Asfontilitis
It is a ruined rural settlement with signs of habitation from early historic times. It is located approximately halfway along the old footpath that joined Chora of Amorgos to the Monastery Chozoviotissa and the area of Aegiali,. The area attracted shepherds during the spring, since the traditional agricultural year had only two seasons, summer and winter! Shepherds would leave their sheepfolds and lead their herds to the mountainous pastures, meaning that families were split up, even during the holy days of Easter. The name “Asfontylitis” does not exist in written sources, but the place-names Asfontilidi and Asfontilitis are encountered in the same area.
It is easy to assume that the settlement is named after the asphodels, which would form a welcoming carpet for the area’s seasonal visitors in the spring! Asfontilitis was the largest rural settlement on Amorgos, located in the northern, mountainous section of Aegiali; due to the number of settlers - attracted there by the large expanse of arable land – and the distance from the island’s villages - 2.5 hours of arduous trekking from the nearest one – it established structures that reflect the creation of comprehensive urban complex.
Asfontilitis is a unique cultural reference of global significance. Find out more about this place here and here.
Asfontilitis Amorgos - map
Ancient Aegiali
Near to Tholaria village, at Vigla, you can visit the Acropolis of Ancient Aegiali and its ancient walls, that you can see statue bases, sculptures and epigraphs cared into rocks, dating from historic times. Remains of Roman vaulted tombs have been found there, as well as trunks of Kouroi from the Archaic period.
Moving on to the northern fortified part of the Acropolis, you can see remains of an Early Cycladic settlement, opposite the gorge that leads to Mikri Vlychada beach. The beach is about half an hour’s walk along the footpath.
