Municipality of Hermoupolis	Areas in the Island of Syros

	Ermoupoli: The seafaring town! A significant presence in the Aegean. Ermoupoli was born απd forged in the flames of the National Revolution of 1821 from refugees who fled Chios, Psara, Kydonia, Kassos etc., when extensive massacres were perpetrated by the Turks. The Aegean was shocked with the cries of uprooted people looking for a new home. And then... the best shelter was found. Syros! It was the ideal place. Get the map of Ermoupoli (480KB)

The island had nοt been touched by war. It was free and protected by a great European power: France. The first refugees were dirt poor and dressed in rags, but they were rich in experience and knowledge. Very soon, alreadγ ίn the years of Capodistria, the first Governor of Greece, the new town begins a peaceful αηd productive revolution that will lead it to prosperity. The town was dedicated to Hermes, the god of gainful commerce. Ιη the 19th century the town became the most important commercial and shipping centre of libeτated Greece. "Ιn Ermoupoli, Greece was reborn..." Eleftherios Venizelos once said.

	The economic prosperity of Ermoupoli was accompanied by social evolution and cultural flowering. In the city of Hermes the Gainful and Scholarly as well, a genuine Greek urban class was created for the first time. It generated a lively social and literary activity. Cultural centres, theatres, concert halls, clubs, charitable institutions, printing shops, libraries and a particularly diverse press pushed Ermoupolis forward. The town's name went beyond the boundaries of the Aegean and was heard in the salons of Europe. The radiance of the city's wealth and spirit created the first tourist flow towards Greece.

Theophile Gautier, the traveller who visited the island in the beginning of the 19"' century, wrote: "Syros... is approximately the navel of Greece, the capital of elegance and nobility. Who in truth would imagine finding such a world planted on a bare rock island of the Aegean!"

Neoclassical Syros messages Within the Greek area as a whole, and particularly in the Cyclades islands, Ermoupoli contains the greatest density of neoclassical architecture. Many European architects, especially German and Italian, but also Greek, have worked consistently in two styles. They have respected the classical ancient Greece and married her to the Romanticism of the West.

The modern ecclesiastic architecture in Ermoupoli is of particular interest. The artistically fully sculpted temples of the churches in "baroque" or renaissance styles are spectacular.

	A church choir and organ accompany the Divine Liturgy, offering enjoyment of a unique sound in every season of the year. In the church of the Dormition one can admire the icon by Domenico Theotokopoulos (El Greco).

Countless monumental architectural buildings stand in wonder and pride in Ermoupoli. Splendid public buildings in marble, mansions with full marble facades and rich architectural decorations are magnificent masterpieces of art and beauty.

Ermoupoli may have lost some of its old influence. But it continues to gain admiration for its neoclassical beauty that remains intact till today. Syros has more than its two towns. Syros also has its beautiful countryside and its villages, spread over its few minuscule "valleys". The rare soil is gathered in handfuls to support the roots of the scant trees. A little of each; olive trees now and then, pistachio trees, citrus trees and many greenhouses where farmers cultivate delicious vegetables. Here in these villages is a world that is calm, civilized, full of kindness and affability. Every village has its church and its chapel: Catholic or Orthodox. It provides the Cycladic inhabitant's hold to his rock. Inside he houses his God. Many places in the countryside are wonderful summer resorts. In country gardens the pine trees sprout as well as... lovely villas in a calm and serene atmosphere.

	Azolimnos Azolimnos is developing as a tourist resort and can easily accomodate visitors, whilst offering local wine and traditional shacks in its tavernas.