Agiassos Lesbos
We find the picturesque Agiasos village in the south eastern part of Lesbos about thirty kilometers from the capital Mytilene.
A small city built in the shape of an amphitheater on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus at a height of 475 meters above sea level surrounded by an exceptionally luxuriant vegetation of olive trees, fairy woods and steep paths where you can get lost with beautiful walks.
From the traditional architecture with its houses where the protruding upper floors are called "sachnosinia" from the wooden balconies decorated with colorful pots of begonias, geraniums and carnations, it unravels between stone streets and alleys with an ancient flavor where you just need to turn a corner to discover a glimpse that immediately takes you back in time. Small bars where you can meet the locals and be told fantastic stories, souvenir shops, typical taverns where you can rediscover flavors far from recipes handed down over the generations based on local products and typical of a mountain island village. The village has two entrances, the main one which can be reached from the road leading to the village, the other which is located in the upper part through the ring road called "Kampoudi".
Curious is the characteristic dialect which at times is not understood even by the inhabitants of the other areas of Lesvos, but which underlines the desire to maintain one's own identity.
The name Agiasos derives from the inscription on the Virgin Mary sacred icon (literally it would be Mother of God Holy Zion) that the monk Agathon brought from Jerusalem in 803 BC. The devotees who came on pilgrimage said "Let's go to AgiaSion" thus transforming the name into Agiasos In 1700 it was a small settlement with no more than 40 houses that developed around the Panagia of the Virgin Mary where the icon is kept. A year later the Turkish governor fell ill but managed to recover when some village elders went to visit him bringing some healers from the church and according to the high Ottoman official it was really a miracle wanted by the Virgin. To thank the Panagia Church he wanted to make a great gift, but the Koran could not allow it. He then went to Constantinople and asked the Sultan to exempt the inhabitants and elders of Mytilene from paying the taxes that had to be paid. When the news came that Agiasos was not subject to taxes, many craftsmen moved with their families thus making the village a famous commercial center so much so that in 1729 it grew to five hundred families. In 1783 the concession was abolished but by now the development of Agiasos was known throughout Greece. Unfortunately, in 1877 a great fire destroyed a large part of the town but the inhabitants rebuilt everything trying to maintain its typical appearance.
The Anagnostirio complex “I Anapitixi” is in the town hall square at the entrance to the town. It is considered one of the oldest and most historic cultural centers of Greece. Its foundation dates back to 1894 and houses a library with over 25.000 books, a popular museum, a cinema and a theater.
The Agiasos flagship is the Byzantine church of Panagia Agiasos Santa Maria di Sion, built in 1170 right in the heart of the village under the main square of the Agora which attracts many pilgrims from all over Greece. 32 meters long and 27 wide, it is made up of a basilica with three marble niches and three Sacred Tablets, the one on the right dedicated to Agios Charalambos and the one on the left dedicated to Agios Nikolaos as well as the icon of the Holy Mother of God Sion which, according to the tradition would be a work of the evangelist Luke. In 1453 the faithful noticed that the icon was damaged so they commissioned an artist to reproduce a replica hiding the original. To date, both are exhibited, the authentic one in a double-glazed wooden display case inside a marble case in front of the replica which is instead found on the altar. Every year on the 15th of August one is organized
As Agiasos is a mountain village with amazing nature, it is surely a perfect destination for hiking lovers. There are many well preserved and marked paths that will allow you to enter the area in total safety and enjoy the Mother Nature wonders. If you are curious, go up to the top of Mount Olympus where you will enjoy a panorama that will leave you speechless. And after a hard work what could be better than a tasty meal! Delight your palate with local products such as chestnuts, wild mountain vegetables, stuffed courgette flowers, the typical Ladotiri sheep cheese sprinkled with small native flowers or with trachanas, a traditional pasta made with flour and yogurt or milk, perfect for soups or with vegetables, obviously all accompanied by an excellent ouzo.
We are of the opinion that a whole life would not be enough to get to know Greece and its islands well, it is certain that wherever you go, surprises, history and traditions are always part of the territory and can only enrich our lives, so spend a day in Agiasos, you will learn something here too.