Archaeological Sites
Another intriguing side to the island of Paros that certainly adds to its charm, is its history. With enough imagination you may be able to hear faint voices and whispers when you come very close to ancient stones of the castle in Parikia, the church of Ekatontapiliani and the ruins of ancient temples scattered around the island!
Parikia
- Ancient Cemetery, 8th cent. BC. Mass grave-site unique in the Aegean, opposite the marina.
- Venetian Castle, 13th cent. AD. In the centre of the traditional settlement
- Water Fountains, surrounded by ornate marble engravings. Donated by the Manto Maurogenous' family, several throughout the main streets of Parikia.
- Asclepios, 4th cent. BC. Temple of worship in honour of Asclepios, the god of medicine, in the countryside on the road to Aliki.
- Ancient Workshop at Tholo, archaeological workshop from the Archaic era, near the peripheral road.
- Sacred Temple of Delio, 5th cent. BC
- Temple in honor of God Apollo, at Krios
- Marathi Ancient Marble Quarry, on the road Parikia-Lefkes. Here, the famous Parian marble was mined. Unique in its transparency and purity, the Parian marble has been used in sculpture masterpieces by ancient artists, such as: Fidias, Skopas, Praxitelis and others.
- The Road Parikia-Naoussa, is scattered with monuments of the Roman and Byzantine periods.
Naoussa
- Koukounaries, 12th cent. BC. Mycenaean Palace (Acropolis), 50,000m2 in size, at Kolimbithres. Significant pieces taken from here are on display at the Paros Archaeological Museum.
- Plastiras, cemetery of the First Cycladic era, with characteristic idols, at Kolimbithres.
- Walled Settlement, on the island of Economou, at Lageri bay.
- Venetian Castle 'Kastelli',15th cent. AD. Protects the harbor of Naoussa from the north, work of the Sommaripa dynasty.
Drios
Trenches on the Rocks, created by the Parians to pull out and protect the ships on the shore of Drios.
Marpissa
Ruins of the Venetian Castle, 15th cent. AD. On Kefalos Hill, in Agios Antonios area, east of Marpissa
Marmara
Ancient Marble Tub, near the church of Pera Panagia.
Antiparos
Castle of Antiparos, in the centre of Antiparos village.
Excavations on the Small Islands west of Antiparos, give evidence of the existence of an important ancient civilization. The first archaeological studies took place in 1889 by Tsountas who discovered two cemeteries of the First Cycladic era and ruins of Prehistoric dwellings. In 1959, 21 marble graves from the First Cycladic era were dug out, parts of a Doric style construction that consisted of 5 adjacent rooms. Below the stones, archaeologists found many objects of the Archaic era: ceramic pots, golden and bronze jewellery, scarabs and a clay statuette of a goddess dated from 650 BC. An inscription with the name “Apollo” gives probable evidence that the temple was built to honor this ancient Greek god. These findings have similarities with the ones discovered at the Ancient Temple of Dilion in Paros