Kallimasia

Today we would like to take you to the trip around Kallimasia

Kalimasia is one of the Chios largest mastic villages, 13 km south of Chios Town. It is surrounded by olive trees which are the predominant vegetation of the area. Inside the village one can see the remains of the medieval towers and city walls- remarkable signs of the earthquake which affected the village of Kallimasia in 1881.

Also, the well preserved churches can be visited. The significant temple of the village is temple of Virgin Mary. On August 15 the big feast to celebrate the Dormition of the Mother of God is being organised annually.

There is an interesting Women’s Handicraft Association which provides a great contribution towards the preservation of the area’s and the whole island’s customs. There is also a Cultural center in the village. In the surrounding area, is found the nunnery of Panagia Plakidiotissa which was founded in 1625. It's located near the village of Kallimasia and took its name from the stone slabs of the area. The monastery is closely connected with the Massacre of Chios and a museum within it houses relics such as images, utensils, books and vestments.

Nevertheless, the highlight and gem of the village seem to be its very interesting folklore museum. With a surface of over 550 square meters and 5000 items, it has been fairly characterized as one of the best of its kind in Greece. Its collection includes different objects and representations of more than 30 occupations- we can even visit a flour mill and ouzo distillery. The museum was founded in 1995 by the club ‘Friends of the Folklore Museum in Kallimasia’ and organizes a lot of educational programs annually: recently they housed an exhibition about harvesting, trading and proceeding the wheat, traditions of Greek Carnival and, of course, a big programme about mastic. Children, through the games and activities, experienced the traditional cultivation of mastic and customs connected with this occupation.
The program aims to build understanding of the unique value of the mastic and to preserve and continue its cultivation.

So, if you are looking for a nice option for a day trip, Kallimasia with its nice surroundings and historical breath can be the one.

Kalimasia is the first village which visitors encounter thirteen kilometers from the city of Chios. It is one of the islands largest mastic villages, the capital of the municipality of Ionia, and it is built on a plain where deep green vegetation and olive trees prevail.

Inside the village one can see the remains of the medieval towers, the clean and lively squares, and the well-preserved and impressive churches. It is really worth to visit the Folklore Museum, where visitors will literally relive the past, as it features an antique tailor shop, a shoemaker shop, the facade of a house and the curtain of Karagiozis (a fictional character from the Greek folklore). The project aims to rebuild a traditional city with a square, traditional houses, coffee grocers and places of other profession that were born in the beginning of the 20th century. The Women's Handicraft Association has managed to preserve the areas customs in addition to customs found in other villages of the island, and other associations like the Cultural center of the village also contributes to this task. All the items and cloths are donated by inhabitants of Chios island.

In the surrounding area is also the nunnery of Panaghia Plakidiotissa, which was built on the remains of an earlier nunnery dated back to the 16th century. Finally the area of Agios Aimilianos, which is one kilometer from Kalimasia, has a magnificent beach for swimming.