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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