It’s been almost 10 years since we first met Chios. That was the first time we saw the islands of Oinousses. From our observatory, on the east coast of Kardamyli, we could see with the naked eye the details of the coastline, the low hills of the inland, the whitewashed houses of the densely built settlement. The channel that separates the two islands, at its narrowest point, barely exceeds a mile. The distance seems so friendly, it could be a crossing challenge for any daring swimmer. If, of course, it were not for the north current, which so often comes rushing and foaming down from the strait of Oinousses. In any case, it is safer to approach by the local liner.

ON THE WAY TO THE OINOUSSES

It’s summer noon and the port of Chios is crowded. Even more crowded is the Lilliputian ferry Oinossai III. In its limited space, the passenger cars, a small tanker and a small truck are trying to fit in. The well-known beastly trucks have no place on the OINUSSAI III, there is plenty of room for them.

The time of departure is approaching. The deck is in pandemonium, a picturesque anarchy. The biggest fight is with the ship’s valets, those unlikely guys with their unique sense of space. I watch them as they struggle to convince some terrified drivers that there are still a few inches to the side or back, that they are in no danger of hitting their car if they follow the instructions. In the end, magically, “all the good ones fit”. So at 14:10′, with only a ten-minute delay, we set sail for Oinousses.

A living, breathing graphite lurks outside the calm of the harbour. As we open up, it hits us almost flat on our backs, with an intensity of more than 6 Beaufort. The rocking begins, which in the small boat is particularly noticeable. Heading towards the channel the waves get rougher, it is now a foaming torrent, which from the depths of the northern Aegean rolls all the way down towards us. No swimmer, however cowardly and daring, could take on this sea beast.

An hour after our departure we find ourselves in front of three small islands, just outside the port of Oinousses. They are the islets Agios Panteleimon or Laimoudiko, Papapodontiko or Bellali, and Pateronissos or Chalikas. As arranged in the row, they resemble sentinels installed by nature to intercept the waves and winds from the south and west.

Cavantzarontas the cape of St. Panteleimon everything calms down. What remains in the sea are the ridges of the waves, as they gallop incessantly towards Chios. As we set our course for our boat, we are greeted by an iconic female figure, taken from the legends of the Greek seas. She is the Gorgona, the sister of Alexander the Great and, in this case, the “Gorgona of Aignousa“, the magnificent bronze sculpture of the Aignousa sculptor, painter and writer Mairi Papakonstantinou. Clinging to its sea-scarred rock, the mermaid reminds us that we are arriving in a maritime land. It is no coincidence that “the astonishing activity of the inhabitants of Oinousses made it – as they aptly concluded – the most nautical island of Greece and, probably, of the world” (1).

A BRIEF LOOK AT THE PAST

But since when were Oinousses inhabited? According to the historian Georgios Zolotas (2), “Oinoussai is the oldest name of these islands, and Oinoussaios or Oinoussios the inhabitant. And the oldest name Oinoussai betrays the rich and excellent wine production“.

Zolotas also informs us that in ancient times the Phocaeans, wanting to emigrate, asked Chios to buy Oinoussas, but the Chios did not allow the Phocaeans. The insistence of the Chians to keep the Oenousas shows the importance they attached to their position in the strait. From this it is clear that the islands were also destroyed, and the islands that had been left alone and the harbour was rich… And as it appears from Thucydides, the Athenians also fortified Oinousses, when Chios was also held by them.

According to the historian Nikos Andriotis (3), in the following centuries Oinousses must have followed the fate of neighbouring Chios. In an official document of 1315, Martin Zaccaria is mentioned as despot and ruler of Oinousses, while in another document of 1363 Oinousses is in the possession of the Genoese Maona. In 1521 the island is mentioned by the Turkish captain Piri Reis, while in 1566 the island is occupied along with Chios by the Turkish admiral Pyalis Pasha.

