| You can find Imerovigli by taking
the road going towards Oia. It is the next village after Fira
& Firostefani on the famous Santorini caldera.
The name of this village belongs to the days of the pirates
:
vigla (Latin = vigilare = To Guard or to Act as a Look
Out, imera (Greek) = day. Imerovigli has been declared
a Traditional Settlement, and special rules and regulations
have been enforced regarding building development.
Its position at the highest, most central part of the caldera
gave it visual command of the whole area. It also derived
importance from its proximity to Skaros Fortress. The Church
of the Panagia Malteza has a marvellous carved wooden screen
with icons depicting scenes from the Old Testament. There
is a path from Imerovigli caldera walkway to Skaros Rock and
the Chapel of Panagia Theoskepasti.
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| Photo : Klearchos Kapoutsis |
|
Imerovigli has views of the volcano, breathtaking sunsets
and tranquility. There is a main square which leads up to
the Caldera and the traditional hillside cave settlements.
If you continue on the road to Oia, the lower plains of Imerovigli
also have wonderful sunset east coast views.
The largest part of Imerovigli was destroyed in the 1956 volcano
eruption. Some of the population perished, while others moved
away to the mainland. Imerovigli has since then been restored
and is home to some of the most beautiful hotels and traditional
cave house settlements on the island. |
|
Skaros was one of the five fortified settlements
and the most important one. At that time it was referred
to simply as ‘Kastro’ (castle in Greek).
The rock was inhabited in medieval times, because the
fortress built there offered protection from pirates.
Skaros was the capital of Santorini until the 18th
century, although evacuation of Skaros started at the
beginning of the 17th century. The promontory at Skaros
has been shaken repeatedly by strong earthquakes, particularly
the one of 1650.
|
| Fira town : 3 kilometers |
| Skaros Rock - one of the 5 fortified castles
of Santorini |
| Small supermarkets, traditional restaurants
& taverns |
| There is a bus stop in the main square which
connects south to Fira and Firostefani, and north to Oia. |
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