The Tatoi Summer Palace

Tatoi [ta-to-è], located 5 km north of Athens’s suburbs and 27 km from the Acropolis, was the summer palace and 4,740-acre estate of the former Greek Royal Family and the birthplace of King George II of Greece. The area is a densely wooded southeast-facing slope of Mount Parnitha, and its ancient and current official name is Decelea [De-kè-le-a].

For several years, the Greek government had no planned efforts to preserve the main building and its surroundings, and the estate suffered extensive weathering and damage. The idea to convert it into a winery or resort met criticism from entities who feared such actions could erase the property’s historical elements and who preferred to turn Tatoi into a museum open to the public.

In late 2019, the Greek Ministry of Culture made a more solid effort for restoration. After approximately a year of conservation work, they announced that the plans primarily involved converting the main house into a museum and building a luxury hotel and spa. However, the 2021 forest fires were catastrophic for the estate: 4,200 acres were burned to the ground, and the palace’s main building suffered damage. Several estate buildings were lost, including the ADC offices (at the time used as furniture storage), the caretakers’ quarters, the communications (telegraph), and the forestry authorities’ offices.

Following the death and funeral of Constantine II, Lina Mendoni, the current Minister of Culture and Sports, announced that the government intends to transform Tatoi by 2025.

«Θα σε κάνω βασίλισσα», μου είπε ο καλός μου και με πήγε μια βόλτα στο Τατόι! Συμβιβάζομαι, για την ώρα…