“Culturally, there could be no Europe without Greece – says the writer Claudio Magris – classical Greece is the foundation of everything”. And Athens, its capital, is not just a city but a symbol of Greek culture, and of a people who for years have been living the contradiction of being heirs to the civilization from which everything rises, and a present that, instead, is experiencing a renaissance after a dark period of strains and difficulties. Among these, an economic crisis that put its entire reason for being into question. But the beauty of Athens resides in its essence as a living city, a continuous reinvention of a tradition that succeeds in maintaining intact its aura of legend, while having to deal with the issues of today’s world. While, on the one hand, it is firmly bound to its historical roots, on the other, it is not afraid to renew itself and confront the new paradigms of the contemporary world, with its issues of sustainability, population density and the expansion of tourism. Athens never presents itself in a linear fashion, but as a place where things are layered and interwoven. In ten years, it has gone from being the capital of a country in dire economic conditions, to a city that now welcomes 7 million tourists every year. Following the crisis of del 2009, in fact, several districts underwent a complete renewal. Metaxourgio, for example, was once a degraded neighborhood and is now the place to go for restaurants and art galleries. It is no coincidence that, in 2017, Athens also hosted Documenta, an important art exhibition held every five years at Kassel in Germany, but which, that year, was organized instead at Exarcheia, the formerly anarchic district of the city. That district, in addition to being largely populated now by university students, is a reference point for connoisseurs of art, and is also the site of the Archeological Museum of Athens, soon to acquire an even more central role thanks to the expansion planned by the David Chipperfield studio. But art is not the only attraction of the city; advanced new architectural projects are appearing everywhere, with an enlarged metro system and an increasing number of artisanal shops occupying city storefronts. The Museum of the Acropolis, inaugurated in 2009, the Onassis Cultural Center (2010) and the prestigious Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, designed by Renzo Piano and completed in 2016, are examples of a commitment to valorizing the cultural offering of the city. At the moment, among the priorities of the City of Athens, there are also several matters related to the management of urban spaces and the continuous flow of tourists. There is a widespread desire to reduce the use of automobiles as much as possible by providing incentives and improving accessibility for increased pedestrian and bicycle mobility. In addition to the classical monuments, Athens would like to valorize its lesser-known treasures, like industrial archeology and historic districts, with initiatives that directly involve the citizens. In addition, and despite the great difficulty it entails in a city already highly saturated, there is a strong incentive to create more green space and encourage social housing policies so as to settle once and for all the problem of illicit construction. In short, something is moving in Athens. A wave of renewal, begun spontaneously, has gained strength, as if the inhabitants has awakened and determined to take charge of their destiny. It is a rebirth of the city in continuity with its past, but with a new vitality, an enthusiasm that the magazine area has felt the need – indeed, duty – to portray in its first issue of this new year.