Greece Begins New Restoration Projects at Ancient Olympia

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Greece has launched a new phase of restoration and preservation works at Ancient Olympia, with three projects worth around €4 million set to protect monuments, expand the archaeological site and improve the visitor experience.

The Ministry of Culture is advancing the projects following the completion and opening to the public in April 2026 of three restored monuments: the Early Christian basilica, or Workshop of Phidias, the Leonidaion Baths and the Southern Baths.

The new programme includes the restoration and enhancement of the Roman Octagon, known as the House of Nero, the third phase of excavation and enhancement of the Gymnasium, and the protection and restoration of the retaining wall of the Treasuries on the Hill of Kronos.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said Ancient Olympia remained at the centre of a long-term strategy to protect and highlight its unique archaeological heritage.

“Ancient Olympia is at the centre of a comprehensive and long-term plan by the Ministry of Culture to protect, restore and highlight its unique monumental wealth,” Mendoni said.

She said the three new projects would help restore the historical and spatial continuity of the archaeological site while expanding the area accessible to visitors and the range of monuments presented to the public.

The projects receive funding from the Western Greece Regional Operational Programme 2021–2027 and national resources from the Ministry of Culture.

Restoration of the House of Nero

The House of Nero forms part of the wider complex of the Southeastern Baths and represents a different construction phase of the same site.

The site began operating in the 5th century BC as a sanctuary dedicated to Hestia, with a stoa and auxiliary spaces added in the 3rd century BC.

Between 65 and 67 AD, builders constructed a luxurious villa at the site to accommodate Emperor Nero during his visit to Olympia. The building later served as an official guesthouse.

The villa included a large colonnaded courtyard, rooms and gardens, as well as bathing facilities in its southern section.

At the beginning of the 3rd century AD, workers remodelled the site and created the Southeastern Baths. The building became a public bathing complex centred on the Octagon, a monumental vaulted room that served as the hot room.

The baths incorporated and reused parts of the earlier villa. Archaeologists have also found various stone and ceramic elements at the site, including architectural components, marble slabs, a stone foot basin and ceramic elements associated with the hypocaust heating system and drainage channels.

Restoration and visitor access

The House of Nero project includes the partial restoration of sections of the walls and vaulting, the restoration of openings and repositioning of fallen architectural elements.

Workers will also uncover and protect the mosaic floor by constructing a new shelter, establish a visitor route and upgrade the surrounding area.

The restoration solutions aim to protect and preserve the monument’s surviving original elements while providing safe access for visitors.

The planned route will support both visitor access and accessibility without placing additional pressure on the original floors, mosaics and restored sections or restricting future conservation work.

The Ministry of Culture said the new interventions form part of a unified strategy to protect the monuments and present the long history of Olympia, including its Roman period.

The ministry has also upgraded accessibility and visitor facilities through new digital services designed to improve access for visitors, including people with hearing and visual impairments.

Mendoni said the continued investment would help keep Ancient Olympia, a site of global cultural significance, “alive and accessible” for future generations.

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