In the garden of the historic building, which was built by order of the first governor of Greece and with the money of the great Swiss philhellene, to house the “Central School”, this year the series “Every Wednesday at Einardio with a book: Six summer evenings for a book and Aegina”. Organized by the Municipal Library of Kapodistrias on Aegina, it served as an occasion to raise awareness of this amazing building, patiently awaiting its restoration, to host the institution’s rare books and cultural events. After all, since 1980 there has been a library in it, but until today it has not been possible to start its repair work.

This year’s Wednesdays began with a small tribute to the 100th anniversary of the disaster in Asia Minor. First, a new book by our “own” Ilias Maglini, The Only Journey of Their Life, was presented. Asia Minor: Campaign in War and Peace. The continuation belongs to the first novel of the director, screenwriter and exhibition curator Maria Ilios “Friendship in Smyrna”. The rich cultural heritage of Aegina also had its significance, with an emphasis on architecture and monuments. The architect and scientist of Pikionis, Fotini Margaritis, spoke on the topic “Journey to the Realm of Limestone and Clay: Dimitris Pikionis and Aegina”. He was followed by the writer, collector and researcher of modern Greek ceramics, Giorgos Kyriakopoulos. His book The Archeology of Yesterday: Ruined Houses and Estates of the Aegean recounts his eleven-year journey through 30 islands, including Aegina. The theme was completed with the book “Synagogue” by the architect Ilias Messina, which talks about the historical synagogues in the Greek area, which he has been studying for 30 years. The cycle ended on Wednesday, August 31, with the song “Visible as Invisible” by Zyranna Zateli, and Nikos Bakunaki, a journalist and professor of narrative techniques at Panteio, had an interesting dialogue with a multi-translational author.

Other important intellectuals also took part in the presentations, such as Nikos Karapidakis, professor at the Ionian University and director of Neas Estias, writer Kostas Katsoularis, architect Ioannis Dedes. Excerpts from the books were read by actors such as Reni Pittaki, Annita Dekavala, Anna Gerali, as well as writers, as happened with Zyranna Zateli. The Chairman of the Executive Board of the Library, Giorgos Kalofanos, spoke and acted as moderator. Together with Vice President Nikos Oikonomu and members Dionysis Kalamaki, Irida Kritou and Nektarios Koukulis, they organized the evenings with the help of a small but conscientious staff. The commendable use of the Einardios Garden by the Library is now in its second year, with the hope that the work that will breathe life into our homeland’s first public building, designed by Cleanty and Saubert, will begin one day.