Chios (common) - Chio (comune)

Chios (Χίος) is a city on the outskirts of the Northern Aegean Greece.

To know

Chios is twinned with two Italian cities: Genoa (since 1985) e Ortona (since 2008).

Background

It was originally an ancient settlement built on the northern shore of a natural harbor. In the sixteenth century, the city surrounded by walls was further fortified by successive rulers until it became a mighty castle in medieval times, the "Kastro".

In 1881 there was a devastating earthquake and the city was rebuilt in a neoclassical style although some quays and suburbs are modern in style.

How to orient yourself

The city center is still concentrated between the port and the castle where there are several museums, the main shopping street "Aplotaria", and the municipal gardens.

North of Chios lies the suburb of Vrontados, while the national airport of the island of Chios and the city of Karfas are located a few kilometers south of the center.

How to get

How to get around

What see

On the occasion of the twinning with Ortona, two small relics of St. Thomas were donated by the archbishop of Lanciano-Ortona Carlo Ghidelli respectively to the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.

• Archaeological Museum of Chios. 
• Byzantine Museum of Chios. 
• Giustiniani Palace. Historic building (14th-15th century) which houses exhibitions of artistic pieces found on the island. 
• Chios Maritime Museum. 
• Nea Moni Monastery and Museum (Inside the island, on Mount Provateio Oros, about 15 km from Chios.). Monastery of the Byzantine era, heritage ofUNESCO built during the 11th century. It is known for its mosaics which, together with those of the Daphni Monastery and Ossios Loukas, are among the best examples of Macedonian Renaissance art in Greece. 

Events and parties

What to do

Shopping

How to have fun

Where to eat

Where stay

Safety

How to keep in touch

Around

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Chios (common)
• Commons contains images or other files on Chios (common)

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