To make nashville s parthenon complete, a colossal statue of the goddess athena had to be built inside it. The history of nashville tennessees parthenon 2006 dvd parthenon centennial park on. It was built in 1897 as the centerpiece for the tennessee centennial exposition. Made with the same patience, artistic excellence and knowledge about the the then history and cultural expertise, parthenon is a treat to watch. History of the nashville parthenon and the tennessee. Nashville may have earned the nickname the athens of the south long before its replica of the parthenon was built in 1897, but today this aweinspiring monument of classical greek architecture is one of the citys most popular attractions. The nashville parthenon page 2 alternate history of.
To book a wedding at the two rivers mansion, or email laura. Nashvilles parthenon was created from brick, stone, structural reinforced concrete, and cast concrete aggregate. It was the most sacred of monuments, and was famous in antiquity as a greek architectural masterpiece the parthenon is located in the southern area of the acropolis, in the heart of the. Centennial park is one of nashvilles premier parks.
Inside the parthenon, a small museum showcases souvenir spoons from 1897. The nashville parthenon 2500 west end ave nashville, tn 37203. The focus of the parthenon s permanent collection is a group of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century american artists donated by james m. The parthenon nashville nashville fun for families. Nashvilles parthenon contains reproductions of the originals, 24 foot tall and 6. The structure also figures in the climax of the hector lassiter novel, three chords and the truth, by craig mcdonald. Published for garden study club of nashville by parthenon press.
The parthenon is the only structure preserved from the historic event. Nashville parthenon nashville, tennessee interesting america. The statue, which no longer exists, was made of gold and ivory and was. Jul 26, 2017 parthenon, nashville, via wikimedia commons. A small shrine has been excavated within the building, on the site of an older sanctuary probably dedicated to athena as a way to get closer to the goddess, but the parthenon never hosted the cult of athena polias, patron of athens. The parthenon is widely considered the high point of doric architecture, though it famously has several ionic elements incorporated in its design, including a continuous sculptural frieze and four ionic columns that support the roof of the opisthodomos. The parthenon nashville 2020 all you need to know before. Originally built for tennessees 1897 centennial exposition, this replica of the. Oct 31, 2016 so sorry the first upload attempt was so messed up. The parthenon in nashvilles centennial park hachette book. Located in centennial park, the parthenon is one of nashvilles most famous landmarks.
According to tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience the parthenon. At almost 42 feet in height, athena parthenos is the tallest indoor sculpture in the western world. Nashville native alan lequire needed eight years to complete the m 42 ft tall athena statue. The nashville parthenon alternate history of the world.
The original parthenon is located on the crest of the acropolis, a hill overlooking athens, greece the parthenon was dedicated to athena parthenos, the greek virgin goddess of wisdom and the protectress of the city. Its unveiling on may 20, 1990, generated excitement and renewal of interest in the nashville parthenon as an icon of the city. The parthenon nashville all you need to know before. Thats as far as you could go, as the average athenian citizen wasnt allowed to step foot inside the parthenon. The focus of the parthenons permanent collection is a group of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century american artists donated by james m.
The site now serves as the backdrop for nashvilles art museum and the 42foottall statue of athena parthenos designed by alan le quire in 1990. The nashville parthenon is a fullscale replica of the original parthenon in athens. Light, enjoyable reading about the history of nashville zepps book provided a number of interesting stories, some i knew and many i did not. Examine the plaster replica of the parthenon marbles and the imposing statue of athena parthenos. Originally built for the tennessee centennial exposition in 1897, the building became unsafe and was rebuilt in 1929. Located on west end and 25th avenue north, the 2acre features. The reproduction of the parthenon in nashville is a remarkable artistic. In this post you will find some interesting facts and history of the parthenon in athens the parthenon is surely the most important monument of ancient greece and is one of the most famous in the world. Nashville s parthenon was created from brick, stone, structural reinforced concrete, and cast concrete aggregate. I would highly encourage both new and long time residents to pick this up and learn more about the history of our city. Originally built of plaster, wood and brick for the 1897 tennessee international exposition, it was later rebuilt from concrete in the 1920s. The parthenon is a destination unto itself, but also serves as one of the citys top art installations.
