Emporio was the commercial port of Nisyros until the Middle Ages. However, due to piracy, in medieval times, the settlement of Emporio was moved higher, to a safer position from where the inhabitants had the possibility to control the entire surrounding area. and which he maintains until today.
Emporio stretches on top of a mountain range around the fertile valley of the volcano in a lush green area. It is 8 km from Mandraki, the capital of Nisyros. The settlement is highly picturesque with typically Aegean elements and dense continuous construction that was important in the past for better defense of the inhabitants against pirate and other enemy raids. Its houses are mainly two-storeyed with flat roofs, as in Mandraki, but many have now been abandoned.
At the top of the hill is the castle of Emporio. It existed during the Byzantine period, while later, during the Chivalry, a strong wall was built by the Knights of the order of Ag. John of Rhodes. Inside the castle, at the top of the hill, is the temple of Taxiarchi Michael, built at the end of the 13th century, with a wood-carved iconostasis and interesting frescoes.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou
