| |
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
North
of the city of Chios and west
of Vrontados, begins a road
passing Mount Aipos. Continuing
our journey, after a series
of landscape alternations, we
come across the villages Diefha
and Katavasi, while the blue
waters of the Aegean and the
beautiful beaches of Volissos
come in view. A craggy rock
where the village of Sidirouda
is built grasps our attention.
Our journey leads us to Volissos,
a large village and centre of
the Voreiochora. A village with
small roads, narrow streets
and cobbled roads, old churches
with pebbled yards, beautiful
country churches, watch towers
and windmills, make up a picture
from a different era.
Thucydides' Voliskos, nowadays
Volissos, was according to tradition
the home city of Homer. Here,
according to an interpetation,
the great poet wrote "Vatrachomiomachia",
a parody of Iliad. It is built
on the sides of a small hill,
crowned by a Byzantine castle,
which local tradition regards
it has been built by General
Velissarios. The castle has
a trapezoid shape with six circular
towers. There were several constructions,
cisterns and churches in its
interior. A tunnel was connecting
the castle with the sea and
the Pithonas community. |
|
|
|
| |
The
area where the castle is located
has a vivid flora, resting to
the eye. As you walk on one
of the most ancient passageways
of Greece, you can feel the
land's positive energy, while
attempting to grasp the changes
that have occurred over the
centuries. Narrow streets and
traditional houses form a romantic
landscape and atmosphere.
The castle is not the only site
worth visiting: passing the
Malagioti valley, you can enjoy
its rare flora, rich in colours
and aromas. At the wider Volissos
area, there are magnificent,
unknown to many, beaches, unique
in beauty: Managros, Magemena,
Lefkathia, Limnos, Lampsa, Saint
Markella, while in the middle
you will find the picturesque
port of Limnia. Sites that during
the summer offer their freshness
and during the winter their
wilderness, resembling a landscape
that you will not come across
in many Greek places.
At the beach of Saint Markella,
a church with the same name
is located, which is the site
of her martyrdom, still quite
evident. Pilgrims from the island
and citizens of Chios living
elsewhere in Greece and the
world flock at the renowned
celebration of the Saint's name.
Thus, the celebration takes
the form of a ecumenical pilgrimage. |
|
|
|
| |
The
road from Volissos to the northwest
stretches over the massif of
Amanis, passing various small
villages with farmers and cattle
breeders (Pirama, Parparia,
Tripes, Melanios) of a folklore
architecture, very poor and
almost primitive. The mountain
has many small valleys, spring
waters and a small number of
crops.
At the village Aghio
Galas the Byzantine church of
Virgin Mary the Aghiogalousena
is well preserved, located at
the entrance of a cave. The
wooden temple is worth noticing.
The cave with the churches communicates
with a second, bigger one and
then with a third which is even
wider, where chambers of stalactite
have been formed. These natural
caves at Aghio Galas have not
been explored in their entirety,
though a small scale archaeological
excavation has brought to light
many neolithic potsherds, proving
the settlement of humans in
the area since the Stone Age.
The village itself has been
built on one of the mountain's
plateaus, above the caves. |
|
|
|
| |
The
road surrounding Amani turns
to the east and passes through
some more small villages, Nenitouria,
Kourounia and Egrigoro. At some
points in our journey the thick
flora provides the landscape
with an exceptional natural
beauty. Near the village Keramos
there are hot water springs
with ferrum-sulphureous waters
and the unique buildings of
the stibium factory.
At the foot of Chios'
highest mountain, Pelineos,
we come across the villages
Spartounta, Kipouries and Diefcha,
where at the latter the Moundon
Monastery is located. The monastery
was built in honour of John
The Baptist. It was renovated
by monk Iakovos Lagadiotis in
1574 and it is held as the most
significant monastery on the
island after the Nea Monastery.
Many of the monastery's monks
have stemmed from Chios' aristocracy.
The monastery houses an impressive
library with one significant
parchment dating back to 1462
A.D. which is probably the last
testament of Saint Matrona of
Chios.
|
|
|
|
| |
On
1822, the monastery was destroyed
by the Turks and was later restored.
The interior walls of the monastery's
church depict a series of impressive
paintings dating back to 1620,
1730 and 1849. These beautiful
hagiographies are relatively
well maintained and depict a
combination of folklore techniques
and western influences.
The plateau of Amithounda is
located over the monastery,
characterized by a team of French
experts as one of the best places
in Europe to breed horses, appropriate
for horse racing. Moreover,
the waters of Aggelos spring
come from the particular plateau
as well as Mount Pelineos.
Finally, throughout Volissos,
one can come across interspersed
historical monuments and Byzantine
churches, each one with unique
architectural elements.
We thus invite you to visit
this land in order to sense
the tranquility and peace of
this beautiful landscape.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
