Restauration d’Olympie

External appearance and illustrations

Restauration d’Olympie: l’histoire, les monuments, le culte et les fêtes (The Restoration of Olympia: The History, Monuments, Worship and Ceremonies) is 33 cm (width) x 46 cm (height). It comprises 228 pages and is in fine condition.

The book was printed in 500 copies, and features sketches and etchings of ancient Olympia. It is well known for the number of citations of ancient texts.

The work of a historian

Étienne-Paul-Victor Monceaux (1859-1941) was a French historian of the 19th and 20th century. He taught at the Collège de France between 1907 and 1937. In 1912 he was appointed member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. His specialised in Christian latinity in the Roman provinces of Northern Africa.

An architect as an editor

Victor Laloux (1850-1937) was one of the most famous French architects at the turn of the 19th century. He taught at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he had also studied. Some notable examples of his work are:

• Tours train station (Gare de Tours).
• Dome of the former train station Gare d'Orsay (today the Musée d'Orsay).
• Basilica of St. Martin in Tours.

The Scientific Expedition to the Morea

During 1828-1833, the French troops landed on the Peloponnese. Their goal was to liberate the area from the Turkish-Egyptian occupation forces. The mission was named the Expedition to the Morea and was accompanied, at the order of the French Academy, by a scientific expedition.

The Scientific Expedition to the Morea was a committee of the sciences and arts, consisting of 19 scientists, physicists, historians, archaeologists, architects and sculptors, headed by naturalist and geographer Jean-Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent.

They arrived in Peloponnese in March 1829 and stayed for 9 months. The mission to Olympia dates back to that period.

The work of the scientists proved to be extremely valuable for the formation of the modern Greek State. It became a landmark for the history of modern archaeology, cartography and natural sciences, as well as for the study of Greece.

The Alpha Bank Library also holds the rare book Expédition scientifique de Morée by Guillaume-Abel Blouet, published in 1831.

The Alpha Bank Rare Book Collection is not open to the public.

However, you may visit the other collections of the Alpha Bank Library.