The Greek city of Kalamata is increasingly drawing attention to itself because of a giant mural of Maria Callas recognised as 'best in the world'. For the artist, the soprano's dress symbolises the blossoming, abundance and blessed land of the region.
The Greek city of Kalamata has an important new landmark - a giant mural of opera singer Maria Callas, that was voted best in the world by followers of Street Art Cities.
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The 2025 work is both a tribute to the soprano whose father was originally from Messinia, and an allegorical depiction of the city.
Artist Cleomenis Kostopoulos says he chose Maria Callas to embody Kalamata, preferring a more human and natural representation: "Maria Callas, whose father, of course, had distant roots in Messinia, gave me great impetus to portray her, but as an incarnation of Kalamata. In other words, the mural is not called 'Maria Callas' but 'Kalamata' and my intention was to paint Kalamata (the city) allegorically."
Creating the mural was not easy as bad weather dramatically slowed down progress. Brushes, sprays and a crane were used to cover all parts of the huge wall.
Callas' dress symbolises the region's blossoming, abundance, and blessed land, while the composition incorporates elements such as tree branches, birds, and farm produce that connect people to the land.
The Deputy Mayor of Strategic Planning and Climate Neutrality, Vassilis Papaevstathiou, says the project is extremely important to the city: "We see it as a new landmark for the city. It has become an attraction. People come and take pictures. They make plans to see it during their trip. They promote it through social media. The hashtag Kalamata and Maria Callas is being promoted and spread more. We believe this mural has helped us significantly in many ways, including enhancing the promotion of the city as a tourist destination."
The project is also linked to Kalamata's goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2030, while offering a visual bridge between tradition, art, and the region's contemporary cultural identity.
