Plato's Academy

A musician plays a santour during a revival of the Klidonas ritual at the park of Akadimia Platonos (Plato's Academy) in central Athens, in a photo released on Saturday. Involving music, singing, dancing and leaping over fires, the ancient custom, which has both pagan and Christian roots, was celebrated Tuesday to mark the Summer solstice and the birth of Saint John the Baptist.

Tsolakis Architects have won the top prize among 17 proposals in the architectural competition launched in August for the new Athens Archaeological Museum in Akadimia Platonos, inside a recreational park and archaeological site in western Athens which was the site of Plato's Academy.

The architectural study for the renovation of Vasilissis Olga Avenue was approved yesterday by the Central Council of Architecture of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

The new culture minister, Lina Mendoni on Tuesday sought to underline the priorities of the new government in her field, heralding a revamp of the capital's historic center and plans for "sustainable development" in regions that host some of Greece's most significant archaeological sites and monuments.

Artume, a subsidiary of US investment giant BlackRock, has been trying to implement a 300-million-euro investment in western Athens for 10 years now, and it is still waiting - illustrating the obstacles investors face in this country.