Naxos Atsipapi

Information about Atsipapi

In the northeastern part of Naxos, at an altitude of 540 meters lies the tiny settlement of Atsipapi. It is approximately 5km away from Koronos, a larger mountainous village. Atsipapi’s name seems to be derived from a name given to the Saracens by the Cretans. There are only 15 villagers there to attend some crops on the leveled fields of the hillside.

The interesting aspect of this village is the architecture of its structures, as they use an old-fashioned, stone-only building style that does not require concrete or similar fillers. A few recently constructed houses in the area abide by that technique while offering basic insulation and are only occasionally used as aiding shed tools and protection for the agricultural equipment. In accordance with the European preservation programme of “Proterra”, there has been maintenance to the leveled structures used for crops, as well as to the existing buildings.

Atsipapi is worth visiting while vacationing in Naxos as it is a unique and intriguing example of obsolete but functional architecture in the Aegean region.