Title of the sculpture: Lorentzos Mavilis

Location: L. Mavilis Square - 95 Vas. Sofias St.

Construction: 1915

Material: Marble

Sculptor: Petros Roumpos

Description: Marble bust on a high pedestal with the inscription of Miltiadis Malakasis: «ΜΝΗΜΗ ΙΕΡΗ! ΟΣΟ Ο ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ ΜΕ ΤΗ ΖΩΗ ΠΑΛΕΥΕΙ ΤΟΣΟ ΛΑΜΠΡΟ ΣΕΛΑΓΙΖΕ ΣΤΟΝ ΑΞΕΘΥΜΑΣΤΟ ΟΥΡΑΝΟ ΨΗΛΟΤΕΡΑ ΣΤΟΝ ΕΒΔΟΜΟ ΚΑΝΕΝΑΣ ΔΕ Θ’ΑΝΕΒΕΙ ΠΑΡΑ ΟΠΟΙΟΣ ΑΠΑΡΟΜΟΙΑΣΤΟΣ ΧΑΡΙΣΜΑ ΘΕΪΚΟ ΤΟ ΣΤΟΧΑΣΜΟ ΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΣΦΕΡΕ ΣΕ ΘΑΥΜΑΣΜΟ ΚΑΙ ΧΛΕΥΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΑΙΜΑ ΤΟΥ ΓΙΑ ΔΥΣΤΥΧΩΝ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΩΝ ΛΥΤΡΩΜΟ» ("HOLY MEMORY! AS LONG AS DEATH STRUGGLES WITH LIFE  BRIGHTLY SHINE IN THE UNFORGETTABLE SKY NO ONE SHALL RISE HIGHER TO THE SEVENTH HEAVEN THAN HE WHO UNIQUELY OFFERED HIS DIVINE GIFT OF THOUGHT TO ADMIRATION AND DERISION AND HIS BLOOD FOR THE SALVATION OF UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE").

A few words about the Poet: Lorentzos Mavilis (1860 - 1912), the poet and translator from Corfu, is one of the rare examples where an oeuvre small in size weighs greatly. Influenced by the philosophy of Kant, Fichte and Schopenhauer, he created excellent sonnets, such as Lethe (Oblivion) or Mouchroma (Twilight), while his verses reveal the higher ethos and nobility that characterized him. He belongs to the Ionian tradition, as shaped by Solomos and his descendants. He actively participated in the Greek nation's liberation struggles and in 1910 he was elected as a Member of the Second Revisional Parliament. His parliamentary speech on 16/02/1911 regarding the “linguistic” Article 107 of the Constitution is the culmination of his struggles for the vernacular language and a milestone in the history of the Greek language issue.

A few words about the Sculptor: The sculptor, painter and illustrator Petros Roumpos (1873 - 1942), a founding and regular member of the Association of Greek Sculptors (1929), in 1927 was one of the main illustrators of the Primary School Reading Books written in the vernacular, and was a member of the judging and organizing committee of the 1938 Panhellenic Art Exhibition.

Sources:
Politis, L. (2017). History of Modern Greek Literature. Athens: M.I.E.T. (NBG Cultural Foundation) p.221
Giorgis Giatromanolakis, "The poet-warrior Lorentzos Mavilis", To Vima, 13 Oct. 2002
Antonopoulou, Z. (2003). The sculptures of Athens: Open Air Sculpture 1834 - 2004. Athens: Potamos.