Spyridon Merkouris was a Greek

Greeks

The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

 politician and long-time mayor of Athens in the early 20th century.

He was born in Ermioni

Ermioni

Ermioni is a small town and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ermionida, of which it is a municipal unit. It is a popular tourist resort. It is on a very small out-cropping of the land facing the island of...

 in 1856. Elected as mayor of Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 in 1899, he held the post continuously until 1914. As a committed royalist, in 1917, during the National Schism, he was exiled to Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

. He was also accused of complicity in the riots of the Noemvriana

Noemvriana

The Noemvriana of November–December 1916 was a political dispute, which led to an armed confrontation in Athens between the royalist government of Greece and the Allies forces over the issue of Greece's neutrality during World War I....

of 1916, and was sentenced to death. Released from prison in 1920, he was elected as an MP for Atticoboeotia in 1928 and re-elected as mayor of Athens in 1929. He served as mayor until 1932, and died in 1939. His son Stamatis was also an MP, whilst his granddaughter was the actress and later Minister of Culture, Melina Merkouri.