The revival of the Olympic Games had been envisioned by many people already since the Renaissance.
In modern Greece, one of the most ardent supporters of the idea was the affluent merchant of the Greek Diaspora, Evangelos Zappas, who funded in 1888 the construction of the Zappeion Megaron, the first purpose-built edifice in the world to serve the needs of the Games.
In 1894, on the initiative of the French Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the First Olympic Congress was held in Paris. For the first time, the idea of staging international sporting events every four years in a different country took shape in an official decision. Following the proposal of the Greek delegate, the writer Demetrios Vikelas, the city of Athens hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896.
The revival of the Olympic Games had now become a reality
The International Olympic Committee that was established at that time was entrusted with their organization.
The ancient Panathenaic Stadium was completely reconstructed in Pentelic marble in order to accommodate the event, with funds provided by Georgios Averoff.
Since then, a total of 31 Olympiads has taken place in numerous cities across the world. In addition, the acknowledgement of the institution’s significance prompted the decision of the International Olympic Committee to found the Winter Olympic Games that were first held in 1924.
The symbol of the modern Olympic Games, the five circles in five different colours, alludes to the five continents, signalling the universal character and ideals of the event. So does the Olympic flame that conveys the message of peace and fair play to the host city, after its lighting at the altar of Hera in ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Games.