The cultural and folklore character in Xanthi today

The city of Xanthi has highlighted over the years an incomparably rich cultural character, which has been indelibly imprinted on its urban fabric. Dozens of places and buildings in old Xanthi function as expressions of the culture and folklore of the city, where artistic events and events of small and large scale take place.

On this route, about 2 km, lasting about 60 minutes and of moderate difficulty, the visitor will have the opportunity to tour almost the entire area of Old Xanthi and visit buildings and places of cultural and artistic activities, as well as places where folklore customs regarding religious ceremonies continue. This route mainly concerns the period of the Old Town Festivals, which take place every year since 1991 in late August-early September.

Starting from the Daniel Mansion, the famous house of Manos Hadjidakis, and ending at the Chapel of Agioi Theodoroi, the visitor will have the opportunity to get to know places that have operated and still operate throughout the year as seats of cultural associations, groups, writers and artists active in the city of Xanthi.

Apart from the established Old Town Festivals, these spaces are functional throughout the year, either as visitable exhibition spaces, such as the Folklore Museum, the House of Shadow and the Municipal Art Gallery, or as venues for events, concerts, etc., such as the F.E.X. House of Culture.

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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