Invitation “IOANNIS CAPODISTRIAS, GLORY AND SOLITUDE”
The Philhellenism Museum and the Greek Theatre of Geneva cordially invite you to the book presentation of “Ioannis Capodistrias, Glory and Solitude” (“Jean Capodistria, Gloire et Solitude”), taking place on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
The book will be presented by its author, Ioanna Papandropoulou – Berthoud, Professor of Psycholinguistics at the University of Geneva, specialising in the relation between thought and language, and member of the Grand Théâtre de Genève Chorus and the Greek Theatre of Geneva. Professor Papandropoulou-Berthoud was a close collaborator of the distinguished Swiss psychologist, philosopher, and natural scientist Jean Piaget.
Through historically documented dialogues between Ioannis Capodistrias and prominent figures of 19th-century Europe, Ioanna Berthoud-Papandropoulou recounts in dramatic form the remarkable trajectory of a fascinating historical figure. Combining scholarly rigour with theatrical artistry, this work marks a distinct milestone in the bibliography dedicated to the first Governor of Greece. The plot, characters, and historical context are grounded in authentic events and personages. The author’s objective is to bring the past to life as a stage performance, offering immediate access to a deeper understanding of history.
Capodistrias’s dialogues with leading 19th-century figures, historically substantiated through official correspondence and diplomatic archives of the era, unfold as authentic, flowing discourse. The dramatis personae include Ioannis Capodistrias, his father (represented through their correspondence), his close confidante Roxandra Stourdza, Tsar Alexander I, whom Capodistrias served as a high-ranking official and Foreign Affairs Minister, the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, men of letters Anthimos Gazis and Johann Jakob Meyer, military leaders Theodoros Kolokotronis, Alexander Ypsilantis, and Petros Mavromichalis, statesmen Charles Pictet de Rochemont and Emmanouil Xanthos, the Philhellenes Jean-Gabriel and Anna Eynard, Dorothea von Lieven, as well as ordinary, anonymous citizens.
Following 15 staged performances in Switzerland and Greece, the play has been published in book form, illuminating the comprehensive European dimension of Ioannis Kapodistrias beyond the confines of Greek historiography, and highlighting Capodistrias the Philhellene alongside Capodistrias the Greek. Beyond its historical scope, the work delves into the human dimension and the psychology of leadership. It sheds light on the personal toll and, above all, the profound solitude experienced by a man who renounced high office and wealth in Europe to serve a devastated homeland, ultimately meeting an untimely death.
This is one of the very few contemporary works addressed simultaneously to both French-speaking and Greek-speaking audiences. It thus introduces Capodistrias to a European readership in contemporary terms, demonstrating that Greece’s independence was inextricably linked to the geopolitical equilibrium of Europe as a whole.
Bridging History and Theatre, Ioanna Papandropoulou – Berthoud transforms diplomatic correspondence into vibrant dramatic dialogue, enabling the reader and spectator alike to “hear” the conflicts and arguments of the protagonists of European History in real time.
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Philhellenism Museum (12 Zissimopoulou St., 11524 Athens, Greece) | Find map and directions: HERE
Information: +30 210 8094750
Reservations: info@phmus.org (by sending name, surname and mobile number)
Admission is free, seat reservation is required.
Limited number of seats available.
The presentation will be conducted in Greek language.
Invitation attached
