Antissa

Antissa is a semi-mountainous settlement in western Lesvos (280 m a.s.l.), 76 km from Mytilene, built on a volcanic slope overlooking the Aegean and the Asia Minor coast. Its history is linked to the ancient city of the same name, among the island’s earliest Aeolic settlements, and it is the homeland of the poet Terpander. According to myth, Orpheus’ lyre and head were washed up on its beach. Today, residents make their living mainly from stock-breeding and tourism, and the settlement has a health center and schools at all levels. Sights include the ruins of the Venetian castle Ovriokastro, traces of the ancient city at Vigla, the Ypsilou Monastery with rare relics, the Perivolis Monastery with Byzantine frescoes, and the hamlet of Tsithra with the painted church of Saint Nicholas.