Located at Klafthmonos Square, on Paparrigopoulou 7 street, this beautiful building was one of the first houses that were built in liberated Athens in 1833/1834. Designed by German architects G.Lueders and J.Hoffer, the Dekozis-Vouros mansion is one of the first and finest examples of austere urban classicism in Greece.
The mansion belonged to Stamatios Dekozis Vouros, a banker from Chios Island (1792-1881), and hosted King Otto and his wife Amalia from 1836 until 1843, since the construction of their Palace -which is currently the Parliamentary Building- was not completed by that time. That is why the Athenians used to call it the ''Old Palace''.
The building fortunately has been preserved and today it houses the Museum of the City of Athens, which presents the modern history of Athens since it became the capital of the newly founded Hellenic State in 1834. Visitors of the museum get to see a collection of Athens-related items as well as antiquities, paintings, drawings, sculptures and textile works. Furthermore the museum includes furniture arranged in typical living rooms of the Athenian aristocracy of the 19th century.
The Museum is easily accessible by Metro (Panepistimio Station).