Invitation to the opening of an exhibition in Messolonghi

 

The Mayor of the Sacred City of Messolonghi Spyridon V. Diamantopoulos and the President of the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism Constantinos Velentzas cordially invite you to the opening of the exhibition “Messolonghi City of Liberty and Ecumene” at the Trikoupio Cultural Center of the Sacred City of Messolonghi on Sunday, May 24th, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.

The periodical exhibition, organised in collaboration with the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi and the Philhellenism Museum, presents the international impact of the Exodus of Messolonghi in 1826 and the enormous wave of support for the struggling Greeks, as it broke out in Europe and America.

Unique works of Philhellenic art and rare documents of the Struggle of Greeks and Philhellenes are exhibited for the first time in the Sacred City of Messolonghi in the context of the historical 200th anniversary of the Exodus, 1826-2026.

The exhibition is conducted with the kind support of the Hellenic Parliament and the kind sponsorship of the AEGEAS AMKE, the Lilian Voudouri Foundation, the George and Victoria Karelia Foundation, the Captain Vassilis & Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, the Ioannis S. Latsis Public Welfare Foundation, the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism.

Information: info@phmus.org

 

The Philhellenism Museum at This Is Athens City Festival 2026

The Philhellenism Museum collaborates with the City of Athens for another year and participates in the This Is Athens City Festival 2026.

Sundays 10 and 17 May 2026 are dedicated to the people who loved Greece and sacrificed for its freedom. The action “In the Footsteps of the Philhellenes” offers a live guided tour of the heart of Athens, connecting emblematic landmarks with the personalities that sealed the Greek War of Independence.

Participants will, among other things, follow a route that includes:

– The Russian Church and the Anglican Church (where the remains of Frank Abney Hastings are kept).
– The historic district of Plaka, the Church residence, the Finley residence and the Hill School.
– Spots and stops at the emblematic sculpture of Lord Byron, the bust of Eynard and the Monument of Lysicrates.
– References to the sieges of the Acropolis.

 

Dates: 10 & 17 May 2026

Hours: 11:00 – 13:00

Meeting point: Rallou Manou Square at the Russian Church of Athens (Syntagma)

Free admission with reservation required.

Reservations: send your name, title/capacity, mobile number and email to info@phmus.org

The guided tour will be conducted in Greek language.

 

Sponsors:

    

9 May 2026 at 11.00 a.m., Wreath-laying at the Philhellenes’ Monument

 

Philhellenism Day is commemorated annually on 19 April, marking the anniversary of Lord Byron’s passing in Messolonghi in 1824. Established in 2008 by Presidential Decree, this day honours the international volunteers and activists who supported the Greek War of Independence, inspired by the enduring values of Philhellenism.

In collaboration with the War Museum, the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) has erected a monument on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue dedicated to these individuals. This initiative fulfills a unanimous resolution passed by the 4th National Assembly in 1829. The monument pays tribute to approximately 2.000 emblematic Philhellenes who dedicated, and often sacrificed, their lives for Greece’s liberation.

Starting by this year, we cordially invite you on Saturday, 9 May 2026, at 11:00, for a floral tribute at the Philhellenes’ Monument, to pay tribute to the heroes and heroines who fought for our shared ideals and the fundamental rights of our civilisation. The ceremony will last approximately 30 minutes. A presentation of the monument will follow.

Please, confirm your attendance or the presence of a representative, by contacting us at info@eefshp.org

 

Minister of Education Sofia Zacharaki visits the Philhellenism Museum

 

The Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, visited the Philhellenism Museum and had a guided tour of its collections.

The Minister was informed about the classical education received by most Philhellenes who supported the Greek War of Independence in their countries, or arrived in Greece as volunteers to fight for its freedom, and the pivotal role it had in promoting the Philhellenic movement.

The visit took place in the context of the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi, which was the pinnacle moment of the Greek War of Independence.

