Porfyriada School

The Porfyriada Commercial School is one of the most historic and emblematic buildings of Karlovasi and a shining example of Samos’s educational and architectural heritage. Built in 1818 with a donation from the Karlovasi benefactor Porphyrios Zampetis, the school initially operated as Samos’s Commercial School and took its name in his honor. The imposing stone building, with four striking columns at the entrance and classicist architecture, dominates the town center opposite Valaskantzis Square. Over the years it hosted generations of students and eminent figures of letters and science, and for the past fifty years it has housed the 1st Karlovasi Primary School, continuing its educational mission. The Porfyriada remains a landmark of the town and a favorite photo subject, preserving its form unchanged through the centuries—a symbol of education, history and culture in western Samos.