From Theophilos’ «first-told truth» to Teriade’s «Grands Livres», from Picasso’s cubism to Mirό’s surrealism, from Giacometti’s vague figures to Le Corbusier’s preciseness, the distance is short and can be spanned on Lesvos. 

Theofilos Chatzimihail Museum was built in 1964 in Varia, a suburb of Mytilene; expenses were undertaken by a Mytilenian publisher of art books in Paris, Stratis Eleftheriades (Teriade). It now houses 86 paintings by the famous Greek painter who was born and spent his childhood years in Varia, after which he left and went to Smyrna and from there on to Mt. Pelion. He stayed there for 30 years, wandering around dressed up at times as a tsolias (a Greek soldier wearing a traditional military dress uniform) or, at other times, as Alexander the Great. He returned to Mytilene after it was freed from Ottoman rule and finished his cycle of painting. In his works themed around nature, history, mythology and folk tales, Theophilos portrayed greekness and illustrated Greek folk traditions in an unprecedented manner.

Stratis Eleftheriades Teriade and Theophilos Museums, with the olive grove that surrounds them, form a unique cultural complex on the island. The «Grands Livres» (Big Books), published by Teriade, contain original works of art by the greatest artists of his time. Each painter not only provides illustrations for the text but creates a book, which in the end is in itself an extraordinary piece of art and can be found in this house filled with culture. Apart from the «Grands Livres», Teriade also created the magazine «Verve», filled with lithographs by Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Léger, as well as copies of manuscripts from the Middle Ages. Finally, works by famous Greek painters, such as Tsarouchis, Kanellis, Vakirtzis and others have found a wonderful home.

An Old and a New Archeological Museum in Mytilene host the artefacts of an island filled with life since Neolithic times. The Old building, a mansion with its outbuildings, was erected in the beginning of the 20th century in an Eclectic style, and it is worth a visit even just for the building itself! The New Archeological Museum is a fine example of modern museological conception: it is situated at the location of Kioski, where recent excavations uncovered Aphrodite’s temple. The exhibition offers visitors an impression of what life was like on Lesvos from the 2nd century B.C until the 3rd century A.D.

The Byzantine Museum is situated across the church of Agios Therapon. It hosts a collection of heirlooms of great ecclesiastical value, portable icons, vestments, ecclesiastical relics, manuscripts and old ecclesiastical books, elaborate iconostases of old churches, as well as an icon of the Assumption of Virgin Mary, created by the popular artist Theophilos, all of which unravel the island’s ecclesiastical history.

Material relics of the past in Lesvos are numerous and scattered in various locations. We cite 4 monuments from different time periods, which illustrate the multi-faceted cultural profile of the island. 

A flourishing society, such as the one in Mytilene, could not but have its theatre. The first constructive phase of the Ancient Theatre of Mytilene dates to the beginning of the Hellinistic period, but during the post-Roman period, the theatre was reconstructed and it is believed to have held 10,000 people. Plutarch, in his Life of Pompey, suggests that the Roman general marvelled at the theatre of Mytilene and copied its construction plans for the theatre he built in Rome in 55 A.D. It is worth a visit for its wonderful view alone.

A part of the Roman Aqueduct and, more specifically, an archway 170m long with 17 arches, is found in the location of Morias. The construction supplied water from Mt. Olympus to Mytilene and it is a marvel of Roman construction technique. Its construction dates back to the end of the 2nd or the beginning of the 3rd century AD.

The Castle of Mytilene, one of the biggest in the Mediterranean, is situated in the northeast side of the city, on the highest part of the peninsula, where the ancient acropolis used to be. Its oldest phase dates to the 6th century and it was part of Justinian’s construction plan. Conquerors and earthquakes have left significant marks on it, but it still is one of the best examples of fortifying architecture. It has been repaired and conserved since the ’70s, when it started serving as a monument.

Yeni Tzami (New Mosque) is the biggest Muslim mosque in Mytilene and it is situated in the middle of the former Ottoman market. Some frescos have been salvaged in its interior, and it functions as an exhibition space.

And a surprise: a bakery filled with Theophilos’ works! In Mesagros, on the road from Mytilene to Plomari, a renovated bakery with paintings by Theophilos welcomes visitors who “have done their homework”. There are unique scenes portraying the cultivation of crops and the preparation of bread and, right across the bakery, a mosque with its minaret whispers its own story.

The soil composition of Lesvos, which includes clay has led to an impressive growth of pottery throughout time. Even today pottery workshops or “tsoukouladika” as the locals call them can be found all over the island. Wood carving has always been developed on the island. 

Experienced craftsmen carve on olive, chestnut and cherry tree wood, giving life and shape to the logs, honouring the saints at the churches and monasteries and decorating the houses with the renowned wood-carved furniture of Lesvos.

Just like everywhere else in Greece, festivals have always played a prevalent role in the social, cultural and economic life of Lesvos. Some of them are more local, while others last longer, attract bigger crowds and go far beyond a strictly local character. Until 1922, these festivals mainly attracted crowds of visitors from the Christian communities of Asia Minor, such as those of Smyrna and Aivali. Typical examples are the Festival of the Virgin in Agiassos, and that of Taxiarchis in Mantamado. Thousands of pilgrims flock on foot on the Eve of the celebration; the atmosphere is well worth experiencing. 

