Greece plans to convert the 10,000-acre Tatoi Estate into an international tourist destination, the Culture Ministry announced last month.
The Tatoi estate served as the home for the Greek royals for decades, but was abandoned in 1967 when the country was taken over by a military junta.
Over the weekend, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni toured the Tatoi Estate.
"Over forty thousand acres of rare natural beauty, buildings sealed with history, thousands of objects awaiting maintenance and a number of vehicles, samples of the evolution of movement over the decades, have resisted oblivion and time and are preparing to be offered to the visitor's gaze," Sakellaropoulou posted on Instagram.
"The return of the Tatoi Estate to the citizens, as a place of historical memory and evaluation, aesthetic pleasure and recreation, is a way of proper management of the collective memory. And, above all, an act of democracy," she added.
"This site is closely linked to our modern history," said historian Costas Stamatopoulos, an expert on the Greek royal family.
"Finally, the state has decided to take it seriously."
The plan includes luxury accommodation, wellness facilities, restaurants, a musuem, footpaths and sports activities including cycling and horseback riding, as well as a forest village with agro-tourism infrastructure.
Mendoni described the project as a “national goal”, which will centre around five key areas: history and culture, outdoor sports and recreation, agricultural economy, research and knowhow, wellness and tranquillity.
“Our goal is to transform Tatoi into a national and international destination, appealing to all ages all year round, through environmentally friendly infrastructure and activities while ensuring its viability,” Mendoni said.
The project is expected to cost approximately €130 million.
New exhibition for royal carriages as former Tatoi Royal Estate begins renovations
Along with numerous spaces within the royal estate and objects that belonged to the royal family, such as clothes, jewels, cars, and many other relics, restoration of the numerous royal carriages has already begun.
A large number of well-kept carriages were hosted at Voustasio (the royal stables) for a few decades, and were not accessible to the public.
Along with mechanical and agricultural equipment and vehicles that were stored in the same building, the royal carriages were used for the transportation of the royal family, the royal guard and their guests.
