Graphic Kythnos or Thermia is found sport ween Tzia
and Serifo and has extent 99 km2. It abstains from Piraeus
52 naval miles (2 hours and 40 ').
One of the most beautiful islands of western Cyclades is Kythnos with the
embossed
Cycladitic landscape, the traditional architecture and graphic roads,
the archaeological spaces, the innumerable churches, the graphic bights with
the spotless sandy beaches, the windmills that crown the hills round
the villages and snall churches that embelish the tows.
The island has two villages, Kythnos (Chora or Mesaria) and Dryopida (Chorio
or Syllaka) with the homonym communities. Each village has also it own seaport
: The country has the Loutra and Dryopida Mericha. Also it has the seasonal
settlements
Panagia Kanala, Saint Stefanos, Saint Eirini, Saint Dimitrios, Leukes,
Flampoyria, Epistoki, Kalo Libadi, and other.
Your acquaintance with the island will begin from the harbor of Mericha
where you will disembark from the boat. From Mericha there are two basic
ways. The one is to the Cora (7,5 km) and continues for the Loutra (4,5 km)
and the
Saint Eirini. The other way from Mericha leads Dryopida (4,5 km) and afterwards
to the aestival settlement of Panagia Kanalas (6,5 km), as well as to Saint
Dimitrios (11 km from the turn of street Kanalas up to the bight).
Xora, capital of island, built in the 17th century, amphitheatrical
in sides of hill, is a beautiful settlement which maintains theCycladitic
architecture with cobbled roads, arcades and the stone houses.
Narrow graphic tiled roads are painted with beautiful drawings from
lime and its subject is the islander life. The oldest church of Country is
the
Saint Trinity. They follow Saint Sabbas with lintel sign from
1613 and blazon of A. Gozadinou and Sotira with appreciable icon of 17th
century.
Little outside the Country are found the monasteries of Panagia of Nikoys
and Podromoy in Chordaki. In Panagia there is also the epitaph of Panagia of
Nikous, while in the Precursor icon of it, ther is a woodcut of 16th century,
incalculable
value.
In the country are found also the installations for the production aeolian and
solar energy that they cover the one third of needs of island in current.
Merichas, harbor of island and seaport of Dryopidas, provides the visitors
all kinds of amusement because it allocates restaurants, taverns, supermarket,
confectioneries, cafeterias, bars, disco and lodgings for your stay.
Do not omit to enjoy
in Mericha a idyllic sunset drinking ouzo with escort of fresh octopus.
Partridges exist everywhere in satisfactory numbers. And here is applied still
the system of periodical prohibition, in deed following precisely the time period
that is prohibited in Kea. In the island does not function still Hunting Association
and obligatorily they follow the prohibitions that are in effect for the region
of responsibility of KS Kea, where it publishes also the very little authorizations
of residents of Kythnos.
History
Kythnos in the antiquity was known with the names Afioysa,
Thiramnia, Thermia Mr a. Kythnos was named by the leader of Dryopon,
that came from Evia and were installed in the island. Later Iones
reached the island, and organized the island in well governed
state. As they showed the recent discoveries of excavations in
the region
of Baths, the island was lived in their Lithic Years and
here the ancientest installations in the space of Cyclades
(7500-6500 eg).
Following the chance of other Cyclades, Kythnos took part in their
Persic Wars, became member of Athenian Alliance and its intervals
belongs in the Macedonians, in their Ptolemaioys of Egypt and was
also conquered by the Romen, therefore was useful as place of exile.
At the Byzantine Period it belonged in the Aegean, while
with the fall of Istamboul in their Fragks it was conquered by
the Mark Sanoydo and was controlled by Venice families.
In the duration of the Middle Ages but also the period of Turkeys
domination the island ravaged from the piratical raids.
