The Treasures of Aegina: The street artwork at the port
The large mural made by the Greek artist Leonidas Giannakopoulos at the port of Aegina is not just another “Instagram” spot, but a street art work, donated by We Love Aegina – powered by We Destinate – that adds a little more to the beauty of the island, in a spot that remained unexploited!
The Treasure of Aegina is a street art work that welcomes us every time we arrive to the island of Aegina! It is a large mural in the parking area of the port of Aegina, designed and executed on a large scale by the distinguished artist Leonidas Giannakopoulos, in collaboration with We Love Aegina and with the art direction of Irida Kritikou.
The initiative and sponsoring action belong to the travel guide for Aegina weloveaegina.com and its founder Elina Argyris, while the mural was realized under the auspices and with the valuable support of the Municipal Port and the Municipality of Aegina.
The Mayor of Aegina, Mr. Yiannis Zorbas, welcomed the initiative, stating:
“We thank We Love Aegina for this artistic action, which we warmly welcome and applaud. Leonidas Giannakopoulos’ work conveys messages, inviting Aegina’s visitors to discover the archaeological, historical, and cultural beauties of our island. We look forward to welcoming all of you—residents, friends, and visitors of Aegina—with joy to our island.”
The artwork of Leonidas Giannakopoulos was revealed in May 2022 and represents Aegina and everything the island stands for.
The central figure is the nymph Aegina, the most beautiful of the twenty daughters of the river God, Asopus and Metopi. According to mythology, when Zeus saw her he fell madly in love with her and wanted to take her with him to the then-uninhabited island that took her name. The two had a son, Aiakos, who became the first king of the island of Aegina and progenitor of the Aiakid family.
The beautiful Aegina wears the magnificent Temple of Aphaia as a crown in her hair, one of the most important emblems of the island, while her ear is adorned with a bouquet of ripe Aegina pistachios – the golden fruit of the island. Around her neck, she wears a necklace with the first silver Greek coin minted in Aegina in the 7th century BC, the Cheloni, an indication of the decisive role played by our island since ancient times.
The colors that frame the landscape, blue and white, symbolize the sea but also the sweet time of the day when you cannot distinguish whether it is dusk or dawn. The cannon in her hair, the old-style warship and the Tower of Markellos praise the island’s long and glorious history, while the lighthouse symbolizes the port that has been welcoming the world for thousands of years and is waiting again to warmly welcome today’s visitors.
You can watch the video recording of the event that took place here.
