The misunderstood and abandoned Fairytale Castle of Agrili
The beautiful, full of imagination, stories of valorous knights and damsels in distress that only grandma could tell, inspired Dr. Harry Fournier (Fournarakis) to build a bit peculiar, yet unique "Fairytale Castle" in the 1960’s, honouring the legacy of a long forgotten era.
(The castle was built and donated by Harry Fournier "To remind everyone by looking at it the fairytales that our grandmother used to tell us")
Driving along the Western coast of Greece, from Olympia to Pylos, you can take a small detour to Agrilis. There you will have the chance to enter a mythical realm where stories of knights and dragons are twined together with Ancient Greek mythology.
The U.S.-born doctor of Greek descent, Harry Fournier, upon retirement as a surgeon in Chicago, decided to return to his ancestral lands of Filiatra. This is where he wished to leave his mark as a benefactor of the city. He created a cultural centre as well as a number of landmarks. A 26m wrought-iron copy of the Eiffel Tower at the entrance of the city, a metal Geographical Globe outside the local high school and the Fairytale Castle at Agrili.
In the courtyard outside the castle, there are three huge statues: one depicting the Goddess Athena, another representing Poseidon and the third one, a Trojan horse. The Trojan horse monument is hollow and is rumoured to hold a secret library inside.
To be honest this monument wakes the visitor with strange feelings; nostalgia, romance, confusion about the entwined stories it "narrates" and anger. Anger because no matter how tacky or kitsch it might look, today, the landmark is unfortunately abandoned in a state of deterioration.
A commemorative plaque attributed to Harry Fournier himself reads, “You should appreciate a man not by his fortune or the extent of his knowledge, but by the happiness he brings to those around him".
Thus the always misunderstood and now abandoned Fairytale Castle becomes an object for the rest of us to understand and admire for what it is... A symbol of going against the norm and doing what you love, no matter what others say. It’s about becoming conquerors of the useless, just for the sheer pleasure of it, for reaching out to and bonding with those who can appreciate it.
"Thus the always misunderstood.... "
Hey, I'm misunderstood too! Perhaps they should donate that castle to me to live in :-)
hahah A misunderstood person in a misunderstood castle! That would be amazing! :) By the way, in my opinion the misunderstood ones are usually the most interesting ones!
This sounds like the kind of person I enjoy meeting.
I always loved the word 'eccentric' (εκκεντρικός). It is a pity that the new generations no longer are fascinated by eccentrics, preferring the crazy (it seems)
Eccentricity is always fascinating in a way.. It makes you wanna read between the lines.. I guess nowadays it is "easier" to call something crazy cause in that way people don't need to try to see beyond the "obvious"..
You spoke of a secret library in the trojan horse and it struck me that the leg extending forward, with a person standing at the 'shoulder'. At the end, where the hoof is, I see a square block it rests on. Maybe that is the entrance to an underground library -
next question
Why an underground library?
Does it have to be hidden because all the books and documents in there only speak the truth - and govts of course cannot abide anything of that sort!
γενικα για σχεδον οτι αφορα μερη στην ελλαδα ειτε εχω παει ειτε εχω ακουσει ειτε εχω δει σε φωτογραφιες, δλδ εχω μια ιδεα. Αυτο πραγματικα πρωτη φορα το βλεπω..... τι φασηη :P Γτ σκατα δν το εκμεταλευονται, αμα ειχε γυρω φουλ πρασινο τελειως αλλη ατμοσφαιρα ακομα κ ξαναδοχειο μπορουσαν.... γαμω τα μυαλα μας
Η αλήθεια είναι ότι λόγω τοποθεσίας ή επειδή είναι εγκαταλελειμμένο δεν το ξέρουν πολλοί.. Πραγματικά αν το είχαν προσεγμένο θα ήταν πολύ διαφορετικό.. Μπορεί να είναι λίγο too much αυτό που είναι, αλλά δεν παύει να είναι ενδιαφέρον.. Θα τραβούσε σίγουρα κόσμο.. Τι να πεις.. Ελλάδα..
πραγματικά είναι υπέροχο μέρος, με την πρώτη ευκαιρία θα πάω και εγώ... :))))
Καλό βράδυ...
Ναι έχει πολύ ενδιαφέρον.. Θα αρέσει σίγουρα και στο παιδάκι σας!! :)))
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