The Stavros Niarchos Foundation announces the opening of the exhibition of Spyros Louis’s Silver Cup at the Acropolis Museum

The brainchild of French philologist and philhellene Michel Bréal, the Silver Cup awarded to the first Marathon winner Spyros Louis at the inaugural modern Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens will be on display for one year at the entrance of the Acropolis Museum. The exhibit will include additional audiovisual and printed material. It should be noted that the exhibition is located in a part of the Museum that is accessible to the public without a ticket, fulfilling in this way the Foundation’s commitment to make the Cup widely available to everyone.

Andreas Dracopoulos, Co-President of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, said: “Having been convinced that this historic Cup is an integral part of Greek history and culture, the Foundation’s intention, through this exhibition, is to promote internationally the Greek spirit, as well as the Cup’s strong symbolism. In that context, we invite the public to visit the Acropolis Museum in order to view one of the most valuable artifacts of the Contemporary Olympic Games, and to be inspired by everything it symbolizes: the fighting spirit, victory and, ultimately, hope for a better tomorrow”.

The Foundation will continue its efforts to identify additional suitable venues across Greece, which could serve as temporary homes for the Cup after the end of the exhibition at the Acropolis Museum and before 2015, when it will be displayed permanently at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.