The portrait of Menouvrier de Fresne (1783-1848)

The Philhellenism Museum proudly exhibits from its permanent collections the portrait of the French Philhellene Admiral Félicité Louis Urbain Menouvrier de Fresne (1783–1848).

This prominent French officer served in the French expeditionary force of the Moreas (Peloponnese), that arrived in Greece in August 1828. His actions are linked to numerous military operations, most notably the Battle of Rio (also known as the Siege of the Morea Castle), which was the last Ottoman stronghold in the Peloponnese. The battles lasted for four days and resulted in a victory for the French forces.

The then captain, Menouvrier de Fresne, led the unit that first invaded the castle and raised the French flag himself, sealing the complete success of the French expedition. For the bravery and peerless courage he demonstrated during the battle, he was decorated by France and subsequently by Greece with the Order of the Redeemer, which he is depicted wearing on his chest in the portrait preserved at the Philhellenism Museum.

During his presence in Greece, Menouvrier de Fresne rendered invaluable services in combating the piracy that was plaguing the Aegean and the Mediterranean at the time.

Serving as a commander on principal warships of the era, his interventions to rescue civilians from the atrocities of the Ottoman fleet are documented as well.

He passed away in Lorient at the age of 64.

 

Also depicted:

– The battle plan for the capture of the Rio fortress (Castle of the Morea).

– The surrender of the Castle of the Morea to the French General Nicolas Joseph Maison (1771-1840), head of the French expeditionary force.

 

For information: info@phmus.org

The President of the “Le Souvenir Français” at the Philhellenism Museum

 

The President of the French association “Le Souvenir Français”, General Mr. Serge Barcellini, visited the Philhellenism Museum and had a guided tour of its collections with an emphasis on those relating to French Philhellenism and the contribution of French Philhellenes to the liberation of Greece.

The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) and the “Le Souvenir Français” are soon to sign a memorandum of cooperation for the undertaking of joint actions in Greece and France centered on Philhellenism.

For information: info@eefshp.org

 

The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) as Gold Sponsor in Messolonghi

 

The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) and the Philhellenism Museum participate in the events of the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi by supporting important activities as Gold Sponsors.

In the context of this historical bicentenary, the SHP erected and delivered to the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi the emblematic Philhellenes’ Monument, on which the names of 344 important Philhellenes are engraved. Many of those people were active in Messolonghi battles, while others of them sacrificed their own lives during the Exodus for the liberation of Greece.

During the three-day events held on April 3rd, 4th and 5th, 2026, the SHP and the Philhellenism Museum:
– participated with speeches and presentations in the tribute “Messolonghi honours the countries of the Philhellenes”, with the honoured country being France, that took place on Friday, April 3rd, 2026 at the Trikoupio Cultural Center of Messolonghi
– they proceeded to lay a wreath at the Garden of Heroes
– with the group of 8 Philhellenes’ revivalists of the Philhellenism Museum, participated in the official Procession from the Metropolitan Church of Saint Spyridon to the Garden of Heroes on the evening of the Lazarus Saturday and the morning of Palm Sunday, April 4th and 5th, 2026 respectively.

The SHP, actively supporting the extroversion actions of the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi and the promotion of the city as a symbol of freedom serving the values of our culture, will soon announce more activities that will follow until the end of the year in Messolonghi and in Athens as well.

With our warm compliments to the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi, Mayor Spyros Diamantopoulos and the municipality’s associates for the exceptional organisation of the events that, in a climate of emotion and pride, united the residents and visitors of a city that will remind us for centuries why it was characterised as Sacred, constituting the most glorious little threshing ground of Greece!

Information: info@eefshp.org

 

 

 

The Lord Byron Prize 2025 to Mr. Alain Berset, in his first official visit to Greece

 

Mr. Alain Berset, Secretary General of the 46-member Council of Europe, during his first official visit to Greece was awarded the international Lord Byron Prize 2025 for Philhellenism, opening his speech in the Greek language, wishing to underline its importance to the civilisation worldwide.