History of centennial park nashville whats cookin midtown. Concrete parthenon nashville, tennessee atlas obscura. Jan 15, 2018 the nashville parthenon was a moment in the tradition of southern classical reception, using a classical image to glorify a contemporary process of exclusion. But nashville, tennessees fullscale replica of the parthenon, while. The nashville parthenon is a fullscale replica of the ancient parthenon when it was a pagan temple to athena in the 5th century bce. Parthenon in nashville tennessees centennial exposition.
The nashville parthenon sits in one of our premier parks, centennial across west end from vanderbilt. We have free concerts on the summer weekends, running trails and a unique model of what the parthe. Lodging comes with amenities to make your stay exceptional. Program depicting the origins and history of the parthenon, both in athens, greece and nashville, tennessee produced by metro 3. The temple known as the parthenon was built on the acropolis of athens between 447 and 438 b. Why is there a fullscale replica of the parthenon in. It took the city of nashville nearly 10 years to build their parthenon, 19211931. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a. The temple itself was known as the mega neos or large temple or alternatively as hekatompedos neos, which referred to the length of the inner cella. View the online african american guide to nashville at. It was constructed as a temporary building as nashville s. Yes its an exact replica of the parthenon at greece made.
Although the parthenon is architecturally a temple and is usually called so, it is not really one in the conventional sense of the word. The parthenon in nashville is a fullsize replica of the famous ancient parthenon in athens, greece built in the 5th century bce. The nashville parthenon page 2 alternate history of the world. It is the only building created for the exposition that was preserved by the city after the event. History of homes and gardens of tennessee, nashville public. We hope you will read our detailed timeline of the history of.
Nashville had been colloquially known as the athens of the south due primarily to the citys focus on higher education long before the exposition. The nashville parthenon glorifies ancient greece and the. History of homes and gardens of tennessee, nashville. The worlds only fullscale reproduction of the famous greek temple, nashville s parthenon stands in centennial park and features both the citys art museum and athena parthenos. Athens, greece isnt the only city with a classical stone temple dedicated to the arts. The parthenon in centennial park, in nashville, tennessee, is a fullscale replica of the original parthenon in athens. History of the parthenon in the 19th century, nashville earned the nickname the athens of the south because of the number of colleges and universities located within the city and the surrounding areas. When nashville offered to build the art pavilion for the fair, the natural choice for the athens of the south was a replica of the parthenon. Living in a relatively youthful country thats a mere 241 years old, its understandable that some americans might decide to import a little extra history from abroad. We went to the acropolis in athens and ate some great greek food. The parthenon in nashville is the only full size replica in existence. The fugitives made vanderbilt a fountainhead of new criticism, the dominant mode of textual analysis in english during the first half of the twentieth century. Jul 15, 2016 a brief history of the parthenon the parthenon was largely unchanged until the sixth century a. They are thought to be the largest pair of matching bronze doors in the world.
Additional gallery spaces provide a venue for a variety of temporary shows and exhibits. A brief history of the nashville parthenon share this article. There is a fauxvenice in las vegas, and a stonehenge ii in texas which, like all sequels, is not as good as the first one. It was designed by confederate veteran william crawford smith and built in 1897 as part of the tennessee centennial exposition today the parthenon, which functions as an art museum, stands as the centerpiece of centennial park, a large public park just west of downtown. It was designed by confederate veteran william crawford smith and built in 1897 as part of the tennessee centennial exposition. The parthenon in nashvilles centennial park hachette. By 1990, nashville sculptor alan lequire had completed the splendid recreation of the goddess of wisdom and war, and the parthenon took a giant step toward being a truly complete replica of the building which symbolizes, for so many, the civilization to which we owe so much. For the tennessee centennial exposition, nashville drew upon its nickname. Visitors to the parthenon were instead greeted by a small model of the statue and a donation box. So sorry the first upload attempt was so messed up. The focus of its permanent collection is a group of 19th and 20thcentury paintings by. Bohan, an independent, fullservice advertising and marketing agency, announced that parthenon publishings content creation services arm will now reside under the bohan brand. It houses the tallest indoor sculpture in the western world, a statue of athena, ancient goddess of wisdom and learning, the deity for whom the original parthenon was erected. It was built in 1897 as part of the tennessee centennial exposition.
