Visual Traveler: Athena Parthenos, The Parthenon, Nashville

​As part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition The Parthenon was created in Nashville during 1897 – echoing the city’s nickname, ‘Athens of the South. By 1920 this full-scale replica of the original Parthenon had become a permanent local fixture. The building was – and remains – the world’s only full-size, fully detailed re-creation of the ancient Greek temple dedicated to Athena, which was built in Athens between 447 and 438 BCE.
 
In 1982, Nashville commissioned a replica statue of the original Athena Parthenos. Local artist and native, Alan LeQuire, created the massive white statue from gypsum cement and fiberglass. At 42 feet in height, it was the tallest indoor sculpture in the western world.
 
But this incredible statue received a major facelift during 2002, when LeQuire and master gilder, Lou Reed, oversaw application of more than eight pounds of 23.75-karat gold leaf to its surface. They also painted facial, wardrobe, and shield details, across the statue’s surface.
 
At 15 feet in diameter, Athena's shield depicts ancient battles of the era in ‘high relief.’ One painting depicts confrontation between Greeks and Amazons, and another image illustrates assistance Athena offered Perseus to slay Medusa. An image of Medusa also decorates Athena’s breastplate. Inside the shield, another painting portrays the supremacy battle between Olympians and the Giants or Titans.

​This is a breathtaking sculpture, inside an equally incredible building!
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Disclaimer: As a travel writer I may receive complimentary stays, admissions, meals, transportation, and, occasionally, products I am asked to review. However, I make every effort to report my experiences fairly and honestly.