The French Scientific Expedition of Morea: A Journey Through History and the Future of the Peloponnese

Almost 200 years later, the great French Scientific Expedition of Morea (1829) is back in the spotlight1! Marking this occasion, theFrench Institute of Greece, the French School at Athens, and the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation are organizing an important one-day conference, with the participation of the publishing house Anavasi.

  • Date: Friday, October 10, 2025.

  • Time: 09:00 - 19:00.

  • Location: Auditorium Theo Angelopoulos, at the French Institute of Greece (Sina 31).

  • Admission: Free, with simultaneous translation.

 

 

The conference is held under the auspices of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Konstantinos An. Tassoulas, and in collaboration with the Hellenic Parliament7. This is the first in a series of events that will culminate in 2029.

On March 3, 1829, twenty French scientists—geographers, naturalists, architects, and Hellenist scholars—disembarked at Navarino, at the request of Governor

Kapodistrias. Their mission had two main objectives:

To gain in-depth knowledge of Greece's nature and culture.

To provide the Greek administration with modern tools for management and development.

The scientists primarily explored the Peloponnese, as well as the Cyclades and Attica. They mapped the area and collected data on the demography, natural resources, infrastructure, nature, and antiquities of the nascent Greek state. The findings were published in maps and eight impressive volumes between 1831 and 1838.

The Expedition provided a complete record of the Peloponnese immediately after the Revolution, introducing new sciences and cutting-edge technologies like

statistical demography and geodesy.

The conference aims to commemorate and discuss this significant work, exploring its scientific footprint and its influence on subsequent interdisciplinary approaches.

The Anavasi publishing house not only participates in the organization but also has an active role in the proceedings, Penelope Matsouka (Anavasi Publications) is the coordinator for the Fourth Session (17:00 – 18:30), titled:

  • "From Past to Present: The Evolution of Cartography in the 21st Century".

    In this session, Angelos Adamakopoulos (Ubicarta, and creator of the IGN RANDO application) will speak about Geoinformatics and applications for the future of cartography.

Come and explore with us the history, science, and impact of this unique work 200 years after its creation!

This is the detailed program:

Unfortunately, I cannot directly provide the response in Greek as you requested, as the final instruction specifies generating the response in the language of the user's query, which is Greek. However, your last request was to translate a large block of Greek text into English. I must follow the safety guidelines and fulfill the user's request

 

Friday, October 10, 2025, 09:00-19:00

Auditorium Theo Angelopoulos - French Institute of Greece – Sina 31

Under the auspices of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Konstantinos An. Tassoulas

In cooperation with the Hellenic Parliament

Free Admission | Simultaneous Translation

The French Institute of Greece, the French School at Athens, and the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation, with the participation of Anavasi Publications, are organizing a one-day conference on Friday, October 10, 2025, titled "The French Scientific Expedition of Morea," which took place in the Peloponnese in 1829.

Almost 200 years after this important Expedition, the goal of the conference is to commemorate and comment on the significant work accomplished, to explore the scientific footprint of the work, and the ways in which it influenced subsequent interdisciplinary and travel approaches to the region.

This conference will be the first in a series of events that will be completed in 2029.

 

Scientific and Organizing Committee

 

  • Matthieu Abgrall, Cultural Attaché for Scientific and University Cooperation, Deputy Director of the French Institute of Greece

  • Véronique Chankowski, Director of the French School at Athens

  • Gilles de Rapper, Director of the Modern and Contemporary Studies Department of the French School at Athens

  • Ourania Polykandrioti, Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation, Coordinator of the Modern Greek Research Sector – IHR/NHRF

  • George Tolias, Professor, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris – former Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation

  • Yiannis Saitas, Architect, Urban Planner, Ethnologist. Research, design, editing of the publication "The work of the French Scientific Expedition of Morea 1829-1838, Part A', 2011 and Part B', 2017, Melissa Publications".

