41. Metaxas Mansion
Brief documentation:
The building was built in 1900, as evidenced by the dedicatory inscription located above the main entrance, in the area of the districts of Agios Georgios – Agios Vlasios by the tobacco trading family Metaxas.
It is an imposing three-storey mansion of bourgeois character. The architectural style of the building is influenced by neoclassicism. Its exterior includes a number of decorative elements, such as false pillars with false capitals, cornice on the windows, the main entrance and the coronation of the masonry, as well as decorative sculptural elements on the window frames.
The main entrance of the mansion is arched and includes a dedicatory inscription and a ceramic lion's head as a decorative element.
The building has two balconies with ornate ironwork and painting decoration of folk aesthetics on the lower side. The staircase of the entrance is also decorated with a painting depicting the four goddesses of antiquity Athena, Artemis, Hera and Aphrodite.
In front of the building there is a small courtyard, surrounded by an iron courtyard, which is decorated with propellers and spears.
Category of thematic interest: ARCHITECTURAL / HISTORICAL INTEREST
History:
The building was erected in 1900, as evidenced by the dedicatory inscription located above the main entrance of the building. It is located in the area of the districts of Agios Georgios – Agios Vlasios and belonged to the homonymous tobacco trading family. The building was originally designed to function as a residence and does not seem to have changed use since its foundation.
Elements of architecture:
It is an imposing three-storey mansion of bourgeois character, which is built according to the standards of neoclassicism. The exterior of the building is constructed with absolute symmetry and includes a number of decorative elements, such as false pillars with false capitals, cornice on the windows, the main entrance and the coronation of the masonry, as well as decorative sculptural elements on the window frames.
The main entrance of the mansion is arched and includes a dedicatory inscription and a ceramic lion's head as a decorative element.
Description of other elements:
The building has two balconies with ornate ironwork, which are decorated with paintings of folk aesthetics in the their underside.
The staircase of the entrance also includes painting decoration depicting the four goddesses of antiquity Athena, Artemis, Hera and Aphrodite. In front of the building there is a small courtyard, surrounded by an iron rail, which is decorated with propellers and spears.
Purpose - Use: Residence
Characterization: Preservable, Institution of the Ministry of Education, Category "A", Decision 5385, Government Gazette 1097/95
Dating (period): Early 20th century
Year of construction: 1900
Location of the monument: 41.141743762449345, 24.885384011219628
Bibliographic references:
• Dimitris Mavridis, Angelophylaktos Xanthi, Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheoriou, Xanthi 2007
• Dimitris Mavridis, Houses of Xanthi, Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheoriou – D.E.A.X., Xanthi 2009
• Eleni Kouni, Vasilis Aivaliotis, Sofia Adamantidou, Lefteris Kounis and jewelry in Xanthi, P.A.KE.THRA. – d.e.a.x., Xanthi 2006
• Xanthi. The city with a thousand colors, MUNICIPALITY OF XANTHI – P.A.KE.THRA., XANTHI 2008
• Katsari-Vafiadis, J. ed. 2023. "History and recording of the neoclassical buildings of the traditional settlement". Xanthi: MUNICIPALITY OF XANTHI, P. 163
Address: Markou Botsari 26
Visitable: No