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A fine spectacle is offered
by the vilage of Astypalea or Hora, beginning from the islets the
traveller can admire before reaching the picturesque bay of the city. The
wharf is at the south-east extremity. The beauty of Hora is accented by
its white houses surrounding the walls of the Byzantine fortress, on the
top of the hill, and descending, so to speak, the slope till the seashore.
Being part of the scenery, the old mills on the height complete the
imposing panorama. Within the area of the Castle fallen in ruins, where
still remain, as the only mark of the Guerinis' rule, their blazons, we
come across two churches: the older one of St George and the modern one of
the Annunciation.
The Church of Panaghia Portaitissa or of the Castle, just at the
foot of the Castle, is one of the finest in the Dodecanese. It was built
by the holy man Anthimos the Blind in 1764 with the assistance of the old
priest Michael. The altar screen carved in wood and overlapped with
gold-foil is one of the most beautiful of the kind. The icon of Virgin
Mary is a faithful reproduction of Panaghia Portaitissa of the Convent of
Ibers on the Mount Athos. It was the holy man himself who brought it from
Mount Athos. The Church holds its feast on the 15th of August. On that day
popular rejoicings take place.
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Livadia (15 km from Hora). South-east of Khora a passable road
leads to this little settlement covered with trees and endowed with a
splendid beach and with taverns-restaurants.
Agios Constantinos. At about 3 km from Hora, at the southest part
of the island, we find this charming beach.
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Armenokhori. This locality is pleasantly situated on a plateau
where leads a branching off the road west of Hora. The feast of St
Pantelimon is celebrated there on the 27th July, followed by popular
festivities.
Convent of Panaghia Flevaritissa. A branching off the same road,
left, leads to this unrivalled site. The convent has a small guest house.
Messaria. On the west the road leads to Messaria and to the Convent
of St John with the delightful beach and the Castle. The convent
celebrates its feast on the 29th August.
Convent of Livia. On the north-west of Hora the road leads to the
convent, built on the slope of a mountain, overlooking the sea and having
a small guest house. Further the main road leads to Analipsis or Maltezana.
A picturesque settlement with its white houses and its flowery fields and
gardens, the vast beach and taverns. One can admire the well preserved
mosaics of a Roman swimming pool and the monument of the French
philhellene captain Bigon, who died in 1827, by setting fire to his
corvette to avoid being captured by pirates.
Agrelidi, a small coastal settlement.
Vathy, the remotest and most isolated locality in the island. It is
divided into Exo-Vathy (outer Vathy), on this side of the mouth of the
oblong bay, and Mesa-Vathy (inner Vathy) in the recess of the bay. There
are vast beaches, taverns-restaurants and some rooms to let. Grottos of
the island. Two of them are the most important: the Grotto of the Dragon
or "Dracospilia", near Vathy, ornamented with stalactites and
stalagmites amidst a fairy-like scenery; and the Negro's Grotto near the
locality Vatses, formerly a pirates' den, with a strait mouth and adorned
with stalactites and stalagmites.
Ancient coins of Astypalea minted during the 3rd-1st centuries represented
the head of Perseus or a "harpi" (a sabre in the shape of a
sickle) or a gorgon-head. Later they represented the effigy of Dionysos or
of Athena or of Asklepios. The Astypaleots minted also golden staters or
silver tetradrachmas and other coins representing Livia and Tiberius.
HOW TO GET THERE
By plane from Athens on Olympic Airways
By ferry from Piraeus
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS IN ASTYPALAIA Area code 0243
Olympic Airways 61.328, 61.292
Harbourmaster 61.208
Police 61.207
Municipality 61.206
First Aid 61.222
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A few words on mythology
and history of the island
According to mythology, Astypalea was the daughter of Phoenix and Perimede
and the sister of Europe. She begot with Poseidon two sons: Anceus, king
of Samos, and Eurypylos, king of Kos.
