Hidden amidst the Athenian landscape stands the Tour de la Reine a neo-Gothic palace. This isn’t the Parisian Tour de la Reine you might expect. This story unfolds in Greece. It’s a tale of royal whimsy and historical shifts.
The Tour de la Reine was originally built for Queen Amélie of Greece. It stands proudly near the former Ano Liosia municipality. This small palace boasts a rich history spanning centuries. The land surrounding it once belonged to Turkish owners. During the Greek War of Independence it changed hands. Two British men John Williams and George Myles acquired it. They transformed the land into a productive farm planting fruit trees and vines.
King Otto I bought the estate in the early 1850s. He constructed a small palace on the ruins of an older tower. The new royal residence was inaugurated to celebrate the birthday of King Louis I of Bavaria Otto’s father. Queen Amélie enjoyed frequent visits. She often rode her horse across the estate. King Otto however showed little enthusiasm for this secondary residence.
In 1857 Queen Amélie created an artificial hill. This was to complete the six natural hills already on the estate. A patriot she sought to evoke the seven hills of Constantinople. This was the city Greeks considered their historic capital. She even named her estate Eptalofos meaning “seven hills” in Greek.
Following the royal couple’s deposition in 1862 the palace was confiscated. King George I later returned it to its exiled owners in Bavaria. After Amélie’s death in 1875 the Tour de la Reine was sold multiple times. It eventually passed to the Serpieris family who still own it today.
Between the World Wars a law forbidding large landholdings in Greece reduced the estate to 25 hectares. Much of the land became the Antonis-Tristis park.
The Tour de la Reine’s neo-Gothic architecture draws inspiration from Bavaria’s Hohenschwangau Castle. The estate even produces a wine named after the palace itself. The Tour de la Reine continues to resonate with a blend of royal history and agricultural legacy. It stands as a testament to the shifting landscapes of power and land ownership. The palace stands as a silent observer to the passage of time. Its story continues to unfold.