The signing of the Treaty of Kainarji in 1774, which created conditions of security and relative stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, was decisive for the development of the Oinoussians. At the same time, Greeks are granted the right to fly the Russian flag on their ships. Trade and shipping are put on a growth track, and settlement in Oinousses becomes more permanent, either for employment in agriculture and animal husbandry or for activity at sea. Throughout the 18^th century the first inhabitants came from the opposite villages of Chios and especially from Kardamyla. For their settlement they choose the area “Kastro“, west of the present settlement. The first churches of Agios Georgios and Agios Nikolaos are built. From the beginning of the 19th^th century, the houses are extended further east, to Mandraki, which until then served merely as a port for communication with Chios. In the middle of the century, the church of Agios Nikolaos was built in Mandraki, in the area where it stands today. A document of 1838 makes the first mention of a community organization, while the population of the time is estimated at 250 inhabitants.

THE NAVAL TRADITION OF THE OINOUSSIANS

After the “Mermaid of Aignousa” another sculpture by Mary Papakonstantinou comes to remind the naval character of the island. It is the “Oinousia Matera“, which greets the sailors at sea from the pier. A little further on we find the central Ship Square. Here dominates the “Monument to the Absent Sailor“. It is the first such monument erected in Greece to honour the sailors who perished at sea, not only during wars but also in times of peace. The sculpture was created by the sculptor L. Lamera and erected in 1952 at the expense of Spyros Antonios Lemos.(4)

The naval tradition of the island finds a hospitable home a little further down, in the wonderful Naval Museum of Oinousses, which will be the subject of a special report. But let’s follow the successive stages of shipping on the island. It is a fascinating development, very often reminiscent of a fairy tale.

The first mention of permanent habitation of the island is in 1713. At that time, shepherds and farmers from Kardamyli settled in the “Kastro”, the closest point to northern Chios.(5) Their small boats, however, did not serve to transport people and goods to the opposite coast of Vrulidia. They were therefore forced to develop larger means of transport. This is the first commercial activity of the Aignousians. Mandraki begins to serve as a port and later becomes the centre of the settlement. This first period ends with the destruction of Chios in 1822. Then the Aignousians take refuge in the Cyclades and other places in Greece.

They return with the amnesty of 1827, rebuild themselves and begin to engage professionally in trade and transport. With their small boats “Latinia“, “Cernikia” and “Boubardes” they transport wood and charcoal from Mount Athos, Thassos and Samothrace, with destinations in the ports of Asia Minor from Aivali to Kusadasi. The population is thus shifting “from sheep to ships“, “from sheeps to ships“, as one English reporter put it. In the winter, of course, with the bad weather, they returned to the occupations of farming.

In 1849 the Aignousians built their own ships for the first time in Plomari as there were no ships available for sale. Over the next 20 years everything changed in Oinousses. The small community of farmers and stockbreeders transforms into a dynamic maritime family that is constantly expanding. About 20 families of shipowners already own 15% of the Chios shipping industry, with a fleet of a total displacement of 2,000 tons.

This naval activity of the Oinoussians suddenly acquires an unexpected ally, which turns out to be a source of great speculation. It is the Crimean War of 1853-56. Then the Ainucian shipwrights make huge profits by performing transports of the Turkish army from Izmir to the Dardanelles. Referring to that time, Andreas Syngros wrote, among other things, “During the Crimean War, he accomplished what was possible, provided he had some energy and intelligence“.

The profits of that period were the first funds for the acquisition of larger vessels. In the early 1860s, the first large vessels were built in Syros, Chios and Ikaria, with an average capacity of 120 tons. Voyages now extended from the Black Sea to Egypt. The name of the Aignousian shipowner, sailor, seafarer, is established in the shipping centres. The merchants and shipping houses of the time knew the Aignousian, included him in their circles, surrounded him with trust.

Around the late 1870s larger vessels, “skunks” and “barques“, are built by the Italians of the Adriatic. They sailed all over the Mediterranean, sometimes even out of Gibraltar, as Gianni St. Fragos, who travelled to Sierra Leone, on the west African coast. In 1890, K. I. Hadjipateras reported that “Aignousa was the greatest marina of our parts. We had bought almost all the sailing ships of Greece and all the inhabitants lived happily. They were industrious people, they had the advantage of helping each other, they were housekeepers and mostly moral.

Already in the 1900s, however, the decline of the sailing ship and the development of steamship shipping began. Steel steam-powered vessels are increasingly displacing wooden sailing vessels. Written by A. Lemos in his “Chronicle of Oinousses“: “In 1900, with the purchase of the first barge, the funeral sequence of sailing Aignousian shipping begins and the contributions of the barge are chanted“.

A’. World War I finds Aignoussa with a fleet of 10 ships of 3,500-4,500 tons. The adverse conditions of the war, however, force the owners to sell them even at a loss.

In 1923 a new period begins with a foray into the London market. The Aignousians buy second-hand ships and convert them into new ones. A. Lemos reports the following very important: “The working conditions on the Aignousian barges during this period were governed by an unwritten regulation of mutual friendship between masters, co-owners and crews. During the period of the historic shipping crisis of 1927-1933, with starvation wages, they fought back victoriously and took the ships into their own hands to fall on better times.” (6)

According to B. World War II, the Ainucian shipping industry has a large number of ships, old, but with an average capacity of 8,000 tons. The majority of these ships were lost mainly in the Atlantic, participating in Allied convoys. Thus the restoration of world peace finds the island with very few ships. But then the Greek government and the Greek shipowners, together, manage to secure from America, on very favourable terms, 100 ships of the type “Liberty“, to replace those lost in the war. To the Ainucians 14 ships are delivered, but many, though they had lost a barge in the war, were set aside in the distribution.

The post-war years are very profitable for shipping. In the mid-1960s, the Aignousian fleet reaches 150 ships, a number that, compared to the population and size of the island, places Oinousses at the top of the world’s shipping. Today the number of ships has significantly decreased and this is not so much due to the inactivity of the successors of the previous generation of shipowners, but rather to their turning to other poles of wealth.

THE NAVAL MUSEUM OF OINOUSSES

In a prominent position, opposite the Nautical Square is the Maritime Museum of Oinousses. Here we have the chance to meet a prominent figure of the island. He is the philologist Professor Panagiotis Kounis, Director of the Museum and for three decades Gymnasium Director. Walking with him through the halls and exhibits of the museum is also a fascinating approach to the maritime tradition and history of Oinousses.

The Museum is a donation and is housed in the mansion of Pantelis Ant. Lemos. Its creation, however, was the inspiration of Antonis Sp. Lemos, who preferred to leave the comfortable life of London to return and offer his services to the island from his position as Mayor. However, his untimely death led his brother Nikolas to undertake the realization of his lifelong dream, namely the creation of the Museum.

The main hall hosts the unique collection of paintings by Aristides Glykas, with depictions of ships of Oinoussian shipwrights. Nowhere else are so many works by this particular popular navigator, who is today considered the equal of Theophilos of Lesbos, collected.

Glykas was born in Vrondados, Chios, a place of the navy. So it was only natural that he should be a shipwright, learning the secrets of the sea, the forms and shapes of the ship’s parts. In 1916 he broke out and began to paint only ships. His materials were simple: almond paste, fishing line, tin for white paint, fimo for black, strip for blue. The 22 paintings of Glykas that belong to the Museum, apart from their artistic value, are historical documents of the island’s maritime history.

Another room bears the name of Antonis Lemos. It houses his famous collection. It consists of model ships, works by Frenchmen captured in naval battles with the British navy from 1793 to 1815. The materials of construction are boxwood, ivory, horn, ebony and mother-of-pearl. Some models are very beautiful, while others are not a faithful representation of the ship. They should therefore be regarded as works of art and not as accurate ship models. Their historical value is, after all, particularly important.

WALKING AROUND THE ISLAND

“When leaving the port of Chios, the traveller sees Aignousa and its nine small islands emerging with their low hills from the Aegean waters and spreading between two boogas, struggling endlessly through time to bridge the Chian and Asia Minor lands, like stones thrown by a wayfarer for passage in a riverbed.” (7) It is the island cluster located in the strait between Chios and the Asia Minor peninsula of Eritrea (Karambourna). From a geological point of view, the islands are the natural continuation to the east of the Pellinaio mountain range of northern Chios and, according to Nikos Andriotis. “function as a kind of natural link between Chios and the peninsula of Eritrea”. (8)

