Kotzia Square, Public square in central Athens, Greece
Kotzia Square is a public square in central Athens, bordered by several main streets and flanked by the Athens City Hall and other civic buildings. At its center stands an octagonal fountain topped with a sculpture that gives the open space a clear focal point.
The square was laid out in 1874 under the name Ludovikos Square, honoring Ludwig I of Bavaria, whose family had ties to the Greek state in the 19th century. It was renamed in the 1960s after Nikolaos Kotzia, a former mayor of Athens.
The square takes its name from Nikolaos Kotzia, a mayor of Athens in the early 20th century who shaped the city's development. The sculpture at the center, depicting Theseus, was made by Greek artist Sofia Vari and draws the eye of anyone crossing the space.
The square sits close to Omonia Square and is easy to reach on foot from many points in the historic center. It is surrounded by busy streets, so using the marked crossings makes getting to the central fountain straightforward.
Excavations carried out between 1985 and 1988 uncovered ancient roads and burial monuments dating from the classical and Hellenistic periods directly beneath the square. Some of these remains are visible today through a glass enclosure at the edge of the plaza, letting passersby look down at them.
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