ELEUSIS - EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2023

The European Capital of Culture, an institution established in 1985 on a proposal from Melina Mercouri, aims at celebrating the cultural heritage of Europe and bringing European citizens closer together. Awarded city for 2023 is Eleusis (modern-day Elefsina), one of the most sacred sites of antiquity, inextricably linked with the goddess Demeter and her daughter, Persephone, as well as the Eleusinian Mysteries that were held in their honour. Today Eleusis, a bustling and dynamic city just 20 km from Athens, is trying to reverse the brutal alteration of its landscape by industrial development, improve the life quality of its 30 thousand citizens and take advantage of its huge cultural potential. The events and actions organised by “2023 ELEUSIS EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE” have at their heart man, society, work, culture and the environment, in an effort to shed  light on the unseen side of Eleusis and connect its past with the present and a promising future.