According to most authors, the number of islands ranges from 9 to 11. The islandologist Georgios Giagakis, however, with the accuracy that characterizes him, records 15 total island territories, which constitute the Polyness of the Aegean Islands. These do not include “the near-coastal small rocky island lands and reefs“. The surface area of the islands ranges from the 14,382 acres (14.38 square kilometers) of the largest island of Oinousses to the half acre (500 square meters) of the smallest island, Mesanos. The respective shorelines of these two islands are 34,607 metres and 102 just metres. Significantly, the Polynisos of Oinousses is one of the few Greek island complexes that have a full nomenclature. For historical reasons – and not only – we consider it necessary to quote the names of the 15 islands, as they are depicted in the relevant table by Georgios Yagakis, which comes from the archive of the Hydrographic Service of the Navy and the author’s archive: Pateronissos (Chalikas), Bellalis (Papapapontiko), Limoudiko (Ag. Panteleimon), Archontoniso, Gaidouroniso (Gavvathi), Vataki (Provvati), Vatos, Panagia (Pasha), Pontikonis, Kotroni, Oinousa (Aignousa), Prasonisia (1) and Prasonisia (2), Mesano, Pontikaki. (9)

From the first moment we are impressed by the picturesque amphitheatricality, the stately grandeur that the settlement of Oinoussas exudes as a whole. But we prefer to postpone for a while our preoccupation with the architectural details and the structure of the settlement. It is our priority to form a view of the general picture, the coastline and the hinterland of Inoussas.

We start from the waterfront area in a northwest direction. Flat, narrow streets, nice houses, several neoclassical houses with large courtyards. We climb for a while, admire the nice view of the settlement, the small islands and the harbour. Immediately after we lower to the coast, the sweet cove of Kakopetra is revealed. In the crystal clear waters, a few young children are training with OPTIMIST-type scooters. They are perhaps the captains of tomorrow, the successors of the seafaring tradition of Oinousses.

The sandy cove Billali with a canteen, tamarisks and wonderful waters, shallow and friendly, even for small children, takes its turn on the coastline. (In the next few days it will become our favourite and essential refreshment stop, especially for Athena). Next are a succession of beautiful bays, Fasoli, Apiganos and Fokia with a small fishing shelter and a small church on the shore. The bush vegetation is dominated by fir trees, but there are also fig trees, pine trees and tamarisk. On the nearby horizon opposite, the bulk of Chios dominates the horizon, which looks huge compared to the size of Oinos. In between, the two Prasonisia or Kyonisia, two lilliputian islets with a surface area of 8 acres each and 12 the other, rise gracefully from the Aegean waters. After Fokia stretches the beautiful beach of Hatzalis with its characteristic feature of large eucalyptus trees.

But we have already arrived at the nunnery of The Annunciation of Theotokos, just four kilometres from the port of Oinousses. According to G. Yagakis “given the geographical position of the Polynesian island near the coast of Asia Minor, the monastery is one of the most extreme monasteries in the eastern Aegean“.

We are impressed by the dimensions and the architecture of the monastery’s buildings, a white touch on the lush hillside above the bay of Tselepi, at the northwestern end of the island. The courtyards are extremely well-kept and decorated with a variety of flowers and plants. Bougainvillea, jasmine and hibiscus of various colours predominate. The katholikon is built of hewn grey stone in Byzantine style in the type of the crucifix inscribed with three niches, i.e. in the style of Mount Athos.(10) Internally, the dome with the crosses and the niche of the sanctuary have been painted with Byzantine frescoes by the hagiographer Con. Georgakopoulos. The designs of the hagiography are due to the literary artist, painter and friend of the family of the owners, Photis Kontoglou (1896-1965). In the iconostasis and in the shrines we admire a total of 15 portable icons by Kontoglou.

The founders of the monastery were the sons of two of the most famous shipowning families of Aignousa, Panagos Diam. Father, later Elder Xenophon and his wife Katigo Lemos, later Maria Myrtidiotissa Monk, the monastery’s rector. The Monastery has been in operation since 1963 and its inauguration took place on 10 August 1965. It celebrates twice a year, on the 25th of March the Annunciation and on the 15th of August the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. On the highest points of the hills surrounding the monastery we find two chapels and a 12-metre-high Byzantine Cross, which dominates the Aegean Sea facing the coast of Asia Minor, an indestructible symbol of Orthodoxy and Romanism.

