Greece’s Central Archaeological Council (KAS) has unanimously approved plans to transform the iconic Agios Athanasios site on Ithaca into a modern archaeological park.
The monumental decision green-lights the development of accessible visitor infrastructure amid the island’s historic landscape of terraced stone walls and ancient olive groves. The legendary site, popularly known as the “School of Homer,” holds immense cultural value as the suspected palace of Odysseus.
A dedicated research team from the University of Ioannina originally excavated the historic complex between 1994 and 2012. Leading archaeologists Thanasis Papadopoulos and Litsa Kontorli-Papadopoulos successfully identified a massive, acropolis-like fortified citadel dating back to prehistoric times.
Unearthing three millennia of continuous history
The extensive structural remains confirm that human habitation at the site spanned multiple prehistoric and classical eras.
The first settlers occupied the eastern slopes of Mount Exoghi during the Middle Helladic period between 1900 and 1600 BC. The settlement expanded significantly throughout the golden Mycenaean age before shifting into a strategic military stronghold.
The local population utilized the large complex continuously well into the Hellenistic period. The visible ruins include a massive defensive tower from this later era. Centuries later, during the Roman occupation, local communities transformed the abandoned stone complex into a sacred burial ground.
Implementing modern visitor access
Construction crews will place the park’s main entrance exactly 30 meters (98 feet) away from a beautifully preserved Mycenaean age fountain.
The development plan also includes a small guard security post alongside public restroom facilities.
Engineers will upgrade the existing staging area with a discreet compacted-earth surface to avoid using intrusive concrete. A smooth, natural-earth walking path will follow the organic contours of the mountain ridge.
The design team shaped a section of this trail with a gentle gradient to accommodate visitors with physical disabilities. Comfortable wooden benches and four detailed multi-lingual information signs along the pathway will also be placed. Frontline excavation teams will conduct further targeted digs to fully clear the remaining subterranean rooms before the official grand opening ceremony.
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