“Mystras is not only a World Heritage Site, but also the place where the twilight of Byzantium met the dawn of modern Greek identity. It was here that a dialogue between the past and the future opened in the 13th century, which in fact never stopped. We are here to ensure that it will never stop,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the ceremony for the presentation of the works for the protection and promotion of Mystras and the Museum Exhibitions at the Palace of the Despots.
“Our culture is a chain of our national power. It stands on an equal footing with the strengthening of our deterrent capacity, economic progress and social cohesion. We have been serving this strategy with commitment and action for 7 years. I would like to personally congratulate Lina Mendoni who, not without reason, has held the same portfolio for 7 years, as this is the 300th new venue we are handing over to the public from 2019. As I have participated in many such opening ceremonies, I have rarely seen the Minister as excited as I am today and rightly so. By the end of the year we have 8 more museums and archaeological sites which we will open. Over 900 infrastructure projects across the Territory with a budget of over €1 billion. With resources from the Recovery Fund,” Mitsotakis continued.
The Prime Minister said that in Laconia alone, 60 million euros had been used for a series of important projects that breathe new life into this historic place.
“It is an investment that has an immediate economic return. Investment in culture has a multiplier effect. Every euro invested in culture creates three times the value for society within five years,” he noted.
The Prime Minister added that he met a group of American cyclists who came to combine sport with their anticipation to visit this place.
“To make special mention of the Palace of the Despots. We all take in the energy and the devotion. We insist on a policy of universal accessibility to all. Our fellow citizens with mobility difficulties will be able to visit these very important archaeological sites on an equal footing,” he said.
Talking about the future, he said all archaeological sites are incorporating technology and children visiting this site will also be able to learn about history through a vehicle of play and entertainment.
“It is a 21st century tribute to an achievement of the 13th century,” Mitsotakis said, while speaking about the modern fire-fighting network at this monument.
“The care at this archaeological site does not stop. By December, the conservation of priceless frescoes will be completed and restored to keep them alive for tomorrow. With Mystras at its heart, the transformation of the entire prefecture into a cultural hub is underway. The time has come for Laconia to put itself firmly on the world tourist map. It is a region that has so much to offer to the country and the world. With culture as a vehicle, the economy will be stimulated. Every new museum will soon translate into more visitors, more jobs, chains of better wages,” the Prime Minister added.
“Here one realizes what it means to be Greek,” he said, stressing that it is a “heavy identity that we did not choose but inherited.”
Mr. Mitsotakis stressed that Greece is a Western country that can build bridges with the East, the Middle East, Africa, and that this is “our place in a changing world” and “writing history with a view to Greece in 2030.”
