Bust of Anastasios Polyzoidis

The uncompromising and ‘disobedient’ judge

Anastasios Polyzoidis (1802-1873), judge and politician, became widely known when, as the President of the Nafplio Court where Theodoros Kolokotronis, Dimitrios Plapoutas, and other freedom fighters were tried, he and his fellow judge Georgios Tertsetis had the audacity to refuse to sign the orders for their execution. He was a member of the party which opposed Kapodistrias. King Otto later appointed Polyzoidis as Minister of the Interior and Education, where he was involved in the founding of the University of Athens. He died in Athens in 1873.

What are the characteristics of the sculpture?

The marble bust of Anastasios Polyzoidis depicts him with a moustache, well-combed hair parted in the middle, and dressed in formal European clothing, i.e. shirt, vest, suit jacket and bow tie, like the scholars of his time.

When was the work commissioned and installed?

The marble bust was sculpted by Nikolas (Nikolaos Paraskevopoulos), sculptor, whose name is written on the side of it. The bust of Anastasios Polyzoidis, together with that of Georgios Tertsetis, were installed at the entrance to the Court House and unveiled on 27th November 1977 by the then-President of the Democracy, Konstantinos Tsatsos.