DELPHI

Delphi, a centre for the worship of Apollo in the foothills of Mount Parnassus, was one of the most venerable sanctuaries in ancient Greece. Thanks to its famed oracle and the ambiguous prophecies delivered by the Pythia, Delphi had great religious and political importance for both the ancient Greeks, who considered it the “navel of the earth”, and the ancient world at large. Delphi was the venue of the pan-Hellenic Pythian Games, second in prestige only to the Olympics. The spirituality of the site was amplified by exhortations coined by the ancient Greek sages (“Know thyself ”, “Nothing in excess”), inscribed on the Τemple of Apollo’s entrance. The splendour of Delphi was revived in modern times with the Delphic Festivals of 1927 and 1930 organised by poet Angelos Sikelianos and the current activities of the European Cultural Centre of Delphi