Ms. Zacharaki expressed her admiration for the large-scale oil painting of the “School of Athens”, the most famous work of the Italian painter and architect of the early Renaissance, Raphael, a rare reproduction of which is exhibited at the Philhellenism Museum. The figures of Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Euclid, Thucydides, as well as Apollo and Athena, embody the classical spirit of antiquity and underline the timeless value of classical education.

Contact: info@phmus.org

US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle visits the Philhellenism Museum

 

 

H.E. U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Ms. Kimberly Guilfoyle, visited the Philhellenism Museum, toured its collections focusing in particular on the section dedicated to the American Philhellenism.

The museum colleagues presented the Ambassador important exhibits demonstrating that the Founding Fathers of the United States were deeply influenced by Greek education and studied Greek history and literature in depth. Ambassador Guilfoyle was particularly interested in a document written in Ancient Greek by the second U.S. President, John Adams. The text features an excerpt from Herodotus concerning the history of the Ionian Confederacy. The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) will soon unveil this significant document during a special event at the museum.

Ambassador Guilfoyle was also moved by the true stories of orphans from the Greek War of Independence who were adopted into American families and later became prominent members of U.S. society.

 

Contact: info@phmus.org

 

The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) as Gold Sponsor in Messolonghi

 

The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) and the Philhellenism Museum participate in the events of the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi by supporting important activities as Gold Sponsors.

In the context of this historical bicentenary, the SHP erected and delivered to the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi the emblematic Philhellenes’ Monument, on which the names of 344 important Philhellenes are engraved. Many of those people were active in Messolonghi battles, while others of them sacrificed their own lives during the Exodus for the liberation of Greece.

During the three-day events held on April 3rd, 4th and 5th, 2026, the SHP and the Philhellenism Museum:
– participated with speeches and presentations in the tribute “Messolonghi honours the countries of the Philhellenes”, with the honoured country being France, that took place on Friday, April 3rd, 2026 at the Trikoupio Cultural Center of Messolonghi
– they proceeded to lay a wreath at the Garden of Heroes
– with the group of 8 Philhellenes’ revivalists of the Philhellenism Museum, participated in the official Procession from the Metropolitan Church of Saint Spyridon to the Garden of Heroes on the evening of the Lazarus Saturday and the morning of Palm Sunday, April 4th and 5th, 2026 respectively.

The SHP, actively supporting the extroversion actions of the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi and the promotion of the city as a symbol of freedom serving the values of our culture, will soon announce more activities that will follow until the end of the year in Messolonghi and in Athens as well.

With our warm compliments to the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi, Mayor Spyros Diamantopoulos and the municipality’s associates for the exceptional organisation of the events that, in a climate of emotion and pride, united the residents and visitors of a city that will remind us for centuries why it was characterised as Sacred, constituting the most glorious little threshing ground of Greece!

Information: info@eefshp.org

 

 

Πληροφορίες: info@eefshp.org

250 years since the birth of Ioannis Capodistrias

 

Metternich reveals the democratic principles of Ioannis Capodistrias

On the occasion of the 250th anniversary since the birth of Ioannis Capodistrias, the SHP and the Philhellenism Museum honour the first Governor of Greece and present from their collections a rare classified document of Metternich in which he outlines the great Greek statesman, his dedication to the liberation of Greece and his democratic principles.

The document has been studied by the historian Panagiotis Paspaliaris, who issued a relevant article in the Greek newspaper “Kathimerini”.

Read the article by following the link: https://www.kathimerini.gr/culture/563092714/ioannis-kapodistrias-o-epanastatis/ 

 

 

Naval Battle of Navarino, a decisive victory for modern Greece

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At noon on October 20th, 1827, in the bay of Navarino, in the bay of Pylos in the Western Peloponnese, one of the largest natural harbors in the world, one of the most brilliant victories of the Greek War of Independence and the greatest naval disaster in world history took place.

In 1827, a year after the Exodus of Messolonghi, the looting, barbarities and atrocities against the Greeks strengthened Philhellenism in Europe. The Great Powers intervened in the Greek question, supporting the Greeks and paving the way for independence with the Naval Battle of Navarino.

