Old Royal Palace (Hellenic Parliament), Athens

Old Royal Palace is the neoclassical building that now houses Greece’s Parliament. Its formal façade belongs to a palace designed by Friedrich von Gärtner, and construction began in 1836. The building was created as the residence of King Otto and the royal family, while also accommodating the ministerial cabinet.

Otto and Queen Amélie moved in during 1843, and that same year a peaceful uprising at the palace pressed the king to grant a constitution. The adjoining square took the name Syntagma, meaning Constitution, in memory of that event. The building remained the official royal residence until 1910.

Since 1929, it has served as the seat of Parliament, with the transformation carried out by architect Andreas Kriezis. Today, the complex contains the parliamentary leadership offices, the cabinet meeting room, the Parliament television channel, and administrative services. Notice the palace as a single, imposing block: its present political role grew directly out of its earlier royal purpose. The building’s story is therefore not simply a change of occupants; it marks the shift from monarchy to parliamentary government, while retaining the architecture created for the Greek crown.