The new Cavafy Archive, an Onassis Foundation initiative, opened in Athens’ old quarter on November 21. The specially designated space will preserve the poet’s literary and personal archives, including 966 books from his personal library and an extensive assortment of documents and artworks influenced by his enduring impact.
As Onassis Foundation President Anthony S. Papadimitriou noted at the opening: ‘160 years after his birth, Constantine P. Cavafy finds a new home, from which the timeless sensitivity of his poetry will continue to radiate.’
In the presence of President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the inauguration signals the Onassis Foundation’s commitment to providing unrestricted access to researchers and the general public. The mission: to promote the international character of Cavafy’s poetry through the digitization and complete re-documentation of the archive’s materials.
Since its acquisition by the Onassis Foundation in 2012, Cavafy’s archives has been safeguarded in Greece and protected from potential division. The archive was digitized, indexed and fully documented in 2019 in both Greek and English, then published on cavafy.onassis.org, making it accessible to everyone.
‘Kavafy Archive’ Exhibition, at Onasis Foundation, Athens, on November 21, 2023
Nevertheless, the need for an actual physical presence beyond the digital sphere led to the creation of the Cavafy Archive. Its three publically-accessible rooms—one given over to an exhibition of the poet’s personal effects, a second dedicated to Cavafy’s experiences in Athens, and a third serving as a Reading Room—give visitors an in-depth understanding of Cavafy’s growing impact on artists from his era through to the present.
Born in Alexandria in 1863, C.P. Cavafy is considered by many the most distinguished Greek poet of the 20th century.
Cavafy Archive
Frynichou str 16B, Plaka, 10558
Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday, 11:00-18:00
Entrance free
Info: +30 210 3713 000
onassis.org/initiatives/cavafy-archive/the-new-cavafy-archive-building-on-frynichou-street-in-plaka