The British Philhellene Prime Minister George Canning, has given clear instructions to implement the Treaty of London, even by force of arms. British Admiral Edward Codrington enters the Bay of Pylos with his fleet, and sends a Greek officer to deliver a message to Ibrahim. He is shot by a Turkish sailor and the naval battle begins.

The naval Battle of Navarino is the culmination of naval operations during the Greek War of Independence and the only naval battle worldwide that took place with anchored ships. The Turkish-Egyptian fleet, with 89 warships and over 100 including the transport ships, estimates that it is superior to the only 27 ships of the allies and opens fire.

The ships were so close that their masts were entangled. The noise of the cannons echoed in Zakynthos and Kythera, while clouds of smoke covered the wider area. The allied ships, in addition to the cannons of the opponents, also faced cannons from the Turkish forts on mainland. By the afternoon, the seamanship of the allies and the unity of the Greeks had determined the victory. The armistice was signed aboard Codrington’s flagship.

European public opinion perceives the victory at Navarino as a victory of civilised peoples who united to reverse the bloodshed of the struggling Greeks. It was the first military operation in history aimed at supporting a nation struggling for its independence.

During the 20th century, Jacques-Yves Cousteau explored the bottom of the bay, even locating wrecks of the ships that participated in the naval battle, evidence of Greece’s struggle for freedom.

On three islands surrounding the Bay of Navarino, an equal number of monuments commemorate the contribution of the allied Philhellenes to the creation of the independent Greek state, while in the center of Athens three streets bear the names of the Philhellenes who led to the historic victory (Codrington, Derigny, Hayden).

At the Philhellenism Museum, important historical documents, rare works of art, and personal belongings of leading figures depict the emblematic Naval Battle of Navarino.

 

Above is depicted an 1831 oil painting by the British painter John Christian Schetky (1778-1874)

 

Information:

SHP | Philhellenism Museum

www.eefshp.org  | www.phmus.org

T. +30 2108094750

 

Conference: The French Scientific Mission of Morea today – Discovering the Peloponnese

 

*Under the auspices of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Konstantinos An. Tassoulas
*In collaboration with the Hellenic Parliament

 

Date: 10 October 2025

Hours: 09:00 – 19:00

Venue: Auditorium Theo Angelopoulos – French Institute in Greece – 31, Sina Str., Athens

Free admission | Simultaneous translation  | Live broadcast!

The French Institute in Greece (Institut Français de Grèce), the French School of Athens and the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation are organising, with the participation of the Publishing House Anavasi, on Friday 10 October 2025, a conference on the topic of the “French Scientific Mission of Morea”, which took place in the Peloponnese in 1829.

Almost 200 years since this significant Mission, the conference is aiming to commemorate and comment on the important work that was accomplished, to explore the scientific imprint of the work and the ways in  which it influenced the subsequent interdisciplinary and iterative approaches to the field.

This conference will be the first in a series of actions that will be completed in 2029.

Scientific and Organising Committee

– Matthieu Abgrall, Educational Attaché for Scientific and University Cooperation, Deputy Director of the French Institute in Greece
– Véronique Chankowski, Director of the French School of Athens
– Gilles de Rapper, Director of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Studies of the French School of Athens
– Ourania Policandrioti, Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation, Coordinator of the Modern Greek Research Sector – IHR/NHRF
– George Tolias, Professor, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris – former Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation
– Yannis Saitas, Architect, Urban Planner, Ethnologist. Research, design, editing of the publication “The Work of the French Scientific Mission of Morea 1829-1838, Part A”, 2011 and Part B”, 2017, published by Melissa House”.
– Katerina Spiropoulou, Deputy Cultural Attaché for scientific and university cooperation, French Institute in Greece
–  Ivi Adamakopoulou, Anavasi Publications

The French Scientific Mission of Morea

On March 3, 1829, twenty French scientists, geographers, naturalists, architects and Hellenistic scholars, at the request of Governor Capodistrias, landed in Navarino, which had just been liberated by Ibrahim’s troops (1827) and the French military expedition under General Maison (1828), in order to explore Greece. Their aim was, on the one hand, to gain an in-depth understanding of the nature and culture of Greece and, on the other hand, to offer the Greek administration modern management and development tools. French scientists explored mainly the Peloponnese, but also the Cyclades and Attica. They mapped the area and collected data on the demography, natural resources and infrastructure, nature and antiquities of the fledgling Greek state.