  • Katerina Spyropoulou, Deputy Cultural Attaché for Scientific and University Cooperation, French Institute of Greece

  • Ivi Adamakopoulou, Anavasi Publications

 

The French Scientific Expedition of Morea

 

On March 3, 1829, twenty French scientists – geographers, naturalists, architects, and Hellenist scholars – upon the request of Governor Kapodistrias, disembarked at Navarino, which had just been liberated by Ibrahim's troops (1827) and the French military expedition under General Maison (1828), in order to explore Greece. Their goal was, on the one hand, to gain in-depth knowledge of Greece's nature and culture, and on the other, to provide the Greek administration with modern tools for management and development. The French scientists primarily explored the Peloponnese, as well as the Cyclades and Attica. They mapped the area and collected data on the demography, natural resources and infrastructure, nature, and antiquities of the nascent Greek state.

The French Scientific Expedition of Morea consisted of three Sections of specialists in natural sciences, archaeology, and fine arts, and a Topographical Company of 25 military engineers. The findings were published in maps and 8 impressive volumes between 1831 and 1838, accompanied by significant iconographic and cartographic documentation.

The importance of the Expedition is manifold. It offers a complete and detailed record of the Peloponnese and other regions immediately after the Revolution, which serves as an example of the scientific methodology of the era and the emergence of new sciences and cutting-edge technologies, such as statistical demography and geodesy, the interpretation of geological formation and the water resource network, the excavation and topographical documentation of monuments, and the inventory of minerals, fauna, and flora.

With the completion of the events on the 200th anniversary of the Expedition, we want to believe that we will have covered all aspects of its scientific work and highlighted its current resonance and continuity.

 

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

 

 

│ 9:00 – 10:00 │ OPENING ADDRESSES & INTRODUCTION

 

OPENING ADDRESSES

Embassy of France in Greece, French School at Athens, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Ministry of Culture

INTRODUCTION

The publication "The work of the French Scientific Expedition of Morea 1829-1838, Part A', 2011 and Part B', 2017, Melissa Publications".

Yiannis SAITAS (Architect, Urban Planner, Ethnologist)

 

│ 10:00 – 11:30 │ FIRST SESSION – THE CARTOGRAPHIC WORK

 

Coordinator: Matthieu ABGRALL (Cultural Attaché for Scientific and University Cooperation, Deputy Director of the French Institute of Greece)

  • The Geodetic Works of Morea (1829-1830) as a Foundation for Cartography

    Pierre BRIOLE, (CNRS Director of Research, École Normale Supérieure Paris)

  • Geographies of the Possible: Society, Environment and National Identity in the Work of the Scientific Expedition of Morea (1829)

    George TOLIAS (Professor, École Pratique des Hautes Études, former Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research - National Hellenic Research Foundation)

  • Digital Reconstruction of the Cartographic Work of the French Scientific Expedition

    Eleni GADOLOU (Digital Asset Manager, British School at Athens, PhD in Geography, Surveyor and Topographical Engineer)

  • The Map of the French Scientific Expedition as Evidence for the Study of Settlements and Population in the Peloponnese during the Revolution: Research Results and Future Perspectives

    Michalis FESTAS (Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) of the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF), member of the Digital Historical Cartography Laboratory IHR/NHRF)

 

│ 12:00 – 13:30 │ SECOND SESSION – LIFE AND EARTH SCIENCES

 

Coordinator: Gilles DE RAPPER (Director of Studies – Modern and Contemporary Era Department)

  • The Botanical Expedition to the Peloponnese

    Sofia RIZOPOULOU (Emeritus Professor of Plant Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, Section of Botany, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Head of the KEDIVIM program "Cultural Botany")

  • The Scientific Expedition of Morea: The Beginnings of the Geoarchaeological Approach

    Eric FOUACHE (Professor, Sorbonne Université - UR Médiations) and Antoine CHABROL (PhD Candidate, Sorbonne Université - UR Médiations)

  • The Morea Expedition in the Herbarium of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris

    Clémence PAGNOUX (Associate Professor at the National Museum of Natural History, BioArch UMR 7209 MNHN CNRS Inrap, Paris)

 

│ 15:00 – 17:00 │ THIRD SESSION – HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

 

Coordinator: Ourania POLYKANDRIOTI (Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation)

  • Letters, Press, Books, for the Love of Greece. Ambroise Firmin-Didot and the Scientific Expedition of Morea.

