ARCHAEOLOGICAL SIGHTS
In Saliagos, now an uninhabited rocky island, a Neolithic settlement dating back to 4000 BC was excavated, with important findings that are now exhibited in the museum of Parikia.
In Despotiko, now an uninhabited rocky island, opposite the area of Agios Georgios, excavations are being carried out which reveals the historical importance of the island. Archaeologists believe that these findings, along with the ones in Livadi and Zoubaria, will enable Despotiko to be declared an archaeological park.
«Woman of Despotiko dressed in ancient remnants, sleeps in the sea, with fish and waves stroking her».
The foundations of great ancient buildings can be seen in Tsimintiri, a small island between Antiparos and Despotiko while at its beach, there are also graves of the Hellenistic and Roman era.
On the island Strogilo, on the west side of Despotiko, there are remnants of a small, post-Byzantine church, in the construction of which parts of an ancient building have been used.
A great number of the findings from the three islands, Antiparos- Saliagos- Despotiko, are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Athens and more in the museum of Cycladic Art Goulandri. The above mentioned findings reveal that this area was as developed as Paros.
Antiparos Castle was built in the early 1440s, the year the island came to Maria Sommaripa after her wedding to Lorentano. Lorentano, at his own expense, brought farmers to Antiparos and built the Castle near the sea. At the time, there were 24 two-storey houses in the castle, 24 one-storey ones in Ksopirgo and another 16 two-storey houses in the inner zone. We conclude that the Castle area had 104 houses, which meant that there were approximately 500 inhabitants with an estimate of 4-5 persons per home.
The only exit is located on the southern side and is a Gothic style gate.
Later, in 1480, Lorentatos was succeeded by Domenico Pizani but the family Lorentatos took hold of the island again, until 1537, which was then attacked by Harientin Barbarossa and became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1556. In 1770-1774, both Paros and Antiparos were under Russian rule. It is the period when the Cave suffered heavy damage as Russian officers removed large pieces of stalactites to carry them to the museum in Petroupolis. In 1794, pirates from Mani and Kefalonia slaughtered the people and the island remains deserted till today.
The famous Antiparos Cave is also called «Katafigi». It is situated on the Ai-Yannis hill in the southeast of the island and can be reached either from the Antiparos Castle or from Parikia and Punta by boat. There are also donkeys that take visitors to the castle. The Cave, with its awe-inspiring stalagmite covered entrance, was also known in ancient times as ancient pottery was discovered there.
Until the previous century there was a sign informing us that Menandros, Saharmos, Menekratis, Antipatros, Ippomedon, Aristeas, Fileas, Gorgos, Diogenis, Filokratis and Onisimos hid in the cave to save themselves from Alexander the Great. They were all accused of trying to kill the Macedonian warrior.
At the entrance, there is also the small church of Ai-Giannis, an ancient place of pilgrimage.
Inside the cave, there are names, dates and notices inscribed on the walls:
«Othon A’, King of Greece», «Helen de Tasse, a wonderful woman! Treasure of Marquis de Samber, 1775 ».
In 1673 on Christmas eve, the French ambassador in Constantinople, Marquis Nouadel, was in Paros. After arriving at the island, he was staying on the boat of the famous pirate Daniil, also a member of the «Order of Malta». Noadel had the idea of doing something that people would remember in the years to come.
He carried out the mass, inside Antiparos cave, with the torches alight, with the help of a priest belonging to his entourage and using a stalagmite as the altar. The stalagmite has been known ever since as «Altar». An inscription can now be seen on it, in Latin «HIC IPSE CHRISTUS/ EJUS NATALIE DIE MEDIA CELEBRATO/MDCLXXIII». (Here the God Himself, on His birthday came to celebrate in the middle of the night-1673).
As the visitor goes down the cave, he can hear the guide narrating legends and traditions of the island. In the cave, there are other inscriptions apart from the one about Alexander the Great. In 1840, King Othon came here accompanied by Queen Amalia and their entourage. They all inscribed messages while during the German occupation; all the stalactites were partially destroyed.