Tsamados Mansion, Hydra Island Greece
The Tsamados Mansion on Hydra Island Greece houses the Merchant Marine Academy. The mansion is a recognizable landmark at the Harbour level of Hydra Port. It was built in the 18th Century and was owned by the Tsamados family of whom Hydra-born Admiral Anastasios Tsamados captained the Aris brig in the Greek War of Independence.The academy was founded in 1749. It was first named Saint Nikolaos. The name was later changed to The Merchant Marine Academy of Hydra in the year 1800. In 1930 it was renamed again as the National Merchant Marine Academy.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (ISN) donation (2021) was given to include maintenance and upgrading of the historic building that houses the school, technological equipment for the classrooms, the provision of a state-of-the-art bridge simulator that meets international education standards, as well as scholarships for faculty graduates abroad.
The Merchant Marine Academy of Hydra is the oldest operating Merchant Marine Academy, not only in Greece but worldwide. It has a long history in the country's shipping, from the years before the founding of the Greek state until today. It is a living naval monument and a tangible expression of the Greek naval tradition and continuity.
The President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (ISN), Andreas Drakopoulos, said about the donation: "Seafaring is closely connected both with the history of our country and with the course of our Founder, Stavros Niarchos. The Merchant Marine Academy of Hydra is a reference point for the maritime history of Greece, playing a dual role: On the one hand, creating the officers of our merchant navy who travel with professionalism and dedication to the seas around the world, keeping the Greek shipping at the top , and on the other hand, keeping alive and productive the historic island of Hydra. It is our honor to be able to support the work and the graduates of the Academy, contributing, as far as possible, to the history and the future of our merchant shipping ".