    Emmanuelle COLLAS (Historian, PhD in Philology and Associate Professor of Greek History, Editor)

  • A Different Scientific Expedition of Morea: The "Humble" Vietti Discovers the Peloponnese

    Clémence WEBER-PALLEZ (Associate Professor of Greek History, Laboratoire PLH - Université Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès)

  • The Journalistic Adventure of Raybaud in Greece

    Vincent TOUZE (PhD in Political Sciences, Graduate of Higher Studies in Public Administration)

 

│ 17:00 – 18:30 │ FOURTH SESSION – FROM PAST TO PRESENT. THE EVOLUTION OF CARTOGRAPHY IN THE 21st CENTURY

 

Coordinator: Penelope MATSOUKA (Anavasi Publications)

  • Geoinformatics and Applications for the Future of Cartography

    Angelos ADAMAKOPOULOS (Ubicarta, Creator of the IGN RANDO application)

  • Modelling Map Reading

    Vassilis KRASANAKIS (Associate Professor, University of West Attica, PhD Engineer NTUA, Graduate Surveyor and Topographical Engineer NTUA)

  • Challenges in the Cartography of the Future: Artificial Intelligence and Big Geospatial Data

    Christos HALKIAS (Professor, Harokopio University)

 

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

 

  • Matthieu ABGRALL (Cultural Attaché for Scientific and University Cooperation, Deputy Director of the French Institute of Greece)

  • Angelos ADAMAKOPOULOS (Creator of the IGN RANDO application)

  • Ivi ADAMAKOPOULOU (Anavasi Publications)

  • Pierre BRIOLE, (CNRS Director of Research, École Normale Supérieure Paris)

  • Antoine CHABROL (PhD Candidate, Sorbonne Université -UR Médiations)

  • Christos HALKIAS (Professor, Harokopio University)

  • Emmanuelle COLLAS (Historian, PhD in Philology and Associate Professor of Greek History, Editor)

  • Michalis FESTAS (Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) of the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF), member of the Digital Historical Cartography Laboratory IHR/NHRF)

  • Eric FOUACHE (Professor, Sorbonne Université - UR Médiations)

  • Eleni GADOLOU (Digital Asset Manager, British School at Athens, PhD in Geography, Surveyor and Topographical Engineer)

  • Vassilis KRASANAKIS (Associate Professor, University of West Attica, PhD Engineer NTUA, Graduate Surveyor and Topographical Engineer NTUA)

  • Penelope MATSOUKA (Anavasi Publications)

  • Clémence PAGNOUX (Associate Professor at the National Museum of Natural History, BioArch UMR 7209 MNHN CNRS Inrap, Paris)

  • Ourania POLYKANDRIOTI (Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation)

  • Gilles DE RAPPER (Director of Studies – Modern and Contemporary Era Department)

  • Sofia RIZOPOULOU (Emeritus Professor of Plant Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, Section of Botany, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Head of the KEDIVIM program "Cultural Botany")

  • Yiannis SAITAS (Architect, Urban Planner, Ethnologist)

  • George TOLIAS (Professor, École Pratique des Hautes Études, former Director of Research, Institute of Historical Research - National Hellenic Research Foundation)

  • Vincent TOUZE (PhD in Political Sciences, Graduate of Higher Studies in Public Administration)

  • Clémence WEBER-PALLEZ (Associate Professor of Greek History, Laboratoire PLH - Université Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès)