Established in May 1979, the A. G. Leventis Foundation is the outcome of the vision of the Cypriot entrepreneur Anastasios G. Leventis (1902-1978), who had set out the primary objectives of action for his eponymous foundation since its inception, with a focus on society, education and culture.
Now in its fourth decade, the A. G. Leventis Foundation – in addition to its extensive public benefit programme and its pioneering activity in the areas of environmental protection and medical research – demonstrates significant involvement in the study of the culture and history of Cyprus, Greece and the Hellenism of the Diaspora. Through an international programme supporting Greek studies (with the fostering of various educational activities, the systematic granting of scholarships, the ongoing contribution to academic research and the production of scientific publications) the Foundation consistently adheres to A. G Leventis’ vision.
The Foundation similarly provides for the reconstruction and restoration of a large number of classical, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine monuments. At the same time, it supports research projects and the enrichment of Cypriot antiquities collections in museums around the world, in tune with the Foundation’s concern for disseminating the Greek and Cypriot cultural heritage. With this in view, remarkable collaborations have been developed, such as those with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum in London and the Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm.
An important aspect of the dynamic presence of the A. G. Leventis Foundation in cultural affairs is the Foundation’s art collections: the Paris Collection of European Art, the Collection of Works by Greek Artists of the 19th and 20th Centuries and the Collection of Works by Cypriot Artists. These three collections, which afford a unique aesthetic and educational experience, will soon be united and housed in the new A. G. Leventis Gallery being built in Nicosia, designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Architects.