Parakopi and its history
Parakopi lies inland on the island of Syros. Pine trees define the area, and villas from the 19th century stand here. The place also played an important historical role during that century: Parakopi was a prominent retreat for Ermoupoli’s wealthy society. Travelers choosing a destination for its landscape and local history will find two clear points of interest here.
The Church of the Holy Cross was built in the village in 1854. The mansion of D. Vafeiadakis stood on an estate laid out as a park with kiosks, a dovecote, and pebble mosaics. The local history thus brings together a religious building with a precisely dated construction and a historic estate with its own distinctive park design.
Two Catholic feast days are associated with Parakopi: the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Panagia ton Kerion) on September 6, and the Feast of the Holy Cross on September 14, which is also associated with Alithini and Talanta. If you would like to plan your trip around one of the feasts, check in advance whether a current program is available for your dates.
Cultural history on Syros
On a broader view of Syros, the Apollon Theater tells another part of the island’s story. It was built between 1862 and 1864 to designs by the Italian municipal architect Pietro Sambo. The theater hosts performances and artistic events, as well as international festivals, including opera, music, and dance festivals featuring local and international artists. A small exhibition on the theater’s history includes works by local and other artists, historical posters and programs, manuscripts, theater publications, photographs, and objects of significance to theater history. For specific performances, it is worth checking the current program, as individual event dates may change.
Ermoupoli is the capital of Syros and the Cyclades. The Archaeological Museum of Syros was founded in 1834–1835 as the central museum of the Cyclades. It displays finds from Kastri and Chalandriani, as well as sculptures, inscriptions, and grave markers from the ancient city of Syros. The Industrial Museum of Ermoupoli is housed in four different historic buildings across the city.
Kastri and Chalandriani, on the northeastern coast of Apano Meria on Syros, are among the most significant prehistoric sites in the Aegean. The fortified settlement of Kastri dates approximately to 2300–2200 BCE. Its described features include a low outer wall, a main wall with horseshoe-shaped towers, and an arc-shaped wall on the hill. Finds from Kastri and Chalandriani are also represented in the Archaeological Museum of Syros: the sites and the museum collection offer different ways to explore this prehistoric chapter.
Syros also has a rich history of churches and art. The church complex of Agios Georgios on the summit of Ano Syros was built between 1832 and 1834 by Hadjisimos Nikolaos from Tinos. It is a three-aisled basilica with a porch featuring five arches. The Church of Panagia Episkopiani in Piskopio is an important monument on Syros. The Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Ermoupoli houses an icon of the Dormition, painted on wood in egg tempera by Domenikos Theotokopoulos, known as El Greco. It is considered particularly important for understanding his artistic development. The Ottoman bathhouse in the bed of the Lalakia stream in Ermoupoli is a unique example of this building type on Syros and is of notable architectural significance.
Discover more destinations: Vari, Kini, Chrousa, Azólimnos, Finikas, Ermoúpolis, Posidhonía, Galissás.
Return to the main travel guide: Syros.
