This square is located in the area of Goudi and has been situated since 1867. It was named after the church of Saint Thomas that prevails over its northern part. There is another small temple, which has been there since the time of the Ottoman occupation.
In the years after the Greek War of Independencein 1821, around 1867, a group of Athenians who found themselves in the garden (owned by the Monastery of Penteli) that surrounded the temple, wanted to renovate the church, which was neglected and drowned in weeds, looking more like a cave. In consultation with the metropolitan bishop of Athens Theophilos and with the help of the faithfulas well as with the consent of the archimandrite and abbot of Penteli Monastery DionysiosVersis, they set in motion an ambitious plan to renovate the small church. At the suggestion of the archimandrite, the chapel was dedicated to the memory of Saint Thomas and a festival was established. It is a festival, which developed into one of the largest in Attica and took on a strong folklore characterstarting from the first years of its celebration.
Years passed, the festival was established and many came to worship. In fact, they spent the night under the pine trees and drank from the water of Kaisariani which they drew from the passing old aqueduct through the well that was located 2-3 meters to the right and outside the sanctuary of the small church, towards today’s Papadiamantopoulou Street, which was unfortunately covered. On 27-1-1948, a Royal Decree was issued on the modification of the layout of the square of Saint Thomas. With this amendment, the rebuilding of the new church was allowed, because already since 1930, the area had been inhabited and the small renovated church did not meet the needs of the people.
Today, the square has sufficient lighting, lawn sections, trees, a fountain, a playground and many shops for lunch, coffee, drinks, snacks, ice cream that can satisfy all visitors. The area includes the buildings of the University Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Dentistry.
