The Society was founded by Michail, Spyridon, Konstantinos and Dionysios Lambrou— the four sons of Pavlos Lambrou, the numismatist—on June 24, 1865, and was initially housed in their father’s house.
Although its founders were still schoolboys, the Society quickly acquired a reputation, largely because of their father’s social standing, and it was the intercession of Pavlos Lambrou that persuaded the Chancellor of Athens University, Konstantinos Paparrigopoulos, to agree to serve as the Society’s honorary chairman in 1872. The Parnassos was recognized as a legal entity on March 17, 1875, by dint of a royal degree; in the meantime, the Society had already established links with academic and cultural associations in Greece and abroad.
The corner stone of the Parnassos Literary Society’s current home was laid on May 28, 1890, and construction work was completed in 1899. Designed in a classicizing style by the architect, Ifikratis Kokkidis, and including a formal concert hall along with a number of smaller rooms and offices, the Parnassos is now one of Athens’ most important listed buildings.
The impressive hall seats 500 and boasts flawless acoustics that have won praise from a number of contemporary acoustics specialists, while music critics rarely tire of extolling its virtues as one of the finest concert halls in Greece.
Major renovation work on the concert hall was completed recently.
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