After the 1950s, a second series of customs emerged in the history of Lesvos; these are associated with the “horse culture” and gradually gained more and more attention. Riders decorate their horses in particularly good taste, while they compete with each other in showing off tricks and dancing. At many festivals they hold horse races with participants from every part of the island.

Grand festivals, beyond the local level, are focal points of interest in the social and economic life of the island today. These include the Festival of the Virgin in Agiassos on August 15, the Festival of Taxiarchis on the third Sunday after Easter Sunday at Mantamado, the Festival of Agios Haralambos or “Bull” feast at Agia Paraskevi. At these two festivals there is a ritualistic slaughtering of a bull, when the kisketsi is offered; this is a festive dish made with meat, ground chick peas and wheat, as well as the festival of Agios Ignatios at the Monastery of Leimonos in the district of Kalloni.

Besides old traditional festivals that echo the history of the island, there are numerous other well-established events, many of which are associated with select island products. There is Ouzo Festival and Lesvos Summer held in Mytileni, Sardine Festival at the Quay of Kalloni, Agro-tourism Festival at the Natural History Museum in Sigri, Cherry Festival and Chestnut Festival in Agiassos, the Vatioussian August in Vatoussa, Veniameineia Festival in Plomari and a plethora of culinary festivals introduce the products of Lesvos and become an excuse for traditional flavours to come back to life and for outstanding celebrations to take place

Finally a special note should be made to the carnivalesque custom of Koudounatoi at Mesotopos. The three Sundays of Carnival, the Koudounatoi, men wearing bucolic bells and placing pumpkins on their heads, decorated with rooster or turkey feathers go around the village and are treated in houses and coffee houses..

Theophrastus, a philosopher who continued Aristotle’s work, described the techniques of pruning, watering and spraying in his work «Votaniki» (Botanics), thus turning viticulture into a science. He came from Lesvos! 

The Roman general Lucius Licinius Lucullus, well known for his big banquets, took over the island at 84 A.D. and built a mansion, which allowed him to spend a lot of time on the island, appreciating its excellent gastronomy.

The Ottomans characterised the island as “the Empire’s orchard”.

Refugees from Asia Minor in 1922 brought Eastern culinary culture to the island which was combined with the expertise of French cooks employed by Lesbian middle class housewives.

The island is big and fertile.

And thus Lesvos’ gastronomic culture was created!

Its olive oil, ouzo and sardines are amongst Greece’s best products.

There are more than 11,000,000 olive trees on the island. Colovi olives are cultivated in the south and the east, adramytini variety in the north and the northeast, and there are a few ladolies. Whatever the olives’ variety, while you explore the island you should raise your eyes and look around at the beautiful olive groves with their silver hues; notice the flowers growing around their roots and listen to the sounds the birds who love these trees make. Olive oil from Lesvos, and the whole process that revolves around the use of this blessed product have left unique buildings on the island, such as olive presses, olive oil storage and packaging factories, soap-manufacturing plants, etc. Some of them provide useful information on Greece’s industrial and cottage-industry history, albeit limited. One of these, the old communal oil press of the Municipality of Agia Paraskevi was excellently transformed into an Industrial Oil-making Museum, presenting the complete process of oil-production. The old storing areas for olives, the so-called bates, house exhibitions related to those who have been working with this blessed fruit for centuries, presenting their tools and the changes that occurred to Lesvos community following industrialization.

One more traditional Olive Oil Press is at Papado of Geras. One of the most characteristic monuments of the industrial architectural heritage of Lesvos waits to welcome visitors on a journey through the culture of the olive tree.

Besides olive oil there is the famous ouzo from Mytileni. It accompanies perfectly the diet and culture of the island and creates a unique gastronomic experience. Lesvos inhabitants have established a museum to honour it. Ouzo Museum in Plomari displays bronze boilers made in Istanbul in the 19th century and presents a full reconstruction of the distillation system.

Lesvos wines have been in great demand since antiquity. Aristarchus, the poet, praises the “mellow and perfumed” wine of Lesvos and calls it ambrosia, i.e. fit for non-humans. Both the quality and the quantity of Lesvos wine were impressive, until vineyards were gradually replaced by olive trees, mainly due to phylloxera. Even today excellent wine is produced by a few producers, while in the volcanic soil region of western Lesvos there is an excellent quality organic wine producing plant, which welcomes visitors.

The particular flavour and quality of cheese products from Lesvos has made its products recognizable internationally. Of the twenty appellation controlee cheeses of Greece, three are made on Lesvos: ladotyri, Eressos kasseri and feta.

A special place in the culinary customs of Lesvos ever since antiquity is held by all kinds of fish and shellfish. They are fished daily by local boats and they are salted and preserved in various ways – they are ideal accompaniment for ouzo. Cockles, warty venuses (Venus verucosa) and sardines from Kalloni or papalina are the local …sushi.

There are also honey, jams, sauces, rusks made at small cottage industries and wonderful women’s cooperatives to make your tour of the island really tasty. It is worth mentioning that the first women’s cooperative in Greece was established here, in the traditional village of Petra.