The heart of Pierre de Coubertin, the reviver of the modern Olympic Games, is buried beneath a stark white, honorary marble stele in Ancient Olympia. This was his last wish: for his heart to be buried in the place where it truly belonged.
Six months after his death, on March 18, 1938, his heart arrived in Piraeus from Marseille. On March 26 of the same month, the then Crown Prince Paul placed the “marble urn” containing Coubertin’s heart inside the funerary stele.
Initially, the stele was located near the entrance of the archaeological site of Olympia.
Α few decades later, it was moved to its current location: in a small grove dedicated to Coubertin, within the premises of the International Olympic Academy (IOA), and is under its responsibility.
The monument, as well as the entire Coubertin Grove, constitutes a sacred pilgrimage for fans of Olympism, symbolizing the eternal connection of the father of the modern Games with their birthplace.