Panathenaic Stadium Marble Cleaning Draws Int’l Attention

The systematic cleaning and conservation of the marble covering Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium has attracted international media attention, as the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) undertakes what it describes as the first such organized intervention in about 120 years.

The work began at the stadium’s curved end, known as the sphendone, and is expected to be completed there by Sept. 10, when the Kallimarmaro, as the venue is known in Greece, is due to host the lighting and handover ceremony of the Olympic flame for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Cleaning will then continue across the rest of the U-shaped stadium, with the entire project expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

The initiative is being carried out by the HOC with financial support from Capital Maritime & Trading Corp., the shipping company affiliated with Evangelos Marinakis. The sponsorship forms part of a wider renovation program at the stadium that also includes replacement of the athletics track, installation of new LED lighting and upgrades to electromechanical equipment.