ATHENS – [ANA-MPA]
The municipality of Prespes honored architect Cleopatra Theologidou who through her restoration work for the Greek Culture Ministry contributed to the protection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments.
Mayor Giorgos Stergiou noted that she “rescued monuments that were threatened, such as the basilica and Aghios Dimitrios in Aghios Achillios town, Aghios Nikolaos in Pyli village, and at the same time highlighted emblematic regions such as Aghios Germanos and the hermitages of Panagia Eleousa and the Transfiguration at Megali Prespa.”
The town of Prespes will apply for the region to be included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List, he added.
Theologidou commemorated the contributions of archaeologists and architects involved in the project and said, “The techniques we applied following a lot of experimentation in terms of the mortars and the monuments’ construction were later utilized to the utmost by local master craftsmen to maintain houses in the region,” she noted proudly, and became part of the region’s living heritage.
Restoration work took place in 1986-2002, and the above-mentioned monuments became accessible to visitors, with appropriate signage and lighting, supporting soft cultural tourism.
