Village Imerovigli Santorini Island Greece
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Santorini Villages / Imerovigli




Imerovigli Village & Skaros Rock : 'The Balcony of Santorini'

Imerovigli Volcano View
Chapel of Panagia Theoskepasti Skaros Rock
Imerovigli The Volcano, Skaros & Thirassia


Welcome to Imerovigli

You can find Imerovigli by taking the road going towards Oia. It is the next village after Fira & Firostefani on the famous Santorini caldera.

The name of this village belongs to the days of the pirates :
vigla
(Latin = vigilare = To Guard or to Act as a Look Out, imera (Greek) = day. Imerovigli has been declared a Traditional Settlement, and special rules and regulations have been enforced regarding building development.

Its position at the highest, most central part of the caldera gave it visual command of the whole area. It also derived importance from its proximity to Skaros Fortress. The Church of the Panagia Malteza has a marvellous carved wooden screen with icons depicting scenes from the Old Testament. There is a path from Imerovigli caldera walkway to Skaros Rock and the Chapel of Panagia Theoskepasti.


Imerovigli Settlement
Photo : Klearchos Kapoutsis

Imerovigli Today : Traditional Settlement

Imerovigli has views of the volcano, breathtaking sunsets and tranquility. There is a main square which leads up to the Caldera and the traditional hillside cave settlements. If you continue on the road to Oia, the lower plains of Imerovigli also have wonderful sunset east coast views.

The largest part of Imerovigli was destroyed in the 1956 volcano eruption. Some of the population perished, while others moved away to the mainland. Imerovigli has since then been restored and is home to some of the most beautiful hotels and traditional cave house settlements on the island.



Fortified Settlements of Santorini : Skaros Rock

Skaros was one of the five fortified settlements and the most important one. At that time it was referred to simply as ‘Kastro’ (castle in Greek).

The rock was inhabited in medieval times, because the fortress built there offered protection from pirates.

Skaros was the capital of Santorini until the 18th century, although evacuation of Skaros started at the beginning of the 17th century. The promontory at Skaros has been shaken repeatedly by strong earthquakes, particularly the one of 1650.


Distances Fira town : 3 kilometers
History Skaros Rock - one of the 5 fortified castles of Santorini
Services Small supermarkets, traditional restaurants & taverns
Buses There is a bus stop in the main square which connects south to Fira and Firostefani, and north to Oia.

See more : Imerovigli Hotels
See more : Skaros Fortress

Imerovigli Sunset. Oia in the Distance



 
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