Press Release
On June 16, 2024, the Greek Orthodox Community of Venice, the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies of Venice, the Holy Metropolis of Italy, and the Greek Embassy in Rome celebrated, along with many guests and friends, the 450th anniversary of the completion of the construction work of the emblematic Church of Saint George of the Greeks (1573).
The festivities began with a multi-hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the historic Church of Saint George of the Greeks, presided over by His Eminence Meliton, Archbishop of Philadelphia and Speaker of Venice, and His Eminence Polycarpos, Archbishop of Italy.
A relevant symposium was hosted in the Sala Capitolo, where the Greek Confraternity of Venice used to hold its assemblies. The discussion was opened by Professor Georgios Ploumidis Professor Emeritus of Modern Greek History at the University of Ioannina and former director of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine Post-Byzantine Studies of Venice. As participants there were Mr Amerigo Restucci, Professor of Architectural History at the University of Venice and former Rector, Ms. Angeliki Stavropoulou Associate Professor of Art History at the Department of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Archaeology at the University of Ioannina, and Ms. Despina Michalaga Associate Professor of Modern Ecclesiastical History at the Department of Theology of the University of Athens.
The event was honored by the presence of the Greek Ambassador to Italy, Ms. Eleni Sourani, the Greek Consul in Venice, Professor Bruno Bernardi, as well as representatives of the municipal and other authorities of Venice.
It is worth noting that the President of the Greek Community of Venice, Mr. Dimitris Zafeiropoulos, presented at the event the purchase contract of the land on which the Church of Saint George of the Greeks in Venice stands, which was donated to the Greek Orthodox Community by an Italian private individual. The event concluded with a nostalgic journey through songs of Greek composers performed by Kleoniki Demiri.