Following the road in an E-SE direction, we follow a circular route, which very quickly leads us to the settlement.

HEADING EAST

The coastline in the southern and eastern part of the island is complex. A series of bays are formed, some of which penetrate deep into the mainland. Equally interesting, at the end of the eastern coast, is the presence of the larger and larger but unfortunately uninhabited islands of the Oinousses polyisland. Starting from the port again, we begin our tour this time in an easterly direction. A very narrow concrete road leads us quickly to the bay of Agios Ioannis. A cluster of large pine trees protrudes prominently above the dense shrubby vegetation. Here, 1.7 km after the port, we find the island’s only petrol station, helpful and valuable, since it is also a Vulcanizer. A little later we turn right. Every now and then ruined farmhouses loom up.

We pass by the bay of Fourkeros. It is a long, narrow bay that resembles a Norwegian fjord. Its waters are very shallow, but a sign forbids swimming. The scenic beauty of the place is complemented by a cluster of beautiful pine trees. The next bay is equally picturesque. Shallow waters, a sandy bottom and a few wooden stairs make an ideal fishing boat landing place.

Then the road takes us around the large bay Marmaro, with a few beach houses and many fig trees. Nice place with creeks and shallow, clear water. Across to the E-NE most of the islands of Oinousses emerge, with the largest being Panagia or Pasa. It is the second, after Oinousses, in area, with a surface area of 2,448 acres. Until the 2nd. Until the Second World War there were many vineyards as well as potteries, as the soil was suitable for this activity. Notable buildings are the church of Zoodochos Pigi of 1865 as well as the stone lighthouse erected by the French Company of Ottoman Lighthouses in 1863 and received by the Greek state on 1/4/1915.

A good dirt road begins, passing over the beach Kampi. We are now at the easternmost end of Oinousses. A narrow channel, the Bougazi, separates us from the shores of Panagia, a few hundred meters away. Here is also the beach Alyki, a meeting place for hundreds of seagulls, who disturb the world with their voices. A strange landscape, deserted, with sandy areas and poor vegetation. With a difficult side road we climb uphill for about 300 meters and come out on a windswept plateau, above Bougazi and the beach of Aliki. We take a position against the north wind. The spot is extremely spectacular with three coves, small peninsulas and further east still the Asia Minor coast. On the opposite side, in the background of the western horizon, the mountain range of Pelinnaeus dominates.

The dirt road continues west, passing over the northern coastline. It is steep and inaccessible, with bays that offer little protection from the north wind. Yet even in these rough waters, a fishing boat with an adventurous fisherman scrapes by. It’s the only human presence along the entire length of the coast.

We’re arriving at the heliport. The total distance from the port is no more than 11 km, so few, but so full of unexpected images of incomparable variety and beauty. The road becomes a concrete road again. We go downhill to the south and in a few minutes we reach another entrance point to the settlement.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF AIGNOUSA

After the crowds of Chios, the calmness in the port of Oinousses is very welcome. July is advanced but the bulk of the Aignousians have not yet arrived, returning for their holidays to their ancestral or native land.

To get to the house where we live, we cross the spacious waterfront to the west and then take the uphill. The road becomes narrow, with very steep gradients and tight bends. Large cars are not recommended here. The distances, of course, are short; in two minutes we reach the Diamond Valantas square. It’s a lily-paved little square, which I doubt is more than 70 square meters. The same lack of space prevails around the square. Parking the car becomes a bit of an adventure. It is perfectly understandable, considering that the settlement was built in the 19^th century, to the dimensions and needs of that era. We are compensated by the friendly environment of the house and especially the balcony. A spacious balcony, which from an altitude of 100 meters gives us a vast horizon and moments of calm and reflection. Very close to the east stands the impressive church of St. Nicholas with its large dome and the twin bell tower. The hands of the built-in clock are clearly visible. Every half hour the chimes remind us of the unstoppable time.

