The historic Silver Cup awarded to Spyros Louis returns to the Acropolis Museum

The Stavros Niarchos Foundationannounces that the Silver Cup awarded to Spyros Louis is returning to Athens, following its six-month stay at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. From March 18 onwards, the historic Cup will once again be exhibited at the Acropolis Museum. The Cup will be displayed at a distinct area of the Museum where visitors will not be required to buy a ticket in order to see it, as per the Foundation’s commitment to make the Cup accessible to all.

The Silver Cup, designed by Michel Bréal and awarded to the Marathon Winner at the inaugural Modern Olympic Games, was acquired by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation at an international auction in 2012. The Foundation wanted to contribute to the repatriation of this extremely significant artifact for Greek history, one that is inextricably connected to the Modern Olympic Games.

Between September 2012 and August 2014, the Cup was exhibited at the Acropolis Museum where more than two million people of all ages and nationalities had the opportunity to see it up close, learn about its history and be inspired by its symbolism.

Following its first stay at the Acropolis Museum, the Silver Cup was exhibited for a period of six months in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. The inauguration of the Cup’s exhibition took place on October 2014, coinciding with the international marathon of Lausanne, which took place on the same day, with the participation of approximately 3,000 runners from around the world. This enabled athletes and visitors to see the historic Olympic artifact on an exceptional day. The Olympic Museum in Lausanne receives an average of 200,000 international visitors annually.

Today, the Cup returns to Athens and the Acropolis Museum, where it will remain until the completion of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, where it will be permanently exhibited.