Archaeological Site of Messene, Greece, to Get Visitor-Friendly Upgrades

The Central Archaeological Council of Greece has approved visitor-friendly upgrades at the renowned archaeological site of ancient Messene in the southwest Peloponnese, it was announced on Monday.

Ancient Messene was excavated by the late Petros Themelis, a Greek classical archaeologist and professor of the University of Crete, who was keen to make the site available to the public while maintaining it environmentally-friendly. This is a vision the newly approved plans purport to conform to.

Its ancient theater, like that of Epidaurus, is open every summer for shows and musical performances and sees flocks of people every year, greatly contributing to local development and tourism in the Peloponnese in general.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said in a statement that the government’s priorities center on the continuous upgrading of services to the guests of archaeological sites and museums and in making these readily accessible. In Ancient Messene, she said, “Our goal is that interventions, landscaping, and constructions are as mild as possible—that they do not create an optical, aesthetic, or any other problem for the monuments, but promote their functional nature, and support their recognition and overall, highlight the archaeological site.”

The Antiquities Ephorate of Messenia carried out salvage excavations in 2023, Mendoni explained, to identify remains where the entrances (north and south) will be re-planned. The sections that were discovered may possibly relate to Late Classical-Early Hellenistic eras, and based on the features of the Hippodamian urban layout of the site, may belong to a cluster of private homes.

What are the planned upgrades at the Ancient Messene site?

Among the upgrades approved in the northern entrance section are the shutting down of the old ticketing area and the parking spaces, which stretched to the entrance of the ancient site. The ticketing area will be moved elsewhere, facilitating visitors’ movements, while the parking spaces will be reconstructed near the new archaeological museum. The museum design is still in the planning stages.

Access will be improved with ramps, while clusters of trees will be planted to provide more shade. No existing trees will be removed.

The new visitors’ store will afford a view of the site, while the bathroom, health space, and storage area will be partly below ground. A new elevator will make the cafe accessible to visitors who are physically impaired.

At the southern entrance, a 98-square-meter building will be constructed partly below ground and serve personnel of the site, while a semi-open corridor will lead to a staircase which will take people to the site.

The refurbishment projects at the north and south entrances of the site will reportedly be ready for visitors by the end of 2025.