DISCOVERING KAMPOS CHIOS’ VALLEY OF MANSIONS
There under the clear blue sky in an aromatic valley of citrus groves hidden among the orange and lemon trees stand the proud manor houses of Kambos on the island of Chios.
The mansions, many of which have been restored to their former glory, are living testimonies of the prosperity of the eastern coast of Chios but also of traditional architectural techniques and pre-industrial agricultural systems not mention harmony and aesthetics. Thanks to the abundance of groundwater in Kambos (which means “valley” in Greek), wealthy Chiot merchants and shipowners built their estates here, some 200 all in all, embraced by colorful orange, tangerine and lemon trees.
The mansions or “archontika” have been preserved as prime examples of Chios island architecture and are works of art in their own right. These beautiful villas were built on top of fortified tower houses that were either abandoned and left to decay after the Chios Massacre in 1822 by the Ottoman Turks and again after the 1881 earthquake that destroyed the entire town.
Besides their remarkable walls, imposing entrance gates, vine-shaded terraces, and main house areas all built with Thymiana stone, the wooden doors, the elaborate porticos, the cobblestone courtyards and elaborate gardens, the wells and embellished marble water basins, not to mention the working spaces and endless views to the citrus orchards take us back to a time of affluence and nobility. The great news is that many of these beautiful, Neoclassical-style town homes have been restored as guesthouses and today offer the finest luxury hospitality in an intimate and genuinely Greek island setting.
And while there, don’t forget to visit the Kambos Citrus Museum housed in a renovated 1742 mansion, and of course, to try freshly-made lemonade from farm to table.
Due to the historic and aesthetic value of these homes, Kambos and its elegant two- or three-storey manors has been designated by the Greek culture ministry as a protected historic monument and traditional settlement.