Built as a fullscale replica only on the outside, the interior was a series of galleries for the display of paintings and sculptures gathered from around the world for the exposition. Although its publication history was brief, the fugitive is considered to be one of the most influential journals in the history of american letters. It is a full scale model of the original parthenon in athens, greece. Containing a fullscale replica of the original statue of athena, the parthenon was constructed in 1897 for the tennessee centenary exposition. It is a monument to the creativity and energy of the new south, and also to nashvilles distinction as the athens of the south. The parthenon was dedicated to athena parthenos, the greek virgin goddess of wisdom and the protectress of the city. In the reception of classical history and images that inspired the 1898 nashville parthenon, there is not room for all people to be equal. Visit the parthenon on your trip to nashville or united states. Donations for the athena accumulated over the years, and in 1982 the park board commissioned nashville sculptor alan lequire to recreate the fortytwofoot statue for the interior, a task that took almost eight years.
Artistic excellence and knowledge about the the then history and cultural expertise, parthenon is a treat to watch. To make nashvilles parthenon complete, a colossal statue of the goddess athena had to be built inside it. Inside the temple stood a colossal statue representing athena, patron goddess of the city. The parthenon is a resplendent marble temple built between 447 and 432 b.
While visiting nashville with a few friends and family, we stopped at this fullscale replica of the greek parthenon. We hope you will read our detailed timeline of the history of the nashville parthenon. Why is there a fullscale replica of the parthenon in nashville. Parthenon publishings content creation services arm now resides under bohan brand. Nashville, tennessee is home to the worlds only replica of the parthenon. It was constructed as a temporary building as nashvilles. It was part of a vast building program masterminded by the athenian statesman perikles. The parthenon in athens was carved out of pentelic marble and it took the greeks approximately 10 years to construct the building, 447438 b. This is the worlds only fullsize replica of the ancient greek temple. Garden study club of nashville, mary brown daniel 1875 moore and roberta seawell.
Sep 10, 2012 nashvilles parthenon contains reproductions of the originals, 24 foot tall and 6. The parthenon nashville all you need to know before you. Parthenon publishing magazines, newsletters, websites. In this thread, a fullscale replica of the parthenon in nashville. This is a short book about the cultural centerpiece of white elite nashville this replica of the parthenon at athens, the original constructed during the reign of pericles, and this replica created in nashvilles centennial park to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the city, and to highlight its intellectual aspirations. Its huge 7 ton bronze entrance doors on the east and west sides are the largest of their kind in the world. Oct 28, 2012 parthenon means house of parthenos which was the name given in the 5th century bce to the chamber inside the temple which housed the cult statue. The original parthenon is located on the crest of the acropolis, a hill overlooking athens, greece. The nashville parthenon was constructed in 1897 as part of the centennial exposition, a sixmonth event held to celebrate tennessees 100 years of statehood. The book that gave us shakespeare on tour from the folger shakespeare.
The building also serves as an art museum with a permanent collection of 63 paintings by 19th and 20thcentury american artists. Chicago turabian author date citation style guide garden study club of nashville, mary brown daniel 1875 moore and roberta seawell. Today the parthenon, which functions as an art museum, stands as the centerpiece of centennial. The worlds only fullscale reproduction of the famous greek temple, nashvilles parthenon stands in centennial park and features both the citys art museum and athena parthenos. Nashvilles museums and history celebrate the abolition of slavery and, today, the.
History of homes and gardens of tennessee nashville. The parthenon in centennial park, in nashville, tennessee, is a fullscale replica of the original. The history of nashville tennessees parthenon 2006 dvd. Sep 20, 2012 program depicting the origins and history of the parthenon, both in athens, greece and nashville, tennessee produced by metro 3. Parthenon means house of parthenos which was the name given in the 5th century bce to the chamber inside the temple which housed the cult statue.