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Parian MarbleThe marble from Paros, lychnite, is startlingly white and was sought after during the classical age of Greece for the finest works. Praxiteles' beautiful statue of Hermes which can be seen at the Archaeological Museum in Olympia, as well as the famous Venus de Milo (which is in the Louvre in Paris) were sculpted from Parian marble.But Parian marble was not known only to the Greeks, the lychnite was an important part of ancient wonders, statues and palaces in Athens, Rome and Egypt. It is also said the the lychnite Parian marble was used to clad the legendary Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. The history of Greece was once recorded in the Parian Chronicle, carved in marble of course. The Parian Chronicle, dating from the 3rd century, was discovered in the walls of the kastro in the 17th century by the cleric to the Duke of Arundel. The Parian Chronicle records the artistic achievements of ancient Greece up to 264 B.C. You can see remnants of this work and other important pieces of marble at the Archaeological Museum in Parakia, behind the church of Ekatontapyliani. The majority of the remains are in a museum in Oxford, England. Visit Marathi on the way to Lefkes in the center of the island to see the famous marble quarries (Latomia Marmarou) where the brilliant white rock is drawn from deep in the mountain. The quarries were last worked for Napoleons tombs. Take a flashlight with you if you would like to explore the ancient tunnels. There are three shafts to be explored. Take the bus to Marathi and follow the signposts to the quarry. |
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