The European Commission has given the go-ahead for funding the remaining works at the Achilleion Palace, through the new ESPA 2021-2027 funding programme. Its decision was communicated in recent days to the Management Authority of the Ionian Islands Regional Authority, as until now the assurance had only been verbal.
According to the Management Authority, the continuation of funding for the second phase will involve the removal of part of the project funded by ESPA 2007-2013, concerning study expenses carried out by the Hellenic Public Properties Co (ETAD).
After the contractor's withdrawal from the Achilleion Museum restoration project last October for financial reasons, a technical meeting was held between officials of the Management Authority and the European Commission to explore the possibility of funding the remaining works from the new ESPA programming period.
However, since the project had been included in two financing periods, it couldn't be included in another one unless the request for the removal of the part of the project funded from 2007-2013 was approved.
In the hands of ETAD
According to Regional Management Authority officials, ETAD, which is also the project's main body, now needs to take action. Initially, this involves the closure of the old contract, followed by the submission of a technical study dossier to enable the decision for inclusion in the new ESPA. Subsequently, a new tender will be announced to select a contractor to complete the project, which was originally supposed to be delivered by December 31, 2023.
Both the General Secretariat for Public Investments and ESPA, as well as the Ministry of Culture, have been updated about the progress of the restoration project of the iconic monument. In fact, at the end of last month, a meeting was held in Athens with the new managing director of ETAD, the Regional Governor of the Ionian Islands, Yiannis Trepeklis, where, among other things, the issue of the Achilleion Palace was discussed. The Regional Authority referred to the possibility of funding the second phase of the project, and ETAD highlighted the economic benefit it derives from the Museum's operation.
Only the gardens are open
At the moment, the only accessible area is the Achilleion Palace Gardens, open daily, weekends, and holidays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., where visitors have the opportunity to admire the fully restored marble statues of the gardens, especially the "Dying Achilles," which is the symbol of the Achilleion Palace. This offers an additional unique experience, as they will be able to see the lethal arrow, restored after decades, in this monumental sculpture.
Additionally, in the lower gardens, visitors can admire the also restored statue of Lord Byron and the Canopy that has been highlighted in the space. Furthermore, the restoration works on the Baron's building have been completed as well.
Historical Background
Although the Achilleion Palace belongs to ETAD, which derives income from the huge number of visitors, the monument had been left unmaintained and had fallen into a tragic state. Funding from the Ionian Islands ESPA funding programme was necessary in order to announce a restoration contract.
During Theodoros Galiatsatos' tenure as Regional Governor, funds were committed from the Ionian Islands Regional Authority, through the invitation ION 80 of ESPA 2014-2020, in July 2019. It was included in the programme, with a budget of €12,950,000 in April 2020, by Rodi Kratsa, with a deadline for completion set for December 31, 2023.
However, the contract for the "Restoration and Enhancement of the Achilleion Complex in Corfu (Phase II)" was progressing slowly, and ultimately the contractor withdrew last December, as they couldn't meet the financial demands. It is worth noting that the contract with the contractor "Railway Projects A.T.E." was signed on March 23, 2021, for €5.8 million (including VAT), while the initial budget was €11.5 million (including VAT), with the contractor bidding among ten offers with a discount of 49.4%.
The project
The scope of work for Phase II includes restoration work on the Palace of the complex, work in the courtyard area, restoration work on the Barracks, the Guardhouse, and the Baron's building, maintenance of fixed and movable exhibits, frescoes, and mosaics, creation of museum constructions, design and production of multimedia applications, exhibition lighting, production of supervisory material, and implementation of the Museumological - Museographical study of the Palace exhibition, as well as the restoration and enhancement of the Heine scale.
The restoration and enhancement project of the Achilleion Palace also had a Phase I, funded by the 2007-2013 ESPA programming period, which included a study and restoration work on the Guardhouse of the Achilleion and the Complex, maintenance work, as well as a Museological - Museographical study for the exhibition at the Palace.
MARIA BAZDRIYIANNI
