Villa Kazouli
Villa Kazouli
This impressive neoclassical building was built in 1902 on Kifisias Avenue 214, based on the designs of an unidentified architect. The building comes with an eerie and turbulent history. It was originally built as the holiday residence of Nikolaos Kazoulis - a wealthy Greek merchant from Rhodes who lived and worked in Egypt.
During the German occupation, it was used as a Gestapo headquarters and a torture site. After liberation, the ELAS people’s army also had its garrison headquarters here; in 1949, the KAT hospital temporarily operated on the premises. Following the earthquake of 1953, the residence sheltered refugees from Kefalonia and Zakynthos, but over the next few years, it was slowly abandoned. In 1985, the Hellenic government bought the property and consequently renovated it; the Ministry of Culture used it for various purposes. Both the Villa and its surrounding land are protected by Presidential Decree, due to their unique architectural, historic, and aesthetic value - such as elaborate sculptures, the marble stairs, etc.
Notably, several Greek movies were filmed here in the 1960s, one of which was the popular "Lieutenant Natasha" («Υπολοχαγός Νατάσα») with famous actress Aliki Vougouklaki. Villa Kazoulis still constitutes one of the most emblematic buildings of Kifisia, keeping a balance between neoclassicism and art nouveau.