The island was called the "Table of Gods" because of the
fertility of its soil and its exuberance of flowers. The first inhabitants
of the island, which was called also Pyrra because of its reddish soil,
were Carians. They were driven out, according to Ovid (Metamorphoses 7,
49), by king Minos of Crete, then master of the seas. Later on, according
to Skymnos of Chios (line 549), Megarians settled in the island and gave
it the name of Pylaion. This is corroborated by an inscription of the 4th
century B.C., found at the Asklepieion of Epidaurus, which calls the
Astypaleots "Epidauriots".
Astypalea is described by Pliny the Elder (Nat. Hist. 4, 23) and is
mentioned by Strabo, Ptolemy, Stef. Vyzantios and others. From
inscriptions we know also that Astypaleots since the earliest times had
established democracy (=government of the people) with a Council (Boule),
a Senate (Gerousia) and magistrates: the eponymous archon (=who was giving
his name to the year), the prytanes, treasurers, cashiers, "agoranomi"
(market inspectors). Strabo relates (15, 42) that Astypaleots occupied the
promontory of Roeteum at Hellespont and founded, near the river Simeonte,
the town of Polium, later called Polisma.
It is in Astypalea that had their origin Phalaris, the famous king of
Agrigentum (580-554) and Onesicretus, philosopher and historian (375-300).
At the 71st Olympiad the Astypaleot Cleomedes, a very strong athlete,
having killed involuntarely his rival Iccos from Epidaurus in a boxing
contest, was deprived by the jury of his victory and fined 40 talents. Mad
with grief, on his return in Astypalea, Cleomedes in a transport of rage
that increased tenfold his strength, pulled down the pillar supporting the
roof of the municipal school; the roof fell down killing sixty young
pupils. Pursued by the inhabitants, he found shelter in the sanctuary of
Athena and secreted himself in a trunk. His pursuers, having opened the
trunk and finding it empty, appealed to Apollo's priestess at Delphi,
who answered that, since they had not seen him dead or alive they ought to
pay the due honours to him as a hero.
In ancient Astypalea there existed many archaic buildings, like the
sanctuaries of Athena, Asklepios, Apollo and Artemis, the Portico of the
Agora, the edileship's quarters, etc. The Astypaleots worshipped Zeus,
Dionysos, Dictynna, as well as the heroes Achilles an Cleomedes.
In 436 B.C. Astypalea is under Athens' hegemony an her annual financial
contribution, according to the lists amounted to 12,000 drachmas.
During the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.), because of its position, at
the central Aegean Sea, and of its secure bays, the island became a field
of contest between Athenians and Spartans. In the course of the war the
inhabitants of the neighbouring island Kos, after the desctruction of
their old town Astypalea by Astyochos, the admiral of the Spartans, found
shelter in the island.
Under Alexander the Great (303 B.C.) Astypalea, like all Greek towns, was
declared self- governed and as such she offered her aid in the Persian
wars. After the death of Alexander the island fell under the
"tutelage" of his successors, the Ptolemies.
The Romans, because of the position of the island in the Aegean Sea -
between Kos, Rhodes, Knidos, Phoenicia and continental Greece - that made
of it an important transit port for their ships, signed an alliance pact
with Astypalea and deposited the document in Jupiter's temple at the
Capitol. The pact was renewed in 105 A.D. Thus the Astypaleots enjoyed the
privileges of a Civitas Foederata.
Later, the island will become a part of the Byzantine empire and will
share the fortunes of the latter.
1207 After the capture of Constantinople by the Franks, the island
fell under the rule of the family of Guerini, who were driven out, in
1269, by the Byzantine admiral Licarios.
1821 Astypalea takes part in the national liberation war against
the Turks. However, the London Protocol leaves the island out of the
frontiers of the newly established Greek state.
1912 To the Turkish occupation follows the Italian one; it will
last till the end of the Second World War.
On the 7th March 1948 Astypalea is solemnly united to Greece.
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