Naxos. from the Precursor of the Parthenon to the Duchy of the Archipelago - Denis Roubien - Bog

This book is a travel story describing, through a large number of black and white photos and maps, with concise historical and architectural explanations, a hiking tour in one of the culturally richest and yet not enough known islands of Greece. Having been the cultural and political centre of the Cyclades from ancient times to the Middle Ages, Naxos boasts a wealth of cultural treasures, covering a wide time range. The island's spectacular beaches resulted in the treasures of the hinterland remaining unknown to the wide public. This book endeavours to cover this omission and give a glimpse of this cultural richness to the visitor who desires to discover it. Among other things, it presents the most impressive kouroi of ancient Greece, temples that are considered the precursors of the Parthenon, unique iconoclastic and other Byzantine churches that compose what is called the Mystras of the Aegean, one of the best preserved fortified medieval settlements of the Aegean composing an islet from Greece of Latin domination that made it to our days, monasteries that housed schools of international fame, feudal towers and picturesque villages.