Flatsia

When entering the village of Flatsia in the southeast of Chios, the first thing the visitor sees is the town square, which was remodeled in 1980 and is quite a sight.

Destroyed in 1881 by an earthquake, the area of the old village of Flatsia used to be a wasteland, until in 1985 it was turned into a park with funds from the municipality of Chios and local residents. Next to the plain, the area around Flatsia is famous for its beautiful valley and the fertile land, which is excellent for the thrift of herbs, used to produce Ouzo. Beside that, the few inhabitants, manly occupied as farmers, work in the cultivation of the mastic rasin and olive trees.

The closest villages are Nenita and Vouno, while the city of Chios is in a distance of 22 kilometers. There are also two beaches near Flatsia with the names Agios Giannis and Lilikas. The name of the village originates from the time of the Genoese occupation, who build watch-towers (in Greek filakia) to protect the close village of Vouno. The locals rephrased the name with the time to filatsia, and finally into Flatsia.

The special sight of Flatsia is the former leper hospital of Agios Georgos, which due to the effort of the locals, today is well preserved and serves as an amazing recreational space. Its Saint, Agios Georgos, is honored every year on the Easter Monday.

Another place worth visiting is the deserted monastery of Agios Nikolaos, located in the southeast of Flatsia. The building used to be a washhouse, close to the one in Vouno, which was remodled by the citizens into a medical center. Due to the lack of experienced personal, the hospical closed and its main hall is used today for information sessions and the like.

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