- Stamatios Kleanthis
Stamatis or Stamatios Kleanthis (Σταμάτιος Κλεάνθης) (1802 - 1862) was a Greek
architect .He was born in the town of
Velventos inKozani . As a youth he moved toBucharest where he studied at the Greek School. On 1821 he fought at the insurrection against the Turks led by Alexander Ypsilanti and was captured at the battle of Dragatsani. After escaping, he traveled toVienna , and then toLeipzig , where he studied architecture. Afterwards he pursued his studies further inBerlin withKarl Friedrich Schinkel .After graduation, he returned with his colleague and friend
Eduard Schaubert to Greece, where they were appointed public engineers byJohn Capodistria . On 1832 they created a new city plan forAthens , which included wide avenues, gardens and grand public buildings and gave the first street names in Athens. This plan was however was simplified byLeo von Klenze , as it was considered too expensive. After disagreements with the administration, Kleanthis resigned his position.Kleanthis gained great wealth not only through architecture, but also through the marble quarries he operated on the island of
Paros . Marble from his quarries received a gold medal at the LondonGreat Exhibition .On 1862 he was seriously injured in an accident in a quarry and he was transported to Athens, where he died.
Kleanthis designed many important buildings in Athens, including the Dutchess of Plaisance's mansion, Villa Ilissia (today the Byzantine Museum of Athens). The
University of Athens was initially accommodated in his house inPlaka .External links
* [http://www.geocities.com/dsvelvento/EUERGETES.htm Information about distinguished people from Velvento, including a photograph of Stamatis Kleanthis]
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