1821: Before and After

1821. Remember that year. You're going to see it splashed literally everywhere across Athens and Greece this month – both on-line and off – as the country celebrates the bicentennial milestone of its heroic grab for freedom after centuries of Ottoman rule. 

March 25. Independence Day. That’s the date when “Bicentennial Fever” will officially pop its cork in Athens (though sadly, celebrations will be a much more muted affair than initially hoped). Join in the patriotic mood as the Benaki Museum grants a virtual preview of its monumental exhibition to mark the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution, ahead of its physical opening to the public, when lockdown lifts. With a whopping 1,200 exhibits spread across the 2,500 square metres of the Benaki’s Pireos Street Annex, “1821 Before and After” offers one of the most comprehensive panoramas of a pivotal century in the history of Greece (1770-1870). Watch this colourful 22-minute gallery video tour to check out the exhibition high points and hear interviews with the key players who helped bring it to light (with English sub-titles).