Miaouli Square

Miaouli Square is the formal centre of Ermoupoli, laid out in the nineteenth century on what was once a sandy, partly planted area at the edge of the harbour. It is named for Admiral Andreas Miaoulis, a naval commander of the Greek War of Independence who came from the island of Hydra, and the bronze monument to him in the middle of the square was unveiled in 1889. The square sits in the Lower Town, as the port quarter is sometimes called, in contrast to the hill town of Ano Syros above.

The most important building is the Town Hall, which closes the north-east side. It was designed by the architect Ernst Ziller, who was born in Germany and settled in Greece, and was built in stages in the late nineteenth century, being completed in 1898. A wide flight of steps leads to a portico with columns, and the clock tower and symmetrical wings give it the look of a small palace. Beside the Ermoupoli City Hall, in the lanes behind it, the Apollo Theatre, a small Italian-style opera house, adds to the sense of civic ambition and to the Neoclassical character of the district.

The square itself is paved with marble slabs, and the surface shines in the sun and after rain. Rows of palm trees give shade, and a bandstand, decorated with bas-reliefs of Apollo and the Muses, stands in the paving, a reminder of the days when town bands played here on Sunday afternoons. Around the edges are cafes with outdoor tables, jewellers, bakeries and kiosks, and in the evening the whole space fills with families, schoolchildren and couples out for the traditional stroll known as the volta.

Ermoupoli’s story is written on its buildings. The wealth that came from shipping in the nineteenth century paid for civic buildings and mansions, and the square was designed to show that prosperity. The town was long a centre of commerce, shipbuilding and industry, and even though Piraeus took over as the main port, the square still carries that confidence.

The square is open at all times and free to cross. The best times are early morning, when it is calm and the light is clear, and early evening. Cafes are pleasantly shaded, but prices are a little higher than in the side streets. It is a short walk from the port, and the lanes to the Vaporia district and the market begin only a few steps away, so the square makes a natural starting point for exploring Ermoupoli.