The Lazarist Monastery was built in 1886 by the monks of the order of Saint Vincent de Paul, better known from the order's headquarters in the Saint-Lazare church in Paris. The Lazarists who first appeared in Greece around the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century had as their main goal, in addition to the care and treatment of the poor, the education of the clergy and the spread of Catholicism.
In 1980 the building was declared a listed building due to its historical and architectural importance. In 1983 it was purchased by the Greek State for the celebration of 2300 years of Thessaloniki and was designated as the Cultural Center of Western Thessaloniki. It was included in the program of major projects carried out by the European Capital of Culture Organization "Thessaloniki 1997" and in 1996 the restoration and addition works to the original building began. The complex of the Lazarist Monastery was completed in 1997 and gradually began to be made available to the public with theatrical performances, concerts, exhibitions and other events.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou