Walking along the waterfront and passing the White Tower, which is also called "Lefkos Pyrgos", take a turn from the planned path and go towards the East. Just a half hour walk there is one of the most beautiful historic buildings of Thessaloniki — Villa Kapantzi.
It is not just a beautiful building in an eclectic style; it is a historical building, which has played quite an important role in the history of Greece. Now Villa Kapantzi is a cultural centre of the National Bank of Greece and is under patronage of it.
This captivating mansion was built at the end of the 19th century, in 1890. It was designed by Piero Arrigoni, on order of Mehmet Kapantzi.
There are 2 mansions bearing the name "Villa Kapantzi" in Thessaloniki, both buildings are the creations of one architect that were designed by him for two brothers: Ahmet and Mehmet Kapantzi. The cultural center of the National Bank of Greece is located in the oldest mansion.
Mehmet Kapantzi, and his brothers, Yusuf and Ahmed come from Sephardic Jews. Their ancestors were deported from Spain as long ago as at the end of the 15th century. According to the legends, the family name in that distant time was Caballera (in Spanish “Caballere” means “knight”).
Kapantzi brothers were not only highly educated but also very respected people in Thessaloniki. Mehmet Kapantzi held the position of the president of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce, while Ahmet Kapantzi was the mayor of Thessaloniki in 1907-1908.
Villa Kapantzi is a luxurious three-storeyed residence in an eclectic style. The complexity of the volume of construction, pretentiousness and steep slopes of the roof, as well as the presence of a four-storeyed tower, which is connected with the Villa itself, amaze everyone who sees it for the first time. The influence of the architectural style of Central Europe is certainly seen in the Piero Arrigoni’ object.
The interior is no less impressive:
All this together causes genuine delight of everyone who visits the Cultural center M.I.E.T.
The city of Thessaloniki was a part of the Ottoman Empire for a long time and was liberated from the Turkish rule only in 1912. Prince Nicholas (the first military governor of the city) liked the exquisite mansion so much that he made it his residence.
Since 1917, Villa Kapantzi has been home to Eleftherios Venizelos (the Prime Minister of that time who was leading the Provisional government).
In a difficult period for the whole of Greece from 1922 to 1928 (after the defeat in Asia Minor), the Villa became a shelter for many refugees.
The National Bank of Greece bought Villa Kapantzi in 1928. Until 1938, the mansion served as the headquarters of the American fund company. Its main field of activity were land improvement works in Central Macedonia.
In 1940, the Greek army put the mansion into requisition for their needs — a bakery for the military was located in it.
As late as in 1941, the Germans took the premises away; its occupation lasted up to 1944.
Villa Kapantzi was liberated from the fascists by the British army in the second half of 1945.
After the World War II, for the period between 1945 and 1972, the building was turned into the Fifth high school exclusively for boys. The students were not only studying there, but also were living permanently. It was one of the most prestigious and competitive high schools in the city.
At the end of 1972, the building was in such an emergency state that the National Bank of Greece decided to make a grand monumental renovation of the mansion.
It was during this period, when it was also concluded that in the future Villa Kapantzi would be used only for cultural purposes because it is one of the few architectural structures of the late XIX century, preserved to this day.
Since 1989, Villa Kapantzi has played host to the public again. It began to bear the proud name "Cultural center of the National Bank of Greece".
In 1997, Villa Kapantzi was included to the Cultural foundation of the National bank of Greece.
Nowadays, the Cultural center has become an educational Mecca for guests of the city and its residents, because there are regular events here:
Intellectual life here is in full swing, and other cultural centres of Thessaloniki cooperate actively with the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank.
From the centre you can get to Villa Kapantzi on foot or by bus. You can stroll along the promenade from the White Tower eastwards, towards the Music hall — Megaro Mousikis. When you reach the Memory park, which is located on the embankment, you need to turn left (towards the city) and pass one block, going up to Vasilissis Olgas street, where the Villa is located. From the centre you can reach the Villa by one of the buses running on routes No. 3, 5, 5A or 6 and reaching the Botsari stop (Μπότσαρη).
We recommend you to go to Villa Kapantzi on foot, as it is located just half an hour walk from the centre, and a walk along the promenade of Thessaloniki is a special pleasure, which you should not deny yourself.
There are Folklore and Ethnological Museums and Temple and Orthodox Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in close vicinity to the Villa. You can combine a tour to the Villa Kapantzi with a visit to these places.
