The Parthenon of Nashville

In the slowly 19th century , the metropolis of Nashville , inwards Tennessee , the USA , was known to live i of the close refined as well as educated cities of the south. It was the get-go Southern City to found a populace schoolhouse organization , as well as was dwelling identify to at to the lowest degree one-half a dozen universities as well as colleges , that earned the metropolis the moniker of "Athens of the South". So when it was announced that Nashville volition concord the Tennessee Centennial Exposition inwards 1897 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the state’s admission into the Union , the metropolis decided that it should live appropriately represented.

Nineteen states participated inwards the Expo including 16 unusual nations. H5N1 real impressive array of buildings was constructed to identify the exhibits , simply the close favorite edifice at the Expo was Nashville’s full-scale replica of the Parthenon , the ancient Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.

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Photo credit: Will Powell/Flickr

Like all the buildings at the Fair , the Parthenon was non meant to live permanent. It was made from plaster , forest , as well as brick , hence it could live torn downwardly at the destination of the Expo. But yesteryear the fourth dimension the Expo ended , the citizens were inwards such honey amongst the edifice that the metropolis decided to continue it. The Parthenon stood for the side yesteryear side xx years until it could stand upward no more. Twenty years of pelting as well as sunshine had weathered it down. The construction was as well as then demolished as well as rebuilt on the same foundations , inwards concrete. The novel Parthenon was opened inwards 1931. It straight off functions every bit an fine art museum , as well as stands every bit the centerpiece of Centennial Park , a metropolis commons named afterwards the memorable Expo.

In 1990 , a replica of the statue of Athena Parthenos was built within the Parthenon. The master copy Athena Parthenos , straight off lost to history , was a massive gilt as well as ivory sculpture of the Greek goddess Athena , made yesteryear Phidias as well as his assistants as well as housed inwards the Parthenon inwards Athens. The modern re-create at Nashville is made of gypsum cement as well as dry reason fiberglass. Although numerous replicas of Athena Parthenos stand upward some the the world , Nashville’s version is pregnant because of its scale as well as its attending to detail. The statue stands 12.8 meters tall , making her the largest slice of indoor sculpture inwards the Western World.

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