Town Hall Square, formerly Loggia or del Teatro

The Town Hall Square is surrounded by historic and architectural buildings that highlight its important social and cultural character. It is located at the intersection of Evgeniou Voulgareos and Mayor Kollas streets, in front of the (Old) Town Hall. In fact, the various names that the square took from time to time are due to the many changes of use of this building. The Town Hall was rebuilt in the period 1663-1693. It originally housed Loggia Nobilei, the Lodge of the Nobles, the aristocrats' and dignitaries' lounge and for this reason the square was named after Loggia. In 1720, Loggia was converted into the San Giacomo Theatre, a name that referred to the adjacent 17-century Catholic Cathedral (Duomo) dedicated to Saints James and Christopher. Due to the theatre where operas and melodramas were mainly performed, the square was named del Teatro. In 1903, another floor was added to the Loggia building in order to accommodate the premises of the Town Hall. Since then, the square is called Town Hall Square. The former residence of the Latin Archbishop, built in 1754, which now houses the Bank of Greece, is also a few meters away.