Tatoi Royal Estate (Greek royal family)

Tatoi, located 15 km north of Athens, was the summer palace and estate of the former Greek Royal Family.
The estate was confiscated in controversial circumstances some years after the declaration of the Hellenic Republic. Its confiscation, and the confiscation of other property of the deposed and exiled King, Constantine II, without any compensation, led to a court case in the European Court of Justice. The king's argument centered on the claim that the property in question was acquired by his predecessors by legal means and was therefore subject to regular personal inheritance. The Greek state argued that the property was either used by the royal family by virtue of its sovereign status or obtained by taking advantage of that status, and therefore, once the monarchy was abolished, the property should revert to public ownership automatically. The Court struck a midway course in reaching its verdict and ordered the Hellenic Republic to pay the exiled king compensation, while allowing the Greek state to retain ownership of the property. In June 2007, the Greek government says it intends to turn the former palace and grounds into a museum. It is expected to open in 2012.