Omonoia (“Concord”) Square was initially little more than a garbage lot on the outskirts of Athens. There were some fig trees, vineyards, and goats but almost no houses. The first urban plan of Athens reserved this desolate place for the royal palace, but nothing came of the project. In the 1850s, the municipal authorities uprooted the fig trees and planted oaks and pines. In 1862 supporters and opponents of King Otto clashed here, but after the king’s exile, the warring factions took an oath to stop hostilities. It was then that the square got its name. In the late 19th century, Omonoia became the most popular neighbourhood in Athens and attracted luxurious hotels, theatres, and popular coffee shops. The arrival of the underground railway between Piraeus and Athens in the late 1920s, turned Omonoia into a transport hub.