The French Scientific Mission of Morea (also referred as “Morea Expedition”) consisted of three Departments of specialists in natural sciences, archaeology and fine arts and a Topographic Company of 25 army engineers. The findings of the work were published in maps and in 8 imposing volumes between 1831 and 1838, which are accompanied by significant pictorial and cartographic documentation.

The significance of the Mission is manifold. It offers a complete and thorough depiction of the Peloponnese and other regions just after the Revolution, which is an example of the scientific methodology of the era and the emergence of new sciences and cutting-edge technologies, which is an example of the scientific methodology of the era and the emergence of new sciences and cutting-edge technologies, such as statistical demography and geodesy, the interpretation of geological formations and the network of water resources, the excavation and topographic documentation of monuments, the inventory of minerals, fauna and flora.

Upon completion of the activities on the 200th anniversary of the Mission, we want to believe that we will have covered all aspects of its scientific work and will have highlighted its current impact and continuity.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

│ 09:00 – 10:00 │
OPENING – GREETING REMARKS
🔹Embassy of France in Greece, French School of Athens, National Hellenic Research Foundation

INTRODUCTION
🔹 The publication “The Work of the French Scientific Mission to Morea 1829-1838, Part A, 2011 and Part B, 2017, published by Melissa House”.
Yannis SAITAS (Architect, Urban Planner, Ethnologist)

│ 10:00 – 11:30 │ FIRST SESSION – THE CARTOGRAPHIC WORK 

Moderator: Matthieu ABGRALL (Associate for scientific and university cooperation, Deputy Director of the French Institute in Greece)

🔹The geodetic works of Moreas (1829-1830) as a foundation for cartography
Pierre BRIOLE, (CNRS Research Director, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris)

🔹Geographies of the possible: society, environment and national identity in the work of the Morea Scientific Mission (1829)
George TOLIAS (Professor, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Former Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research – National Research Foundation)

🔹Digital reconstruction of the cartographic work of the French Scientific Mission
Eleni GKADOLOU (Digital Asset Manager, British School of Athens, Doctor of Geography, Agronomist and Surveyor Engineer)

🔹The map of the French Scientific Mission as evidence for the study of the settlements and population of the Peloponnese during the period of the Revolution: research results and future prospects
Michalis FESTAS (Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) of the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF), member of the Digital Historical Cartography Laboratory of the IHR/NHRF)

│ 12:00 – 13:30 │ SECOND SESSION – LIFE AND EARTH SCIENCES
Moderator: Gilles DE RAPPER (Director of Studies – Department of Modern and Contemporary Studies)

🔹The Botanical Mission to the Peloponnese
Sophia RHIZOPOULOU (Professor Emeritus of Plant Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, Section of Botany, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Head of the KEDIVIM “Cultural Botany” programme)

🔹The Morea Scientific Mission: the origins of the geoarchaeological approach
Eric FOUACHE (Professor, Sorbonne Université – UR Médiations)
and Antoine CHABROL (Doctoral Candidate, Sorbonne Université -UR Médiations)

🔹The Morea Mission in the Plantarium of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris
Clémence PAGNOUX (Associate Professor at the National Museum of Natural History, BioArch UMR 7209 MNHN CNRS Inrap, Paris)

│ 15:00 – 17:00 │ THIRD SESSION – HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Moderator: Ourania POLYCANDRIOTI (Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation)

🔹Letters, press, books, for the love of Greece. Ambroise Firmin-Dido and the Scientific Mission of the Morea.
Emmanuelle COLLAS (Historian, Doctor of Philology and Associate Professor of Greek History, publisher)

🔹A different scientific mission of Morea: the “humble” Viety discovers the Peloponnese
Clémence WEBER-PALLEZ (Associate Professor of Greek History, Laboratoire PLH – Université Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès)

