KORONOS, NAXOS: THE EMERY VILLAGE OF THE NORTHEAST

Koronos is among the highest and most steeply built villages of Naxos. Its history is unusual for the Cyclades, because the village grew not on farming or the sea but on emery, an extremely hard mineral mined in the mountains of the island’s north-east. The village belongs, with Apeiranthos and Keramoti, to the group traditionally called the Smiridohoria, the emery-producing villages. Mining has ended, but the pattern of the settlement, and the story of its decline, still define the place.

Location and Setting

Koronos lies on the slopes of a ravine between Mount Koronos and Mount Amomaxis. The two halves of the village face each other across the ravine and are joined by a bridge. Altitude is generally given as about 540 metres, although one reference gives a figure of 630 metres, and distance from Naxos Town is quoted between 28 and 34 kilometres depending on the route and the source. The village can be approached from several junctions on the main road, and a road leaves nearby for the coastal settlement of Lionas. Administratively it belongs to the Drymalia municipal unit.

The settlement first appears in written records around 1200 AD, and is described by local sources as one of the 56 districts into which the first Venetian Duke of Naxos, Marco Sanudo, divided the island. It is therefore one of the older settlements in the north-east. For the wider Venetian background, see the guide to the Kastro of Naxos.

Emery: The Industry Behind the Village

Emery is an abrasive mineral used for grinding and polishing, and Naxos is reported to have been the only significant source in Europe for a long period, according to local heritage sources. The deposits lie in the north-eastern mountains around Koronos and Apeiranthos. The Greek Ministry of Culture has declared the mines a protected monument of industrial history. Until the Greek Revolution of 1821, the mining was organised in informal cooperatives, with workers holding shares; tunnels ran 50 to 250 metres deep. Later, an aerial cableway, built between 1926 and 1929 and operating from 1930, carried the mineral from the mines to the loading port at Moutsouna on the east coast, and parts of this system are still preserved. Lionas, on the north-east coast, served as an earlier port for the Koronos mines.

Before the Second World War, local sources put the population at about 3,000. During the German occupation, when the mines were closed, the village suffered severely: local sources report that 414 people died of starvation. The collapse of the industry led to long-term emigration, particularly to Athens, and the population is now a fraction of its peak. Reported figures include 526 residents in an older count and 395 for 2021 in a recent guide, so the present number is in the low hundreds. Visitors should be aware that the old mine galleries are dangerous and are not safe to enter independently; some guides mention a museum project at the Sarantara mine, which can reportedly be visited by arrangement.

The Village: Neighbourhoods, Stairs and Squares

Koronos is built amphitheatrically, with narrow lanes, stone terraces, countless flights of steps and covered passages and arches. It is divided into seven neighbourhoods: Anegyrida, Kastro, Livadaki, Kato Gitonia, Pano Gitonia, Platsa and Provolakia. Almost every neighbourhood has its own small square and old fountain, and the central square is called the Platsa, with vines and cafes. The neighbourhood of Anegyrida, on the hillside around a large rock, is often cited as the most picturesque.

The village also has a small folklore museum, opened in 2021 and housed in a traditional guesthouse, and local sources mention an eco-museum used for events and an old olive press museum. A monument in the village commemorates the executed villagers of the Second World War, attributed to the sculptor Armakolas. The area is known for vineyards and for local wine, and economy today rests on livestock, farming and viticulture.

Churches and Feasts

The main church is Agia Marina, which is reported to have two aisles: the older, built before 1200, is dedicated to Agios Ioannis, and the later, dated to the 16th century, to Agia Marina. The patron-saint feast takes place on 17 July, with the preceding evening, and includes a procession of icons around the village and a festival that continues late into the night. About 500 metres before the village on the road from the south, a turning leads to the church of Panagia Argokoiliotissa, situated on a hill about 4 kilometres away with wide views; its feast, celebrated on the Friday after Easter, is described as drawing large numbers of pilgrims.

Visiting Koronos

Koronos is reached by car or taxi from Naxos Town along the main road into the island’s north-east, a drive that is commonly estimated at roughly an hour; public buses serve the village, but timetables are seasonal and should be checked at the terminal in Naxos Town. The village itself is best explored on foot, with sturdy footwear for the stairs and uneven stone. Food and drink are available in cafes and tavernas in the Platsa and along the route to Agia Marina, and rooms are available in the village. The village combines with Apeiranthos, Keramoti and Moni (see the Moni guide) and with the road down to Lionas, which passes the main emery mining areas. Because of the altitude, the village is generally cooler than the coast, and late spring and early autumn are comfortable seasons for walking.

Quick Answers

What is Koronos known for? It is known for its emery-mining history, its stepped village layout with seven neighbourhoods, and its vineyards.

How far is Koronos from Naxos Town? Sources give between 28 and 34 kilometres, commonly estimated at about an hour by car.

What is emery? A very hard abrasive mineral used for grinding and polishing, mined in the mountains around Koronos and Apeiranthos until the industry declined.

Can the emery mines be visited? The mine galleries are dangerous and should not be entered independently; a museum project at the Sarantara mine is reported to be visitable by arrangement.

Koronos shows how thoroughly an extractive industry can shape a village, from its stairways and squares to its population curve, and what remains when the industry ends. The village today is smaller and quieter, but the layout, the churches and the surrounding mining landscape keep its history legible. For planning a stay on the island, see the fabnaxosvillas villa portfolio and the guide to getting to Naxos.