Octagon’s Eastern Thermals Conservation and Highlighting Project or “Nero’s house» in the archaeological field Ancient Olympia It is implemented by the Ministry of Culture through the Ilya Antiquities Ephorate. As mentioned in the statement of the Ministry, the restoration of a specific monument is an integral part of its strategic planning. Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the restoration and promotion of their buildings Roman period of Ancient Olympia.
Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni From 2020, we started developing a strategic plan for the restoration and promotion of Roman monuments within the Ancient Olympic archaeological site. In addition to the octagonal Eastern Baths, called the “House of Nero”, five more Roman buildings are included in our design: the Baths of Leonidas, the Southern Baths and the Early Christian Basilica, the Baths of Claudius and the Octagon. They are in the first three monuments current repair and restoration projects with a total budget of more than 3,000,000 euros At the expense of the funds of the Restoration Fund, and for the other two, their protection and repair, as well as the cultivation of restoration works with the resources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The eastern Thermae complex is the best-preserved part of the octagonal monumental complex occupying the area south of the Stadium. Except for the recovery part which is under study The Central Archaeological Council gave a positive opinion, interventions to highlight and improve accessibility also include the creation of a tour route with specifications for the disabled, which is planned to pass through the rooms to better understand the space experientially. The illumination of the Roman period buildings will give a new look and perspective to the Olympic archaeological site, because by improving the specific monumental unit it is included in the visited area, expanding the excursion to the monuments beyond the classical antiquity, and extending the visitors’ stay in the archaeological site.
The main goal of the study – continues the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – is not only the structural restoration of the complex and the possibility of walking around it, but also the formation of the necessary elements that will ensure the creation of the complex as a whole. access to its interior and the course within it, observing as nearly as possible the sequence of the rooms.
The complex is facing serious structural problems today. In the past, extreme weather conditions and large amounts of damage caused by natural phenomena have caused serious damage to the monument, the complete loss of large parts of it, the critical statics of some, and ultimately the destruction of its face. Limited maintenance also led to more wear and tear. By taking emergency measures, the part of the building that was in danger of falling was brought to safety. As for the identified structural problems, large cracks appeared in several places of the monument, which caused serious damage and changes to the elements of its shell.
In the open area of the courtyard, in the southern part, the archaeological excavations are kept open so that the network of canals and the stratigraphy of the floor remain visible.