Kouroi Naxos

The Naxos island formerly famous for its wine is not for nothing is the Dionysus island the God of the lifeblood of plants and the ecstasy of wine that gives intoxication and liberation of the senses, also has another feature that defines it unique and distinguishes it, the export of marble.

Inside Naxos there were several quarries where the material that elegantly adorns the island was extracted (see the Apiranthos village for example) but which was also exported to Europe and America. Pioneers of monumental architecture between the seventh and sixth centuries BC, local artisans created extraordinary unfinished works: the famous Kouroi.

The Kouroi are typical statues of Ancient Greece that I generally represented the heroes of the times with the appearance of young naked men. The female version is called Korai and portrayed women in the boyish period and can be seen in the Acropolis of Athens.

These wonders of sculpture were made directly in the quarries and then moved to the places intended because, being large blocks of marble, during transport they could break or be damaged thus ruining the final result. Even during the processing it could happen that the rock was ruined and it is also for this reason that they were abandoned and left unfinished.

This is what is found in Naxos in two different areas. We start from the Apollonas quarry in the northern part of the island where the Kouros is also called Colossus of Dionysus. Ten meters high and weighing about eighty tons, it dates from around the sixth and seventh centuries BC and is of course not finished. Carved directly into the rock in a position lying on the back with beard, hair, ears and right arm at an angle, since it does not represent a young man but rather a mature man, it is associated precisely with the God Dionysus. A hole visible on the back with a rectangular shape that served as a point where to insert the wooden beams to be able to lift it.

The other two Kouroi we find them instead not far from the Melanes village in the central part of the island in the site of Flerio considered a real archaeological gem. An area large enough to visit takes at least a couple of hours where in addition to the legendary statues you will also find traces of an ancient Mycenaean city. The first Kouros you meet is in the Flerio garden, five meters high, weighing about seven tons, without feet and unfinished because it was damaged during transport.

The second Kouros, on the other hand, is crossed in the Flerio quarry and is also called Faranghi Kouros. A representation five meters high for several tons of weight lying on his back without feet and calves. The feet are located not far from the body and reveal the break in the transport phase. Reaching it is not really that easy, you have to follow a path and go up a hill but the walk is worth it to explore this open-air museum.

The site is completely free.

It is always better to have your own vehicle so as to be completely independent. There is however a bus service that departs from Chora and arrives at Myli village which is a few hundred meters from the site.

An alternative to the beach for a load of Greek history and to be marked in the things to see in Naxos.