The cultural and folklore character in Xanthi of yesterday and today

The route is about 800 meters long, lasts about 50 minutes and is of low difficulty. In it, the visitor will come into contact with an incomparably rich cultural character, which Xanthi has highlighted over the years and has been indelibly imprinted on its urban fabric. There are several surviving points that remind and can reconstruct the so-called Belle Époque period (1871-1914), during which the city experienced great economic and artistic flourishing.

The frescoes with Bavarian or German landscapes in the Kougioumtzoglou Mansion and the ceiling paintings with decorative and floral motifs in the Daniel Mansion or the Megha Kin cinema and the "Apollo" theater, in which the French actress Sarah Bernhardt is rumored to have played in some performances, give a taste of the arts of painting and theater, as they were expressed at that time.

On the other hand, dozens of places and buildings function today as expressions of the city's folklore, where artistic events and events of small and large scale take place. Starting from the Daniel Mansion and ending at the Adamides House, near Mitropoleos Square, the visitor will have the opportunity to get to know the city through buildings that functioned and function as seats of cultural associations, groups, writers and artists who have been and are active in the city of Xanthi.

Apart from the established Old Town Festivals (late August-early September), some of these spaces are functional throughout the year. They function either as visitable exhibition spaces, such as the Folklore and Historical Museum of F.E.X., the House of Shadow and the Municipal Art Gallery, or as venues for events, concerts, etc., such as the House of Culture of F.E.X.

Points Expand/Collapse

53. House of Lefteris Kounis

Brief documentation:

On 17 Ioakeim Sgourou Street, in the Mitropoleos district, there is the house where the Aivaliot painter Lefteris Kounis (1907-2005) lived.
The building is a simple residence with ground floor and first floor that has been restored and operates until today as a residence.
Kounis and his two sisters were orphaned early and their guardianship was taken over by their uncles George and Nikolaos Maltzis, painters too. They first settled in Thessaloniki in 1920, before the catastrophe in Asia Minor. Professional reasons prompted them to settle in Xanthi, where they painted many of its buildings.
Since 1927, Kounis has been moving between the neighborhoods of Xanthi to paint mansions (such as the Christidis Mansion at Orfeos 51, the Daniel Mansion at El.Venizelou) and simple buildings. He lived in this house at 17 Ioakeim Sgourou Street initially as a tenant and later as a son-in-law, as he married Maroula, daughter of the owner. The Municipality of Xanthi, recognizing his contribution to the city, awarded him the city's gold medal in 1999. In 2001 he settled permanently in Thessaloniki, where he died. In honor of the late artist in 2006 PAKETHRA (Cultural Development Center of Thrace) published the book
entitled "Lefteris Kounis and wall painting in Xanthi".

Category of thematic interest: CULTURAL / FOLKLORE INTEREST

History:

On 17 Ioakeim Sgourou Street, in the Mitropoleos district, there is the house where the Aivaliot painter Lefteris Kounis (1907-2005) lived.
Kounis and his two sisters were orphaned early and their guardianship was taken over by their uncles George and Nikolaos Maltzis, painters too. They first settled in Thessaloniki in 1920, before the destruction of Asia Minor. Professional reasons prompted them to settle in Xanthi, where they painted many of its buildings.
Kounis has been moving, since 1927, among the neighborhoods of Xanthi, to paint mansions (such as the Christidis Mansion at Orfeos 51, the Daniel Mansion at El.Venizelou) and its simple buildings. He lived in this house at 17 Ioakeim Sgourou Street initially as a tenant and later as a son-in-law, as he married Maroula, daughter of the owner.

Elements of architecture:

The building is a simple residence with ground floor and first floor that has been restored and operates until today as a residence.

Description of other elements:

The Municipality of Xanthi, recognizing his contribution to the city, awarded him the city's gold medal in 1999. In 2001 he settled permanently in Thessaloniki, where he died. In honor of the late artist in 2006 PAKETHRA (Cultural Development Center of Thrace) published the book entitled "Lefteris Kounis and jewelry in Xanthi".

Purpose - Use: Residence

Characterization: Government Gazette 612B/30-4-1976 and Government Gazette 661/Β/17-5-1976, Government Gazette 1097/14.12-1995

Dating (period): First half of the 20th century

Year of construction: First half of the 20th century

Location of the monument: 41.14354810203807, 24.886855533343045

Bibliographic references:

• E. Kouni, V. Aivaliotis, S. Adamantidou, "Lefteris Kounis and wall painting in Xanthi", Xanthi 2006

Address: Ioakeim Sgourou 17

Visitable: No