Hellenic Naval Academy (H.N.A.)

The operation of the Hellenic Naval Academy began in 1845 as the “Naval School”. Since then and for a number of years H.N.A. operated on various warships. Its relocation to land, and more specifically to the facilities in Piraeus, took place in 1905 with the bequest of Pantazis Vassanis. In 1900 the engineer K. Apergis undertook its construction, which was completed in 1904. The central building where H.N.A. is housed is one of the most elegant buildings in the city of Piraeus. It is a complex consisting of three buildings: the Main Building corresponding to the School, the Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s residences and the Infirmary. The main building has three floors and is developed in the shape of a double P with a central atrium. The morphology of the faces refers to a strictly Neoclassical building, with the characteristic main monumental entrance and the double curved staircase in front of which stands the statue of P. Vassanis. The construction of the base of the building is made of rough masonry, while the next two levels show uncoated carved stonework. Particularly, in the central part of the south-west face, the dominant feature is a small projection, a marble temple-shaped gateway with a pediment finial. Inside the school area there is a tomb which was considered to be the tomb of Themistocles. The Hellenic Naval Academy is a Supreme Military Educational Institution (SMEI), equivalent to a university.