Exploring Greece, we always discover new corners that deserve our attention. Some of them are better known and others less so. A destination in Greece that has been distinguished for its beauty and characteristics is Masticochoria in Chios. They also call them labyrinth-villages as they are essentially fortified as in castles, worth being studied as a fortification architecture technic, created by the re-occupation of Chios by the Genoese in the 14th century.
Chios, the Greek island with the impressive labyrinth-villages
Chios, then, is the Greek island that has villages that look like labyrinths. They are the famous Mastichochoria named after the mastic trees. The mastic trees and their precious resin, the mastic, have defined South Chios for centuries.
Nowhere else in the world do these trees thrive, and those who happened or chose to live with them couldn’t but appreciate nature’s generosity and exploit it. All of them works of a magnificent strategic communication network, from the time the Giustiniani took over the exploitation of the island and took care first of all to protect cultivation and growers.
In what way? They built castlelike villages, unseen by the sea, walled by the exterior walls of the houses themselves. In fact, we are talking about labyrinth-villages, with houses that communicated from the rooftops, built in a compact faction around a very high tower and neighbourhoods that were interception zones mainly from pirates.
One of these villages is the village of “Vessa”. This village is a prime example of one of the medieval castle-villages of Chios and was created by the combination of three smaller settlements. It is a semi-mountainous village that stretches in a large valley surrounded by mountains. The gate of the castle-village is well preserved, while the tight road and its high narrow-fronted buildings are reminiscent of towers.
Chios has this one, together with many other, reasons to visit it this summer…
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Frequently Asked Questions
Mastichochoria are labyrinth-villages located in southern Chios, Greece. Named after the mastic trees that grow exclusively in this region, these villages were built as fortified settlements with castle-like architecture. They feature compact designs with houses connected via rooftops, surrounded by exterior walls, and organized around central towers for protection against pirates during medieval times.
The labyrinth-villages were strategically designed by the Genoese Giustiniani family in the 14th century to protect the valuable mastic cultivation and its growers from pirate attacks. The fortified castle-like design with narrow winding streets, high towers, and interconnected rooftops made the villages invisible from the sea and created natural defense zones against raids and invasions.
Mastic is a precious resin produced exclusively by mastic trees that thrive only in southern Chios. This valuable resource has defined the region for centuries and motivated the strategic development of the Mastichochoria villages. The mastic trade became so important that the Genoese invested heavily in protecting both the trees and the communities that cultivated and processed them.
Vessa is a prime example of a medieval castle-village in Chios, created by combining three smaller settlements. Located in a semi-mountainous valley, Vessa features well-preserved castle gates and distinctive high narrow-fronted buildings that resemble towers. Its tight roads and compact architecture showcase the typical defensive design of Mastichochoria labyrinth-villages.
Yes, Kydianta is a ruined village located in the triangle between Lagada, Sykiada, and Pityos villages in Chios. Built invisibly between mountain slopes away from the sea to avoid pirate detection, Kydianta was likely the largest settlement in the wider medieval region. It represents an important historical example of the strategic fortification architecture found throughout the island's labyrinth-villages.
