Plato’s Academy, the birthplace of ideas that helped shape Western civilization, stands today as a monument to neglect rather than learning. A visit to the archaeological site reveals graffiti scrawled even on ancient stones, makeshift shelters for stray animals, improvised pigeon coops and a vandalized digital museum housed in a container with shattered windows. Visitors from Britain, Canada, the United States, Germany and Australia – including professors and students – travel there specifically to see the academy. Founded around 387 BC, the academy was Athens’ leading philosophical school for centuries. Curiously, Aristotle’s Lyceum nearby is better maintained. [Socrates Baltagiannis]