🔹Raybaud’s journalistic adventure in Greece
Vincent TOUZE (Doctor of Political Science, Graduate of Higher Studies in Public Administration)

│ 17:00 – 18:30 │ FOURTH SESSION – FROM PAST TO PRESENT. THE EVOLUTION OF CARTOGRAPHY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Moderator:  Pinelopi MATSOUKA (Anavasi Publications)

🔹Geoinformatics and applications for the future of cartography
Angelos ADAMAKOPOULOS (Creator IGN RANDO App)

🔹Map reading modeling
Vassilis KRASSANAKIS (Associate Professor, University of West Attica, PhD in Engineering, NTUA, Diploma in Agronomy and Surveying Engineer, NTUA)

🔹Challenges in Future Cartography: Artificial Intelligence and Big Geospatial Data
Christos CHALKIAS (Professor, Harokopio University of Athens)

CATALOGUE OF PARTICIPANTS

– Matthieu ABGRALL (Associate for scientific and university cooperation, Deputy Director of the French Institute in Greece)
– Angelos ADAMAKOPOULOS  (Creator IGN RANDO App)
– Ivi ADAMAKOPOULOU  (Anavasi Publications)
– Pierre BRIOLE (CNRS Research Director, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris)
– Antoine CHABROL (Doctoral Candidate, Sorbonne Université -UR Médiations)
– Christos CHALKIAS (Professor, Harokopio University of Athens)
– Emmanuelle COLLAS (Historian, Doctor of Philology and Associate Professor of Greek History, publisher)
– Michalis FESTAS (Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) of the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF), member of the Digital Historical Cartography Laboratory of the IHR/NHRF)
– Eric FOUACHE (Professor, Sorbonne Université – UR Médiations)
– Eleni GKADOLOU (Digital Asset Manager, British School of Athens, Doctor of Geography, Agronomist and Surveyor Engineer)
– Vassilis KRASSANAKIS (Associate Professor, University of West Attica, PhD in Engineering, NTUA, Diploma in Agronomy and Surveying Engineer, NTUA)
– Pinelopi MATSOUKA (Anavasi Publications)
– Clémence PAGNOUX (Associate Professor at the National Museum of Natural History, BioArch UMR 7209 MNHN CNRS Inrap, Paris)
– Ourania POLYCANDRIOTI (Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation)
– Gilles DE RAPPER (Director of Studies – Department of Modern and Contemporary Studies)
– Sophia RHIZOPOULOU ((Professor Emeritus of Plant Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, Section of Botany, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Head of the KEDIVIM “Cultural Botany” programme)
– Yannis SAITAS (Architect, Urban Planner, Ethnologist)
– George TOLIAS (Professor, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Former Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research – National Research Foundation)
– Vincent TOUZE (Doctor of Political Science, Graduate of Higher Studies in Public Administration)
– Clémence WEBER-PALLEZ (Associate Professor of Greek History, Laboratoire PLH -Université Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès)

 

More information: https://www.ifg.gr/events/imerida-galliki-epistimoniki-apostoli-tou-moria/

© Travelogues – Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation │ Fondation Aikaterini Laskaridis

Hydra: The SHP and the Philhellenism Museum at Miaoulia 2025

 

A delegation from the SHP and the Philhellenism Museum, participated on June 27-29, 2025, in the celebration of Miaoulia 2025 in Hydra, and honoured the struggle of Greeks and Philhellenes for the liberation of Greece.

The delegation included Mr. Christos Paraskevopoulos, member of the Advisory Committee of the SHP and descendant of the Italian Philhellene Giuseppe Chiappe who participated in the Greek Revolution of 1821.

During the events, the SHP participated in the official ceremony organized by the Municipality of Hydra for the naming of a central street of the island, with the names of the Italian Philhellenes Giuseppe Chiappe and Felice Caserta, who were active in Hydra during the period 1821 – 1831. The SHP members participated in the conference that followed, coordinated by the Mayor of Hydra, Mr. Georgios Koukoudakis.

For information: info@eefshp.org