Let me say a few words about the location of tonight’s dinner, the Zappeion Hall. It was built in the second half of the 19th century as a center to host cultural exhibitions modeled after the Crystal Palace exhibition hall that was part of first World’s Fair, held in London in 1851.
The architecture is neoclassical, with a Corinthian portico, and an organization of spaces that is fully in harmony with the purpose for which it was built. The building, inaugurated in 1888, was used as the Olympic Village for the first of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. The building also has a rich political history.