Church of the Taxiarch Michael in Anavatos (the Neo Chorio - New village)
Anavatos is a village of central Chios, 20.5 km from the island’s capital. The new village stretches over the foot of a hill. The old village, the so-called “Kastro” (fortress) is situated atop the hill and is uninhabited. After the massacre of Chios in 1822, the new village was founded by residents of the old village, which itself was completely abandoned after the 1881 earthquake.
The holy church of the Taxiarch Michael in the new village is a salient example of 19th-century church architecture. It’s a double-nave basilica that’s seen numerous construction phases over the years. The church of the Taxiarch Michael celebrates its feast day on 8 November. The old church of the same name dominates the highest point of the “fortified settlement” of medieval Anavatos. Built atop sheer rock, its architectural characteristics reminiscent of medieval abodes, Anavatos has rightfully been named the “Mystras” of the Aegean. Travellers who visit the new village of Anavatos should go out of their way to also pay a visit to its medieval counterpart. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience and a unique trip back in time.
Church of the Taxiarch Michael in the Medieval Village of Anavatos
The old medieval village of Anavatos clings to a sheer 450 m. tall hilltop flanked by two gorges. It’s a unique settlement whose numerous structures emerge from the rock as if one with it.
The first settlers chose this rocky outcrop mainly for defensive purposes, as it provides a naturally fortified location, safe from enemy raids.
The picturesque, ruined settlement in the Kastro is crowned by the imposing church of the Taxiarch Michael. The Kastro at Anavatos was divided into four neighbourhoods: Taxiarchis, Panagia, Kakouin and Steni Porta. The neighbourhood of Taxiarchis preserves one of two barrel-vaulted “diavatika”-a type of covered road, a stoa in other words. The church of the Taxiarch Michael is a vital monument of the post-Byzantine period. Out of the total of 112 structures in the picturesque, abandoned village of old Anavatos, those in the best condition are a three-storey building and the church of the Taxiarch.