After our tour of the countryside we start our walk around the settlement. Our valuable advisor is the amazing book by the architects Nikos Skoutelis and Flavius Zanon, “The Architectural Heritage of Oinousses”. We read, therefore, that the transfer of the settlement in the early 19th^th century from Kastro to Madraki takes place in parallel with the shift of the local economy from agriculture and animal husbandry to trade and maritime transport. Small districts are created, taking the names of the island’s families, known today as Karavadika, Pateradika, Laimoudika, Pontikoika, Lyrika. These same families also took over the administration of the island under the system of demogerontia.

The settlement in Oinousses is structured on the basis of the parallel building blocks that we find in most settlements of mainland Greece and the islands, where shipping and trade flourished. Such a building layout and volumetry is common in Galaxidi, Pilio, Dodecanese, Andros and Oinousses.

Very close by, north of Vallantasia Square, we find the house of Ilia Lignou-Syrianou. Although the house is uninhabited, it is still imposing with its triangular gables, the use of thyme stone, the marble pilasters on the windows and doors. The staircase between the floors is internal, a type that is considered an evolution of the earlier type with the external stone staircase. The house of Elias Lignos-Syrianos belongs to the so-called fraternal. It is a fairly common form of building, i.e. two houses in one building, symmetrical externally, with a gable roof or with two consecutive gable roofs, forming two consecutive gables of classicist origin.

There are other notable homes in the neighborhood called Tsubari. A little lady politely greets us. She is Marouko Sarri. She speaks bitterly of the good old days, when the neighborhood resonated with the voices and games of children.

We pass by large courtyards with jasmine trees in bloom. A little further west the natural environment begins, the settlement ends. We take a concrete road heading NE. New houses alternate with old ones in a fairly loose building fabric. After about 200 metres we reach the edge of the settlement. Here a house dominates, which, although dilapidated, is very impressive. It is the sibling house of Michalis Lignos-Tachaya with the use of “ricks” (11) of brick in the openings. Each floor has 6 large doorways, with absolute symmetry between them. The walls are built with clay masonry of dark stone, and the elaborate cornerstones are absent. The building is of large dimensions, with a frontage of at least 20 metres. And it is really very disappointing that its owners got it to this point, but never completed it.

We return to the fraternity house of Elias Lignos-Syrianos. A narrow path leads us to the north, above the church of St. Nicholas. We climb a concrete road with exhausting gradients of more than 20%. We end up at the north-eastern end of the settlement, at an altitude of 140 meters with a unique view. A little lady sitting on her balcony gazing at the horizon.

–You’ve got some tough hills, I tell her breathlessly.

–Don’t talk about it, child. We’re used to it, of course. That’s what gymnastics is for us.

We’re going down. A donkey is munching on corn in a rooftop patch. The owner is Barpa Kostas Christou, born in Oinousses but originally from Meli, opposite Karambourna.

–New Honey is also in Megara, uncle Kostas tells us.

An old sailor, he lost his wife early and raised his children alone. Today he has goats and this donkey, one of seven left on the island.

–Once upon a time everyone had a donkey of his own, just as we have cars today.

We continue along the almost flat concrete road and in two minutes we reach the A-EA peripheral concrete road. Opposite is the refugee quarter. We turn right and head west and re-enter the main part of the settlement. On Akropoleos street the old houses alternate with the new ones. The presence of the “embola“, the narrow open space between the buildings, which serves as a natural rainwater runoff and drainage area, is also evident.

There is a ruined house with an imposing front door, which has an arch and pilasters of thyme stone.(12) Next to it is another, with the same stone. A huge jasmine tree overhangs the height of the old two-storey house. It is the street Stefanou Ant. Lyras, immediately after the little square and Antoniou P. G. Lemos. On the right it climbs up towards Ag. Nikolaos while on the left it meets the ring road, the Police Station and a beautifully reconstructed windmill. Next to the small square is the “Thalassoporos”, the only hotel of Oinousses (the rest of the accommodation is rooms to let). The hotel was donated by Stefanos N. Patera, whose portrait welcomes us at the reception. Here the hospitable Eleni treats us to cold water and Greek coffee. We needed this stop after so many ups and downs in the heat. The hotel belongs to the Friends of Oinousses Club, but according to new information, it is temporarily out of business. Opposite, it is the Kosta M. Lemou house, built in 1875.

