On the Limassol coastal front, there are a number of classic buildings that have been preserved and stand out to this day, as a testament of the city’s first wave of prosperity. Next to the building of the historic Continental Hotel, there is another equally special building with a lesser-known history.
It is the building that some locals remember as the headquarters of the ‘Enosis’ association, but its story begins in 1919, when it became the first Bishopric of Limassol. Under the reign of Bishop Meletios Metaxakis, the decision was made to construct this building in front of the temple of Saint Andronios, which continues to operate to this day (its entrance is located on the western side of the building’s façade). Monastic cells once stood in that spot.
The design of the Bishopric was undertaken by Zacharias Vondas, known for his design of the neoclassical mansions around the city (he later undertook the design of the Agia Triada church).
Photo from Andreas Kyriakides.
The impressive, Byzantine-style building, with its arched entrance and embossed gable on the roof, became an area landmark. In 1922, due to financial difficulties, the Bishopric turned the building into a boarding school for students from surrounding villages.
In 1924, the building was finally rented out as the ‘Enosis’ Club, and that is how most people remembered it. The building is not used today, but it is still majestic as ever.
Information: Tasos Andreou 'Anadromi Mnimis'
* NOTE: The tributes of the Project "History of Limassol" present information that has emerged from historical research thus far. Any new data is embedded into the tributes, once it has been confirmed.
