The “monopati” (path) to Zagora


Antonio Bianco
Antonio Bianco. Photo by Irma Havlicek; © PHM.

by Antonio Bianco*
Archaeologist

The Greek name “monopati” means pathway, and the Cycladic Islands are commonly characterised by their famous ones. Farmers and shepherds use these “monopati” to reach their fields on slopes. It is not rare to meet there a wise man on his donkey contemplating silently the changes of nature.

What I’m going to describe to you here is another story, which has for its main actors a different kind of observer: the archaeologists. 


Every morning we walk on our “monopati” to the site of Zagora. It is about 1.8 kms from the main road and it takes about 25 minutes by foot.

Walking along the path to Zagora
Some of our Zagora team have estimated that in the six weeks of walking to and from Zagora from the main road, each of us will have covered the same distance as a person climbing to the Mount Everest base camp. Above, one of our team walks along the path to Zagora. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco
Sheep in one of the fields we pass on the way to Zagora
Sheep in one of the fields we pass on the way to Zagora. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco

When everything is still quiet and nature starts to awake from the sleepy night, it become a good friend with whom we share our thoughts. The characteristic local stone, schist (“xistolithos” in Greek), is a flat shiny stone, mostly in a silver colour or darker, sometimes very green. It is characterised by friable layers and can have veins of different types of rock.

Rock with vein
Schist with what appear to be quartz veins. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco


At the beginning of the main road there is the Church of Agia Triada (the Holy Trinity) which provides welcome shade to restore us after having climbed back up from the site at the end of the day.

The Church of Agia Triada, Stavropeda
The Church of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) greets us at the beginning of our walk down to Zagora in the early morning, and again at the end of our trek back up at the end of a hard day’s work. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco


Going down at some points is very hard and we walk through dry channels that during spring provide water to the fields by streams. The hardest part on the path is in fact a very steep channel, which we have called “Heartbreak Hill”. The water had modified its shape, creating little wavy lines like brush strokes of Edward Munch’s paintings.

A natural wall of schist
A natural wall of schist. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco


It is always fascinating for us to stop briefly near farmhouses and wonder how similar could have been the past houses of Zagora, with their roofs of wide schist slabs.

A small abandoned farmer's hut along the path to Zagora
A small abandoned farmer’s hut along the path to Zagora. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco

Further down, some steps remind me of piano keys.

Upended schist rocks form steps on the path to Zagora
The ‘piano key steps’: upended schist rocks form steps on the path to Zagora. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco


A very little church suddenly appears at half way, probably not used anymore, but set there to keep the fields under the blessing of God.

A small church about half-way along the track between Zagora and the road at Stavropeda
A small church which marks about the half-way point along the track between Zagora and the road at Stavropeda. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco


The last part of the “monopati” has a lot of terraces, which offer a wonderful sight to the green-blue sea beyond Zagora and to the island of Giaros. On one of the terraces, there is a threshing floor. These were common until a few decades ago on the island, when the farmers abandoned them for better paid work, such as on ferries.

A grain threshing floor visible on the walk through the fields to Zagora
A disused grain threshing floor visible on the walk through the fields to Zagora. Photo by Antonio Bianco; © Antonio Bianco


At the end of the day, tired because of the hard work, the path become an opponent to whom we must always give great respect.

Zagora team members walk the last stretch to the cars and vans before heading back to Batsi
After a hard day’s work, Zagora team members walk the last stretch to the cars and vans before heading back to Batsi. Photo and © Antonio Bianco
Antonio Bianco hugging trench team mates Kristen Mann and Elaine Lin
Antonio Bianco, at right, in a hug with his trench supervisor, Kristen Mann (wearing scarf) and trench team mate Elaine Lin, outside the Zagora dig hut after the last day of excavation. From left is another trench team member, Hayley Jones, and walking into the dig hut is Maria-Rosa Beshara, who conducted the wet sieving. Photo by Irma Havlicek; © PHM.

*Antonio Bianco was one of the archaeology volunteers working at Zagora in 2013.

More from the Dig Blog

Zagora dig blog
Catherine Mellor

It’s a Wrap, Season Finale !

After six incredible weeks the 2024 Zagora Archaeological Project field season is coming to a conclusion this weekend as we prepare to say farewell to our second group of students and to many of our field specialists.

Read More »
Zagora dig blog
Catherine Mellor

Zagora Site Open Day Success

On Monday October 28th the Zagora Archaeological Project as part of its community outreach and engagement, held a public open day event. We were very gratified to receive and welcome approximately seventy people on a lovely autumn afternoon.

Read More »

4 thoughts on “The “monopati” (path) to Zagora
”

  1. A nice post! I’ve walked a lot of the paths on Andros, and there’s always something interesting to see – history, wildlife, geology, all sorts of things! I’m sure the old man on the donkey is hired by the Tourist Board to appear at random intervals to give a scenic “photo opportunity”! Some of the paths can be hard work – for example, the one from Palaeopoli beach up to the road has over 300 steps. Walking downhill to Zagora at the start of the day was presumably OK, but I’m full of admiration for your managing the slog back uphill at the end of an exhausting day – you must now all be as fit as fleas!

    • Thanks, Malcolm. Yes it could be gruelling climbing back up after a tough day in the field – especially if the weather was challenging – and it was at times hot, humid, wet and very windy (which meant we got covered in dust). Did you walk down to Palaeopoli Beach and then back up? And are the steps on a rough natural dirt track like the path to Zagora or are the steps more regular? What was the beach like – nice place for a swim? Working six days a week, we didn’t get to explore as much as we may have liked. Maybe another time….

  2. Hi,
    Well done for all the hard work you have been doing on Andros. We first visited around 1996 and have returned nearly every year.
    Have been to Zagora so know the path you have hard to walk, but what a magnificent view and historical place, haven’t had to climb back after a hard days work though.
    We have also climbed the steps at Paleopoli 3 times, why climb it more than once I hear you say, well it was to show other friends. But the snorkelling around the old harbour wall is worth it.
    Going back in June 2014 can’t wait.

    • Thanks for your comment. We understand how easy it is to be captivated by the charm of Andros. And congratulations on climbing the Paleopoli steps three times. I haven’t done it myself – though your recommendation of good snorkelling in the harbour may entice me to try it next time.

Leave a Comment