Neoclassical and eclectic buildings of Old Xanthi

This route is about 3 km, about 80 minutes and of moderate difficulty. It starts from Antikas Square and ends at the border of the old town with the modern city to the west. Through this route, the visitor has the opportunity to get to know the practice of neoclassicism and eclecticism, as expressed in about 50 buildings of old Xanthi.

Neoclassicism appeared in the 18th and 19th centuries and is strongly influenced by the principles governing the architecture of classical antiquity. The buildings are distinguished for the simplicity of their geometric forms, the Doric detail, the simplicity, the absolute symmetry, the dividing lines of the vertical spreads and the pilasters with false capitals at the corners.

Eclecticism, on the other hand, is the architectural style of the 19th and 20th centuries, in which a variety of elements from various eras and styles are selected and used, in a single building. The eclectic buildings in Xanthi are influenced by neoclassicism (e.g. absolute symmetry, verticality), while individual elements are influenced by Art Deco (e.g. strong decorative mood), central Europe (e.g. turret roof configuration or turret development), English Baroque (e.g. the use of red brick) and Romanesque style (e.g. arched openings and curved arches).

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19. Bachzetzis House

Brief documentation:

The building was built around 1880, by the gardener by profession Konstantinos Bachzetzis. In 1979 this building was bought by the well-known composer Manos Hadjidakis, having returned to his hometown to organize here the new institution of "Music Festivals". He bought the building to serve the organizational needs of the institution. Eventually he was unable to complete the project, as there was no support from the local authorities, and in 1982 the building was sold again. Until today the building remains uninhabited.
It is a simple, two-storey building made of stonework made of hewn local granite. It has a semi-basement, ground floor and first floor. A stone cornice separates the floors of the main façade, and hollow cornices surround the roof.
The main façade of the building is coated with mortar that mimics the isodomic system. Of particular interest is the raised, curved skylight above the entrance, as well as the elaborate iron bars on the windows, made of cast iron in local workshops of the time and protecting the openings.

Category of thematic interest: ARCHITECTURAL / HISTORICAL INTEREST

History:

The building was built around 1880, by the gardener by profession Konstantinos Bachzetzis. In 1979 this building was bought by the well-known composer Manos Hadjidakis, having returned to his hometown to organize here the new institution of "Music Festivals". He bought the building to serve the organizational needs of the institution. Eventually he was unable to complete the project, as there was no support from the local authorities, and in 1982 the building was sold again.
Until today the building remains uninhabited.

Elements of architecture:

It is a simple, two-storey building made of stonework made of hewn local granite. It has a semi-basement, ground floor and first floor.
A stone cornice separates the floors of the main façade, and hollow cornices surround the roof.
Of particular interest is the raised, curved skylight above the entrance, as well as the elaborate iron bars on the windows, made of cast iron in local workshops of the time and protecting the openings.

Description of other elements:

Its main façade is coated with mortar imitating the isodomic system.

Purpose - Use: Residence, Cultural space

Characterization: Preserved, Institution of the Ministry of Culture, Decision DILAP/C/11/63051, Government Gazette 73/86

Dating (period): Late 19th century

Year of construction: Around 1880

Monument location: 41.14379, 24.88767

Bibliographic references:

• V. Aivaliotis. "Blonde, sweet stepmother." Xanthi: PAKETHRA 2007, p. 59

Address: Antikas 11

Visitable: No