Villa Kazoulis

Built in the late 19th century, and based on the designs of an unidentified architect, Villa Kazoulis is one of Athens’ most characteristic buildings. Belonging to Nikolaos Kazoulis, a wealthy Greek merchant from Rhodes who lived and worked in Egypt, the mansion was primarily used as his summer residence.

Covering 2.5 acres, the villa and its property were used under German occupation to house a garrison headquarters. After liberation, the ELAS people’s army also had its garrison headquarters here; in 1949, the KAT hospital temporarily operated on the site.

After the earthquake of 1953, the building accommodated refugees from Kefalonia and Zakynthos, but over the next few years, the mansion was gradually abandoned. In 1995, the then Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works purchased the property and restored it, reopening it in 1999 to house environmental services; since 2014 it has been the headquarters of the Green Fund.

Many Greek movies were filmed here in the 1960s.