Hydra Melina Merkouri Auditorium

Location: Town

The Melina Mercouri Auditorium of Hydra, also known as "Exhibition and Concert Municipal Hall Melina Merkouri" is used for art exhibitions and as a conference center. It is located west of the statue of Andreas Miaoulis above the left bastion in Hydra Town and looks like two buildings connected to one another. It has become a tourist spot popular for its display of paintings by famous artists.

The hall is named after Melina Mercouri, a famous Greek actress, singer, and politician. She was elected to the Greek parliament in 1977 and became the first woman to hold a Greek Cabinet post, as she served as Minister of Culture from 1981 to 1989 and from 1993 to 1994. She was married to director Jules Dassin until she died in New York City in 1994.
As an actress, she starred in the film Phaedra with Anthony Perkins and Raf Vallone. It was filmed on the island of Hydra with her husband as the director. This film became a major hit in Europe and made the island famous all over the world.