From the hotel, a road with concrete pavement and solid blocks that form a herringbone goes downhill. The road continues with wide steps and ends in three minutes at the Maritime Museum. Going up the same road we head to Agios Nikolaos. A shady alley, an old uninhabited house, pink bougainvillea and a lush ravine. In a row two large ruined houses with stone thymian. Uncultivated grasses have taken over the yard. The roof is completely missing. A little further up, however, some old houses are inhabited. On the lintel of one we can make out the date 1885. There’s a Chian “bouti“, part of a street arched. On a lintel with a thymian stone the date 1875 is embossed. The charm of the past follows us at every step, in every corner of the settlement.

We are located in Antoniou P. G. Street. Neck. Labyrinthine alleys run off in various directions. Only pedestrians and motorbikes can feel comfortable here. Climbing the steps next to the church, we come across a huge ruin built in 1892 and a little further up the chapel of Agios Georgios the Trophy Bearer. Next to the church is the SPIRITUAL CENTER OF OINOUS, George Christou Lemos. This is where the first school of Oinousses was housed, built in 1906. In a picturesque little square outside the church there is an old, carved marble fountain with running water.

The church of St. Nicholas is impressive both in architecture and dimensions. It was built on the site of the old church of the same name, which was demolished in 1924. The metropolis of Chios was used as a model. The building was completed in 1952 with the construction of the tall bell towers and the strong porcelain coatings on the previously bare stonework.

Our wanderings through the narrow reefs of Aegnousa, the ups and downs, the xagnadas, the small squares and the alans last for more than 4 hours. But if we walked as many more, we would still discover hidden corners. Every step we take is a surprise, an aura from other times, full of romance, refined aesthetics and nobility. Aegina is beautiful. And even if there are some maladjustments of modern times are lost, they are not able to affect the noble character of the settlement.

REFERENCES

(1) George K. Giangakis, Diving Scientist: “Polynissos of Oinousses in the Aegean, the Holy Monastery of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and Fotis Kontoglou” (in the magazine “AEROPOS”, issue 28/1999 and in reprint).

(2) “HISTORY OF CHIOY”, VOLUME A’, p. 159 et seq.

(3) Nikos Andriotis “The acritical Aignousa”, newspaper KATHIMERINI, “EPTA DAYS”, 27.6.1999

(4) The monument was designed by the architect Michalis Fotiadis and executed by the civil engineer Nikos Miaoulis.

(5) George Fragou, “Aegnousian Shipping”, “EPTA DAYS”, op.cit.

(6) Extremely valuable and timely observations for today’s conditions and times.

(7) Panagiotis Kounis, “Aignousa today”, “EPTA DAYS”, op.p.

(8) Nikos Andriotis, “The Acritical Aegnousa, op.cit.

(9) George K. Giagaki, “The Polynisos of Oinousses in the Aegean”, op.cit.

(10) Monk Orthodoxy, “The Monastery of Evangelism”, “EPTA DAYS”, op.cit.

(11) Riccades or brickwork are the outer brick borders around windows

(12) It is the very special stone in dark brown, ochre, brick red shades, quarried in the area of Thymiana in Chios. It is an excellent raw material that has been used extensively in the mansions of Kampos for centuries.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-Georgios I. Zolotas, “HISTORY OF CHIOI”, VOLUME A!, ATHENS 1921

-N. Skouteli – F. Zanon, “The Architectural Heritage of the Oinousses”, Naval Museum of Oinousses, ATHENS 1999

– “NAVY MUSEUM OF OINOUS”, edited by Eleni Kypraiou, Loukas Vidalis, ATHENS 1996

-Editorial “EPTA DAYS”, newspaper “KATHIMERINI”, 27.6.1999

-Georgiou C. Yagakis, “THE MULTINESE OF AEGEAN HONEYS”, magazine “AEROPOS”, Issue 28, NOE-DEK 1999

-Document with data from the AEN /ΟΙΝΟΥΣΣΩΝ

THANKS ΤΟ

The Mayor of Oinousses Mr. Evangelos Angelakos, Panagiotis Kounis and Eleni Achliopta, Christos Rapti and the owner of a water taxi Giorgos Vogiatzis.