From the important makes of history of island are Kythniaka, as
they were named, that happened in February 1862, when the island
was useful as place of exile of heads of revolutionary movement of
Nauplium against the king Othona. Rebels with base of operations
Syra tried to release the detainees and they colided in the bight
of Saint Peace with the governmental troops. They were overcome,
they were also stop ed and bure there. Afterwards the Othon's ejection
, the bones were transported to the [A]' Cemetery
of
Athens.
Chora
The small capital of island, built in side of hill, with white
houses, presents a cute picture. Narrow graphic tiled roads,
painted with beautiful drawings from lime - flowers, fishes and boats
with opened cloths, arcades with mills, maintain
as long as become unmixed Cycladitic color. The country
abstains from the harbor of island Mericha 8 km the country has
837 residents.
Some sightseeings are:
The country, as the island, has a lot of
important churches. The church
of Saint Trinity,
royal with dome, is her older church. Her current form has accepted
a lot of additions. Next to the church are saved ancient sculptural
pieces with signs.
The church of Saint Sabba, royal with dome the
17th century. In the transom they have walled sign 1673 and
blazon of Ant. Gozadinou. In the interior it is maintained appreciable
woodcut icon. As other churches of Chora, Saint Sabbas
in the years of Fragokratias functioned also as orthodoxe (the
right department) and as catholic (the left winger department).
The metamorphosis of Savior, also the 17th century, with appreciable
icon.
The churches of Kythnos are looked after important portable post
byzantine pictures, work of painters of Cretan Faculty, Antonis,
Manolis and Ioannis Skordilis. A woodcut icon of 16th century
belongs in the church of Precursor in the region Chordaki. In the
Country, on elevation, is found also the monastery of natural Mary
of Nikous,
that her catholic has royal with dome. In the undergrounds
of monastery functioned concealed school in the Turks domination.
In small distance, South-East of Country, is found the Aeolian Park,
where function windmills with aeolian energy for the production of
electric.
Dryopida
Kefalochori, 8 km South from the Country, built in the two sides
dried-up stream with 795 residents. His name refers in the first
residents of island,
the Dryopes. It Is also named Chorio from the local. It is famous
for the celebrations and carefree character of his residents.
Some sightseeings are:
The church of Saint Month, with woodcut icon big value,
despotic throne of exceptional popular art and with marvellous also
epitaph.
Near the village, in the place Fires, is found also the unexploited cavern
Katafyki, one of the biggest in Greece, rich in stalachtites with prototypes
forms. The cavern was used by the residents as shelter the time of hostile
raids, but also as place of festive concentration the evening of Resurrection.
Loutra
The village took his name from his curative spring. Built next
to the sea, it abstains from the Country 4,5 km and has modern houses.
Some sightseeings are:
The region Kefalokastro or Castle or Castle of Katakefaloy,
in the North of Loutra. Here was found the medieval capital of island
up to the 16th century. In the Castle are saved the of ruins walls
and of homes, while most of the churches (it is said that the
period
of his acne it had 100 churches) are not saved except for the churches
of Keraleoysas and Saint Trinity - and these no in good condition.
The castle is known and as Castle of Orias and it was connected
with the known municipal song, that reports that “the Turks
fought it twelve years ”.
In the Loutra it is the beautiful beach of Saint Eirini.
Merichas
Young person coastal settlement, harbor of Kythnos, 8 km South-West
from the Country.
Some sightseeings are:
In the North-West of Mericha, half hour roughly, is found the
islet of Saint Loukas, that is connected with the land with narrow
strip
of sand. It has relic walls, foundations of temples, altars and three
caverns that were useful for the stocking of water. In the islet,
to the side of coast, are saved traces from the ancient market of
city, which was lived up to Romanic Years.
The sandy beach in Kolona is Beautiful, near the small isthmus.
In Flampoyria, 20 minutes South of Mericha, is the
church of Panagia Flampoyrianis. According to the delivery,
the
marks that appear from the beach up to the church are the traces
that left Panagia. In beautiful beach in August they
bloom white lilies which smell sweet.