George I bought the property in 1871 and first had a simple house built. This should symbolize the modesty, it was overcrowded from the start, as the staff and the royal family had to make do with few rooms. When Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary visited the family, she was shocked by the conditions and, contrary to plans, left again.

Queen Olga , who had more financial means than her husband thanks to her dowry (as a born Grand Duchess of Russia), had a country house built on the model of the Tsar's palace in Peterhof .

The Greek kings previously resided in the Old Royal Palace on Syntagma Square in Athens (now Parliament) and then in the New Royal Palace (now the residence of the President).

King Paul gave up this too for cost reasons and made Tatoi his permanent residence. From 1957 the only luxury was an underground cinema, which Spyros Skouras had given to the royal family as the head of 20th Century Fox at the time.

The building is now in very poor condition and is currently being renovated.

More buildings

Kitchen house

The house only has a small kitchen, a larger one is located in an outbuilding, which is connected to the main house via a tunnel.

farm

A large farm also belongs to the property ; the butter of Tatoi was the time of the Greek monarchy sold on the Athens markets. In addition, wine, milk, meat and cheese were also produced on the farm for personal consumption.

graveyard

In the palace gardens of Tatoi, about a kilometer from the palace, on a hill forested by pine and cypress trees is the Royal Cemetery of Tatoi . The graves are in the open air and are arranged chronologically. 21 people, including five kings, are currently buried in the cemetery.

Public hotel

Until 1935 the hotel "Tatoion" was located on the site. This was built on the initiative of King George and should allow everyone to spend the night in the castle park, but only for a maximum of two nights. The hotel was closed in 1935.

Crown Prince House

The Crown Prince lived in an outbuilding designed by Ernst Ziller. This burned down in 1916 and was then torn down and not rebuilt.

owner

The property was first used by the royal family as a summer residence, after the castle on Sýntagma Square was closed as a year-round residence. With the proclamation of the Hellenic Republic , the property was considered property by the state.

When public accusations against this attitude increased, in 1991 all objects from the now locked castle were returned to Constantine II . The confiscation of Tatoi and other property of the ousted King Constantine II without compensation payments led to a legal battle before the European Court of Human Rights . The ex-king argued that the property had been legitimately acquired by his ancestors at the time and therefore belonged to the family's private assets. The Greek state replied that the property was used by the royal family to exercise their state representation and therefore automatically became public property with the abolition of the monarchy. A comparison was made: the king, who was then in exile , was compensated, but the property remained the property of the Hellenic Republic.

In 2007 the Greek government at the time spoke of turning the property into a museum.

According to press reports, buyers were sought in 2012 for Tatoi, as well as for other Greek state properties.

The "Friends of the Tatoi Estate", founded in 2012, has set itself the goal of restoring the former royal estate and converting it into a museum and public event location, but currently has no prospect of political support and little financial resources.

At the moment, the Greek state is hardly taking care of the property. Damage from time has largely destroyed many buildings and the old royal cars. Theft, vandalism and illegal diversion of the water supply happen every month. In the event of a fire, all buildings and the extensive flora and fauna would be completely defenseless. The security service for the site was abolished. In one case of historical falsification , the site was renamed the Former Episcopal Residence . A political idea to convert Tatoi into a private winery or a resort with grills and cafés would rob the property of its historicity and therefore received criticism from many quarters. A majority of people and organizations would like to turn the property into a museum. The former royal estate in Polydendri is also being neglected, with the buildings falling into disrepair.

Airfield

The Dekelia Military Airfield ( ICAO : LGTT ), formerly Tatoi Airport , is not far from the property. The former Tatoi Airport opened in 1918 and was once the first Athens airport. The Greek Air Force Museum is also located on the premises. The asphalt runway with an orientation of 03/21 is 1,764 m long. The military airfield is located at an altitude of 239 m (785 ft) above sea level . 38.108928 23.783836