KALAMATA, Greece — Long known for its olives and seaside charm, the southern Greek city of Kalamata has been placed in the international spotlight by a towering street mural that reimagines legendary soprano Maria Callas as a symbol of the city itself. The mural was named 2025’s “Best Mural of the World” by Street Art Cities, according to a report by the Associated Press.
City officials said the project was meant to translate abstract goals—such as sustainability and local economic growth—into an image residents could recognize in daily life. Vassilis Papaefstathiou, the deputy mayor for strategic planning and climate neutrality, said Kalamata is one of the few Greek cities with a goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2030 and that local leaders wanted a visible way to communicate what sustainable development looks like for a regional city.
“We wanted it to reflect a very clear and distinct message of what sustainable development means for a regional city such as Kalamata,” Papaefstathiou said. He added that the plan was to combine what he described as the “humble products of the land”—including olives and olive oil—with “high-level art,” while also reinforcing residents’ identity and pride in being Kalamatians.
Southern Greece has faced heatwaves, droughts and wildfires in recent years, changes officials said have affected the olive groves that underpin much of the region’s economy. In that context, leaders and the artist framed the mural as more than decoration—linking the city’s agri-food character to its longer-term climate and development objectives.
The mural’s chosen figure is Maria Callas, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century. The AP report said that although Callas was born in New York to Greek immigrant parents, her father came from a village south of Kalamata, and that the connection helps make her a national cultural symbol with a local resonance for residents.
Local institutions reinforce that link, the report said: the alumni association at Kalamata’s music school is named for Callas, and a cultural center holds an exhibition dedicated to her that includes letters from her personal archive. Artist Kleomenis Kostopoulos, 52, said the mural’s concept is grounded in that connection, but he also emphasized that his work is not meant as a stylized diva portrait.
“It’s not actually called ‘Maria Callas,’ but ‘Kalamata’ and my attempt was to paint Kalamata (the city) allegorically,” Kostopoulos said, according to the report. He said he aimed for a grounded and human depiction, weaving in elements meant to tie the people to their land, including tree branches—described by the artist as an above-ground extension of roots—along with birds native to the area and well-known agricultural products.
Kostopoulos said the dress he created for the Callas figure functions as a visual container for those themes, describing it as representing “all of this bloom, all of this fruition” from the land. He said he spent about two weeks working on the mural’s painting itself, spread over roughly a month due to bad weather, using brushes and also incorporating spray paint and a cherry-picker to reach the full wall.
City officials said the mural has become a focal point, with Papaefstathiou saying it helped strengthen Kalamata’s promotion as a tourist destination. He also described the mural as opening wider conversations about art in public spaces, adding that more building owners in the city have expressed interest in hosting murals.
Tourism educator Dimitra Kourmouli said residents feel “immense pride,” and Kostopoulos said he hopes the award will have a wider impact on Greece’s art community and make public art more visible. He said the city’s experience shows that modern interventions in public spaces can deliver cultural, social, educational and economic benefits by sparking discussions that can extend beyond the artwork itself.