The Patras we lost. The “P” insert “Choices” released on Sunday, May 8, 2022 presented a series of buildings, streets, neighborhoods and districts of old Patras that changed their appearance over the decades.
Old photos
The trek continues
The impressive Donti house
Mansion that was lost
Memories in “Great Britain”
City buildings
Traveling in the neighborhoods
Images of the city
Neoclassical houses
Belle Époque in Georgiou Square
Omonia, Marouda
Unrecognizable squares
Polytechnic Heroes
The first projects
Magnificent detached houses
Gounari Street
Card Postal
The 20th century
Nostalgic clicks
Maizonos street
Close to Vienna, Dresden, Prague
Unknown how and why, lately the residents of Patras have been gripped by an intense online nostalgia, which results in a lesson in history and patriotism. Relaxing in front of old photos that capture another image of Patras.
Much more beautiful aesthetically, with less traffic (= cars) drowning it, with more views of the sky and the horizon.
A city human and magical, a city that blended with its sea, a city that was lost, along with the vast majority of its buildings, due to intelligent and visionary architects of the 19th century, which combined with its geographical position, made Patras as beautiful as Vienna.
Just think regarding the 100 or so listed buildings that have survived in good condition since then. And imagine a Patras with only such buildings (at least in its historical center).
In the following pages we will travel years and decades back, to the city where we grew up, the neighborhoods we played in, the streets we walked.
We will see some of the wonderful photos of Patras, we will be nostalgic for what we had and what we lost…
The impressive Donti house
It was located in Agios Andreou, just following Zaimi, where today is a car park.
It was demolished as it was damaged by an earthquake in the 90s, although it is a preserved monument.
Andreas Zaimis in his letter (6/11/1837) gives instructions to his brother Ioannis for the construction of a building, in the 2nd block of the arctic part of Patras (Ag. Andreou 13-15), according to a plan by the architect Stam. Cleanthus.
Thrasyvoulos Zaimis, son of Andreas, sells the house to Athanasios Maratheas (1857) and the latter to Georgios Dontis (1925 .
The majestic house was used as the residence of Ioannis Zaimis (first mayor of Patreon, husband of Aggeliki Th. Kanakaris Roufos), then the headquarters of the English consulate, Anglo-Gallon hospital during the First P.P. , headquarters of the company “5E” (the continuation of “Hamburger & Co” from the 1930s until the earthquake of ’93) and the last practice of Aristidis Dontis (Director of the Pathology Clinic of Patras Hospital until 1983), son of Georgios , until the July 1993 earthquake.
It was declassified and demolished in 1995.
Memories in “Great Britain”
«My grandfather would take me by the hand from Terpsithea where he lived, we would cross the reeds where “Moreas” was later built and became a road and we would reach Agios Andreou between Gerokostopoulos and Ermou. There was a hotel there. “Great Britain”. Neoclassical building with a very nice facade. It later became Hondos Center and changed internally. Its door is made of solid iron and wood. Inside it had an oval marble staircase with railings and supports of cast iron and a wooden handrail, which took you up to the fourth floor which was the roof. Laid with a burgundy carpet. Next to the staircase was an elevator with a double door. On the outside, a mesh one-piece and on the inside, a wooden one with double-glazed glass, which took you up to the third floor. It also had a microphone connection with the front desk. This hotel was managed by an uncle of mine, my mother’s sister’s husband. An Epirotian with his strange accent and always smiling. Very dear. He and his family lived in this hotel as a permanent residence for many years on the second floor and kept two rooms there. One for the couple and one for my cousin who is exactly ten years older than me. All the floors had wooden floors, always polished and covered with the same burgundy carpet. They cooked on the ground floor of the hotel, which behind the reception, had a large kitchen fully equipped with hotplates, two ovens, which worked with petrogas, a grill, which I never saw working, and two large refrigerators. A door at the back of the kitchen led out into the open.
The floors had rooms on the right and left with tall white wooden doors. From the roof you might see all the way to Georgiou Square and Asklepiou with the colored lights. I spent many years in there until my uncle handed it over.”
Traveling in the neighborhoods
Daily shots in neighborhoods and districts of Patras, which the older ones caught just as they are captured in the following photos.
Belle Époque in Georgiou Square
The Belle Epoque, the “golden” era, the respite between two wars, brought optimism and prosperity to Europe through the dynamic development of art, science and technology, industry.
In Patras this golden age reached its peak during the period approximately 1833-1890. It was for the city, the queen of the raisin trade, a period of tenderness, intellectual growth, commercial and artistic intensity… certainly not for
everyone: mainly for those involved in the raisin trade but also in other business and (perhaps) scientific activities.
Those who belonged to this category built impressive houses which reflect – even today – their owners’ desire for comfort, luxury and social affirmation.
Our city is one of the few cities in Greece that is full of such well-preserved buildings. Georgiou Square, which was a reference point for the society of that time, is literally surrounded by such architectural gems of the German neoclassical style, with the “Apollo” theater occupying a dominant position.
In all of this, a key role was played by the city’s port, which acted as a gateway to communication with the Western world at the time, and together with the raisin, ideas, culture and artistic currents traveled by sea… but also people who settled in Patras and created the settlement of Europeans . At that time, in addition to interesting private residences, important architectural buildings of a public nature were erected and great infrastructure projects were carried out…
Patra in 1967
Already, in 1967, it was almost a decade since the first high-rise buildings began to appear in Patras.
The height saving of space, the comforts they offered, the conveniences thanks to the laws in force at the time (compensation) resulted in a sharp change in the urban landscape. And the wanton demolition of old buildings.
*From the “Peloponnisos” “Choices” on Sunday, May 8, 2022
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