Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni formally inaugurated the newly unified archaeological park of “Pervola” in Rhodes, opening a twenty-acre historical site that remained sealed behind locked doors for three-quarters of a century.
Pervola’s Monumental Rebirth Statistics
- Total Acreage Transformed: Approximately 20 stremma (5 acres) in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Medieval City.
- Identified Stone Artifacts: Over 4,000 ancient lithic discoveries cataloged during site clearance.
- Recorded Architectural Elements: More than 8,500 structural and sculptural segments documented by archaeologists.
- Relocated Historical Objects: 18,000 individual items cleared to open public exhibition pathways.
- Open-Air Exhibition Space: 5,000 square meters cleared for the new outdoor sculpture gallery housing 700 specific ancient exhibits.
- Regional Cultural Budget: Upwards of €60,000,000 allocated across 30 active Dodecanese restoration projects.
- Specific Medieval City Sub-Projects: 13 ongoing or completed works totaling over €35,000,000.
Behind the Sealed Gates of the Grand Master
For seventy-five years, a massive swath of historic land adjacent to the iconic Palace of the Grand Master lay forgotten, hidden away from the residents and millions of international travelers who visit Rhodes annually. The area, known historically as Pervola, functioned as a closed industrial dumping ground, car garage, carpentry workshop, and storage warehouse for uncataloged archaeological fragments unearthed by the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese. Heavy machinery and broken vehicles parked directly over ancient foundations.
The path to recovery began following an official site inspection in November 2021, when cultural authorities unlocked a sealed doorway to discover the scale of the neglected ruins. The resulting technical and scientific intervention cleared away decades of industrial debris to connect distinct historical terraces into an integrated, open-air walk-through museum. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis became the first official visitor to tour the completed park, receiving a guided review of the multi-era site.
The newly accessible landscape functions as a physical timeline of the island’s maritime supremacy in the Eastern Mediterranean. Within the boundary walls, visitors can trace the structural progression of the city through surviving sections of the Hellenistic military shipyards (Neoria), the monumental Roman highway known as the Cardo—complete with its original commercial porticoes and storefronts—and an imposing Roman Tetrapylon. The site also preserves the official mint operated by the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of Saint John, alongside subsequent structural alterations dating to the Ottoman era and the period of Italian governance.
Conserving the Fragments of Conflict
The realization of the project required a monumental sorting operation to document the thousands of loose stones scattered across the grounds. Teams of conservators, historians, and stonemasons cataloged architectural pieces, freeing up five thousand square meters of space to establish a permanent outdoor sculpture gallery showcasing 700 select monuments. The initiative also reconstructed the historic Governor’s Gardens, replanting the flora to match the palace’s legacy layouts.
During the formal opening ceremony, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni emphasized the government’s approach to treating historic preservation as a source of long-term economic strength rather than a static financial burden:
“We are here in the heart of the Medieval City – a UNESCO World Heritage monument – in order to deliver to the citizens and visitors of Rhodes a restored and radically upgraded cultural space that condenses the history of Rhodes over the long historical duration. It highlights its timeless identity and reconnects the city with an exceptionally important part of its past… Government attaches importance to the cultural sector. Culture does not constitute a static concept, limited to the preservation of the past. It constitutes a critical strategic resource and a dynamic multiplier of value for the economy and society.”
The broader regional framework includes a targeted investment exceeding €35 million dedicated exclusively to thirteen distinct preservation projects within the walls of the Medieval City of Rhodes. These active initiatives include the structural reinforcement of the seaside fortifications stretching from the Naillac Mole to the Windmill Mole, the restoration of the Neoclassical School, the ongoing preservation of the historic St. Nicholas Fortress, the completed stabilization of the Hassan Bey Mansion, the Recep Pasha Mosque, and the Murat Reis cemetery.