SANGRI, NAXOS: VILLAGES, TOWERS AND THE TEMPLE OF DEMETER

Sangri is a farming district on a plateau south-east of Naxos Town, and the setting of one of the island’s most important archaeological sites. The settlement is divided into several parts, Ano (Upper) Sangri, Kato (Lower) Sangri and, in some accounts, a third district called Kanakari, separated by fields and short distances. The area combines three layers of history that are easy to see in a single half-day: an Archaic sanctuary, Byzantine and early Christian churches, and the fortified buildings of the Venetian and Ottoman periods.

Location and Name

Sangri is about 11 to 12 kilometres southeast of Naxos Town, a drive of roughly 20 to 30 minutes depending on the route. The surrounding plateau is fertile and has been cultivated since antiquity, which is relevant to the area’s best-known monument, a sanctuary of the goddess of agriculture. Today the landscape is one of olive groves, vineyards, fields and a number of windmills. Administratively the area belongs to the Drymalia municipal unit.

The name is traditionally linked to the Holy Cross (the French Sainte-Croix), the former name of the monastery now known as the Bazeos Tower. This is the explanation given by the main local sources, but it is a traditional etymology, and no date is firmly attached to it.

The Temple of Demeter at Gyroulas

The Temple of Demeter stands on a low hill in the Gyroulas area, about 1.5 kilometres south of Ano Sangri, where a signposted road leads from the village to a small car park; the final stretch is reported to be unpaved. Worship at the site is thought to have begun in the open air in the 8th century BC. The marble temple was built in the late 6th century BC, usually dated to around 530 BC, and was constructed entirely of Naxian marble. It is considered one of the earliest Ionic-influenced temples in the Greek world and is often described as a forerunner of later Athenian architecture, including the Parthenon, which was built roughly a century later. Dimensions and architectural classification vary somewhat between sources, so only the broad description should be treated as settled. Construction is commonly associated with the rule of the Naxian tyrant Lygdamis, the same period as the unfinished temple of Apollo whose gateway, the Portara, stands on the harbour of Naxos Town.

Inscriptions and finds indicate that the sanctuary was dedicated to Demeter and her daughter Kore (Persephone), with Apollo and other deities also associated with it in different sources. In the early Christian period, in the 5th and 6th centuries AD, the ancient temple was largely dismantled and replaced by a three-aisled basilica built with its stones. Workshops for oil, wine and ceramics developed around it until the site was abandoned in the 8th century. A small chapel of Agios Ioannis later stood under the arch of the ruined basilica and was moved to its present position in 1977 to allow restoration work. The remains of the temple were identified by the archaeologist Nikolaos Kontoleon in 1949, according to one source, although others give vaguer dates for the discovery. A Greek-German restoration project, begun in the mid-1990s, has partly reconstructed the building using original and new marble.

A small museum collection near the site displays architectural fragments, marble roof tiles, parts of the church’s carved templon screen and votive offerings, along with a reproduction of the basilica. Published information gives opening hours as daily except Tuesdays, from about 08:30 to 15:00 (some listings say 15:30), with free entry to the open-air site and a small fee, reported as around four euros, for the museum. Hours and fees can change and the museum does not necessarily accept card payment, so they should be confirmed with the Ephorate of Antiquities or locally before a visit. A visit typically takes one to two hours including the museum.

Ano Sangri: Bazeos Tower and the Folklore Museum

Ano Sangri contains two notable buildings. The first is the fortified Monastery of the Holy Cross (Timios Stavros), also called the Bazeos or Vazaios Tower, dating from the 17th century and located on the road towards Agiassos. Its fortified form reflects the insecurity of the period, when monasteries often doubled as defensive towers. Since 2001 it has hosted the summer Naxos Festival, a programme of exhibitions, concerts and performances; programming varies by year and should be checked.

The second is the Monastery of Agios Eleftherios, which served as a school during Ottoman rule and now houses a folklore museum. Such “secret schools” are a well-known feature of Greek tradition under Ottoman rule, although historians debate how widespread the practice was and how much of it was clandestine, so the term is best read as part of local tradition.

Kato Sangri and the Venetian Towers

Kato Sangri has been declared a protected traditional settlement and contains the ruins of two Venetian towers. Close by in the Sangri valley stands the Palaiologos Tower, dated to the 17th century, with a chapel of the Virgin of the Tower beside it. The church of Agios Artemios in the valley, near the Holy Cross monastery, is dated by one source to the Iconoclastic period (8th to 9th century), though dates for small rural churches are often approximate. Another site on the road to Agiassos is Kaloritsa, also called Panagia Spiliotissa, a cave converted into a church and reported to preserve two layers of 17th-century frescoes.

Visiting Sangri

Sangri is best reached by car or taxi, since the villages, the monastery, the towers and the temple are spread over several kilometres of rural road. A public bus serves the area from Naxos Town, but frequencies are seasonal and the temple itself is not directly on the route, so a car makes combining the sights far simpler. The temple has little shade, which makes the morning the more comfortable time, and the opening hours above end in the mid-afternoon. Comfortable shoes are advisable for the uneven ground at the site.

The area combines logically with the Tragea valley villages to the north: Damalas (Damalas guide), Damarionas (Damarionas guide) and Halki (Halki guide) are all within a short drive. Late spring and early autumn are generally the more comfortable seasons for walking and site visits.

Quick Answers

What is Sangri known for? It is known for the nearby Temple of Demeter, the fortified Bazeos Tower monastery, Venetian towers and its traditional settlement of Kato Sangri.

How old is the Temple of Demeter? It dates from around 530 BC, with open-air worship at the site attested from the 8th century BC.

How far is Sangri from Naxos Town? About 11 to 12 kilometres, roughly 20 to 30 minutes by car; the temple is a few kilometres further.

Is the Temple of Demeter free? Published sources report free entry to the open-air site and a small fee for the museum, but this should be checked before visiting.

Sangri shows the continuity of use that characterises much of the Naxian countryside: a plateau cultivated since antiquity, a sanctuary converted to a church, and later monasteries and towers built for protection. The temple remains the most significant single monument, and the villages around it provide the later chapters of the same story. For planning a stay on the island, see the fabnaxosvillas villa portfolio and the guide to getting to Naxos.