The Palaces of Greece
The most known palace of all is the Palace of Knossos.
According to
Greek mythology, the palace was designed by famed architect
Dedalos with such complexity that no one placed in it could ever
find its exit. King Minos who commissioned the palace then kept
the architect prisoner to ensure that he would not reveal the
palace plan to anyone. Dedalos, who was a great inventor, built
two sets of wings so he and his son Ikaros could fly off the
island, and so they did. On their way out, Dedalos warned his
son not to fly too close to the sun because the wax that held
the wings together would melt. In a tragic turn of events,
during their escape Ikaros, young and impulsive as he was, flew
higher and higher until the sun rays dismantled his wings and
the young boy fell to his death in the Aegean Sea. The Labyrinth
was the dwelling of the Minotaur in Greek mythology, and many
associate the palace of Knossos with the legend of Theseus
killing the Minotaur.
The
Achilleion Palace – This palace was built at the end of the 19th
century (1889 -1891) by the queen of Austro – Hungarian Empire,
Elizabeth or better known as Sissy. It’s located in the village
Gastouri. It was used as her summer retreat. Elizabeth was
assassinated in 1898 and the palace was later purchased by
Kaiser William II of Germany. Empress Sissy loved Greek
mythology a great deal , her favourite was Achilles on whose
honor she dedicated the palace.
The perfect
Palace garden is absolutely top class and makes for picture
perfect setting or even an ideal place for a magical wedding.
This is Corfu’s top attraction.
The
Palace Of Mon Repo, was built by the second British Lord High
Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, Sir Frederic Adam in 1828.
It was used as the Summer Residence of the High Commissioners,
while their official residence was the Palace of St.Michael and
St.George in Corfu town. It was designed by an English engineer
named Harper who was at the time employed by the technical
department of Corfu. It is an English style circular building
with a large basement and one floor with wide verandas reached
by a wooden staircase. On this first floor were the sleeping
quarters and the reception hall. Many personalities enjoyed the
hospitality of the Palace such as the Empress Elizabeth of
Austria, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Greek Royal family and
others.
Today,
Mon Repos belongs to the Ministry of Culture and the
Municipality of Corfu town and the Palace operates as a
Neo-Classical Museum with mainly local findings from ancient
Corfu.
The
Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes is a
palace in the town of
Rhodes,
on the island of
Rhodes
in
Greece.
The palace was built in th 14th century by the
Knights of Rhodes
(now officially known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller
Order of
St. John of Jerusalem,
of Rhodes, and of Malta),
who occupied Rhodes from
1309
to
1522.
After the island was captured by the
Ottoman Empire,
the palace was used as a fortress.
The
original palace was largely destroyed by an ammunition explosion
in 1856. When the Italians occupied Rhodes in 1911, they rebuilt
it in a grandiose pseudo-medieval style as a holiday residence
for the King of Italy, and later for
Benito Mussolini,
whose name can still be seen on a large plaque near the
entrance. When Greece reclaimed the island from Italy in 1948,
the palace became a museum.
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