Mr. Berset delivered an inspiring speech in Greek, honouring the coincidence that his first official visit to Greece and the day he received the Philhellenism Lord Byron Prize coincided with the day that the Greek language was recognised as the foundation of universal culture by UNESCO and was celebrated the first anniversary of the “International Greek Language Day”.

The donation of the Lord Byron Prize grant to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society

The honoree, who served as President of the Swiss Confederation twice (2018 and 2023), highlighted the cultivation of a European security environment as a priority for Europe, while his desire to offer the grant accompanying the Lord Byron Prize to the Ukrainian Red Cross evoke sympathy and emotion.

During his speech, he referred to our common challenges at the European level, such as accountability for Ukraine, judicial independence, the fight against corruption, and migration in full compliance with European human rights obligations.

The presentation of the International Lord Byron Philhellenism Prize institution was made by the President of the Academy of Athens, Mr. Nikiforos Diamandouros, and was followed by the presentation of the medal and diploma by the President of the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) and the Philhellenism Museum, Mr. Constantinos Velentzas.

Mr. Constantinos Velentzas referred to the core values of Greek culture on which civilized humanity is based, and to Lord Byron whose figure highlighted Philhellenism. He called attention to Mr. Berset’ s work in support of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, referring to “The New Democratic Pact for Europe”, to address the decline of democracy, misinformation and the ethical regulation of Artificial Intelligence, and to promote environmental protection as a fundamental human right.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic and the Government, the Minister of Justice Mr. George Floridis, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Haris Theocharis, the President of the Plenary of the Council of Europe Mr. Theodoros Roussopoulos, representative of His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Mr. Ieronymos II, representatives of the Anglican Church, representatives of the leadership of the Armed Forces, the Ambassadors of Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia, Cyprus, Belgium, the chargé d’affaires of the embassies of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Azerbaijan, representatives of local government, Academicians, university professors, businessmen and a vast number of people.

The Lord Byron Award was presented at an event co-organized by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Law School and the Hellenic Society of International Law and International Relations (HSLIR).

Information:

SOCIETY FOR HELLENISM AND PHILHELLENISM (SHP) | PHILHELLENISM MUSEUM
12, Zissimopoulou str., Athens 11524 GREECE
Τ. +30 2108094750
www.eefshp.org | www.phmus.org

 

Lord Byron Prize Award Ceremony

 

INVITATION

The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) has instituted since 2021 the International Lord Byron Philhellenism Award in the name of the great poet and Philhellene, Lord Byron.

The Prize is now awarded to Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, President of the Swiss Confederation (2018 and 2023).

The award ceremony will take place on Monday 9 February 2026 at 18.00 in the central premises of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Panepistimiou 30, Athens 10679/ Map).

 

Free admission. Reservation required at: info@eefshp.org

To register please send us your name, title, mobile phone number, email.

Further to your registration, you will receive a confirmation email in order to attend the venue.

Limited number of seats

RSVP: by Thursday 5 February 2026, info@eefshp.org

Dress code: Business Formal

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2026!

 

Dear Friends,

The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) and the Philhellenism Museum wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026!

In 2026 we will organize a multitude of actions and anniversary events, including special thematic tributes regarding the 200th anniversary of the Exodus of Messolonghi. As every year, the Lord Byron Prize and Medal award ceremonies constitute the central axis of highlighting enduring Philhellenism, for which you will soon receive information and invitations.

In 2025, we delivered the Philhellenes’ Monument in the center of Athens, which commemorates 2.000 names of Philhellene volunteers and activists who contributed to the struggle for the independence of Greece. In early December, the SHP and the Philhellenism Museum announced the erection of an equivalent monument in Messolonghi, at a special ceremony that took place in the presence of the Mayor of Messolonghi, Mr. Spyridon Diamantopoulos.

Philhellenism, emerging within the context of Romanticism, captivated the European liberal intelligentsia of the 19th century. Since 1824, committees to support the rebellious Greeks have been established throughout Europe with the aim of raising public awareness of the necessity of increasing funds through charity sales and exhibitions that would contribute to the struggle. Politicians, artists and intellectuals were moved by the Greek cause, each projecting, in a unique way, the ideal of freedom in the struggle of the Greeks. As an expression of nostalgia for an unattainable Antiquity, Greece became within the eyes of the Philhellenes a symbol of the West, Christian civilisation and democracy, in contrast to an East that was identified with barbarism and despotism.

