Pyrgi brings together a medieval village setting, distinctive façade decorations, and the culture of mastic cultivation. The village is considered the largest medieval village on Chios. This gives it a clear focus for choosing a place to stay: architecture and mastic culture shape its local character, while other cultural and landscape highlights offer different perspectives on Chios.

The Village and Its Facades

The “Xysta” are black-and-white geometric decorations on house facades. Because of the detailed decorative motifs on its buildings, Pyrgi is often called the “painted village.” The Xysta make the design of the facades an essential part of the village’s appearance; the nickname refers to this very decorative tradition.

The Church of the Holy Apostles is near the village square. The Temple of Agioi Apostoloi in Pyrgi is a well-preserved Byzantine monument dating from the 14th century. The village’s character thus brings medieval village architecture together with a specific religious monument.

Mastic Culture at the Museum

The Chios Mastic Museum in Pyrgi is dedicated to traditional knowledge about mastic cultivation. Its permanent exhibition presents this knowledge; the outdoor exhibition introduces visitors to the mastic plant and its natural habitat. The two exhibition areas therefore offer different points of focus: cultivation culture in one, the plant and its habitat in the other. The museum opened to the public in 2016.

The museum has free parking. Check the current parking situation before your visit.

Other Cultural and Landscape Highlights on Chios

Beyond Pyrgi, Chios offers other distinctive cultural highlights. Nea Moni Monastery was built between 1042 and 1056 and is considered an undisputed masterpiece of Byzantine art. Its mosaics are part of one of the three collections from the Middle Byzantine period preserved in Greece. Those interested in Byzantine art will find a different focus here from Pyrgi’s façade decorations and mastic culture. The Byzantine buildings also differ in age: Nea Moni dates from the 11th century, while the Church of the Holy Apostles in Pyrgi dates from the 14th century.

Mesta offers a point of comparison in medieval village design: the village, preserved as a monument, is laid out like a castle. Its closely packed houses form a protective surrounding wall. While Pyrgi is characterized by geometric façade decorations, Mesta’s emphasis is on the village’s enclosed layout.

Kampos adds a cultural landscape to the picture. This unique settlement and agricultural complex combines an outstanding natural landscape with distinctive local architectural features. Narrow roads wind between citrus groves and estates with high stone walls, inviting visitors to stroll. The highlights of Chios therefore differ not only in their historic buildings but also in how settlement, agriculture, and landscape are connected.

Discover more destinations: Vrontados, Koini Ionia, Karfás, Nenita, Vessa, Kardamyla, Chios, Lagkada

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