Acropolis, Athens
The Acropolis and its monuments are universal symbols of classical spirit and civilization, and are the greatest architectural and artistic complex that ancient Greece left to the world. In the second half of the fifth century BC, Athens took the lead among the other city-states of the ancient world after its victory over the Persians and the establishment of democracy. In the following era, as thought and art flourished, a group of outstanding artists realized the ambitious plans of the Athenian statesman Pericles and, inspired by the sculptor Phidias, transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and art. The most important monuments were all built in that period: the Parthenon built by Iktinos, the Erechtheion, the Propylaea, the Acropolis designed by Mnesicles and the small Temple of Athena Victory.