The Exodus of Messolonghi is the pinnacle moment of the Greek War of Independence, as with their heroic action, the Greeks declared to the international public opinion that they are notable descendants of the epic Greece of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis.

The French-Dutch painter Ary Scheffer captivated the public and critics with the modernity of his subject, where he captured the current events of the time and the historical representation of Greece on the ruins of Messolonghi through the allegory of a resigned female figure.

 

Depicted:

Ary Scheffer (1795-1858), Greece on the Ruins of Messolonghi, 1827. Oil painting on canvas.

 

The descendants of Thomas Cochrane and Edward Codrington in Athens

 

The SHP and the Philhellenism Museum participated together with the descendants of two important protagonists of the Greek War of Independence, Thomas Cochrane and Edward Codrington, in an event at the Floating Naval Museum Battleship “George Averov”, for the presentation of the Greek part of the archive of Lord Thomas Cochrane by the Ekaterini Laskaridis Foundation.

The archive contains over 1100 letters exchanged by Thomas Cochrane, mainly with chieftains of the Greek Revolution, which provide us with useful information about the important events that took place mainly during 1827.

The photo shows representatives of the Cochrane and Codrington families, and the SHP/ Philhellenism Museum, with the commander of the floating Museum Averov.

For information: info@eefshp.org

 

Lecture for Swiss Philhellenism in Basel

 

Under the auspices of the Greek Embassy in Bern, the tribute of the association “Cultural Circle of Friends of Greece in Basel” took place on November 14, 2025, with the speaker being the vice-president of the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) and scientific curator of the Philhellenic Library of Parisianou Editions, Professor emeritus of the Dresden University of Technology Konstantinos Papailiou.

In the auditorium of casts and antiquities of the University of Basel, after the introduction of Ms. Konstantina Boutsika, president of the association, and Professor Karl Reber, vice-president, the speaker presented lesser-known aspects of Swiss Philhellenism during the Greek Revolution of 1821. Specific emphasis was placed on the difficulties faced by the Philhellenes of the time, but also on their decisive contribution – in some cases even to the sacrifice of their own lives – in the struggle for Greek independence.

A fruitful and lively discussion followed, while the event concluded with a reception and exchange of views in a particularly friendly atmosphere.

 

Invitation to a Lecture – PAIA

 

 

INVITATION

The Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens cordially invites you to a lecture by Prof. Maria Kalinowska – Faculty of “Artes Liberales” of the University of Warsaw

Konstantinos Kanaris and his Fights in Polish Romantic Poetry

3/12/2025, 18.00 (EET)
PAIA Headquarters
Dionisiou Eginitou 7, 115 28 Athens

The lecture will also be transmitted via MS Teams. Please click here to join us online.

To attend in person, please register at: paia@amu.edu.pl.

 

Information:

Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens

Dionisiou Eginitou 7, 115 28 Athens

Τ. +30 210 729 2832

François de Callataÿ, awarded the Lord Byron Philhellenism Medal 2025

 

Award of the LORD BYRON Medal 2025

Laureate:  François de Callataÿ 

 

The distinction of the Lord Byron Medal is an initiative of the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism since 2021 and in collaboration with the Academy of Athens is awarded, annually, to distinguished persons from the fields of diplomacy, culture and academic education, whose careers have contributed to society with work and actions that are in harmony with the values ​​of Hellenism. Moreover, the medal is also awarded to descendants of Philhellenes who offered their support during the period of the Greek War of Independence.

 

Laureate 2025:  François de Callataÿ 

An archaeologist and art historian specialising in Hellenistic history, François de Callataÿ is head of department at the Royal Library of Belgium, professor at the Université libre de Bruxeles, and director of studies at the École pratique des hautes études (Paris).
A member of the Royal Academy of Belgium (Class of Letters and Moral and Political Sciences) and the Institut de France.
He is the winner of the 2007 Francqui Prize.

 

Information:

SHP | Philhellenism Museum

www.eefshp.org  | www.phmus.org

T. +302108094750