Throughout his adult life, Baron Pierre de Coubertin held Ancient Olympia in the utmost reverence. It was a constant touchstone in his writings and he honored its iconic cultural and spiritual traditions along with its unsurpassed athletic festivals.  He was enchanted by the scale of its architecture and its sacred place in ancient Greek life—and he wanted the same elevated character for the modern Games. That’s the point he was making in his article, “Modern Olympia,” which appeared in the Olympic Review in 1909 and from which today’s quote is drawn.

“Ancient Olympia was a city of athletics, art, and prayer. The sacred nature and the esthetic nature of Olympia were consequences of its athletic role. The city of athletics was an intermittent thing. The city of art and prayer was permanent.”