Northern Euboea Island, The Glorious Past
In this gulf of Euboean sea, this deep blue channel of water abound with dolphins and seagulls, the sun’s reflection and the aroma of jasmine meet embrace Aedipsos. The crystal clear sea “the blood of Greece” and its briny shores invite you to prolong your days. In the background the Telethrio, the mount of peaceful silence, aborns Aedipsos with its shadows.
In the ancient Roman Times, Scylla the general, left his traces in Aedipsos. It is said that in the hot springs of that place he was cured of the gout which had tormented him. His “cave”, the style of the thermal bath of that time, and the historian Stravon, confirm his presence. According to many historical references of that period, Aedipsos was a cosmopolitan center for thermal therapeutic baths, entertainment and enjoyment.
The historian Plutarch, notes “the village of Aedipsos on the island of Euboea is a place for pleasure and entertainment, full of elegant buildings and entertainment centers providing luxurious stays”.
The marble inscribed plaques from that distant past, which can be seen today in Aedipsos, relate the history of the Emperor Adrian, Markus Aurelius and others, and the statue of Julia Domna displays her fascinating beauty.
Both mortals and immortals became blissful when enjoying the beauties of the place and the pleasures of the place and the pleasures of its well-organised society. Times came and went.
In the Middle Ages lords passed through and after then came Constantine the Great followed by Theodosius, each in turn seeking both pleasure and cure.
Three thousand years have passed but the history remains firmly in our minds and the scenes from that time retain its tradition. In the years after the 1st World War, Aedipsos flourished once more. It is the period when spas became internationally popular. In the hotel lounges one could meet international personalities of that time, famous actors, artists, writers, state-men, politician and successful entrepreneurs and ship owners. You could get a glimpse of Prince Edward and Mrs. Simpson secluding themselves from the public eye and Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos enjoying a break. In this cosmopolitan environment the picturesque inhabitants lived alongside enjoying their lives to the full in the small taverns and coffee shops. These people living in the shadows of the rich and famous are vividly described by the Greek writer Loudemis in the famous book “Adieu Life”. Later Aedipsos hospitates the shipping magnet Aristotelis Onasis the Father of Victory Winston Churchill, the great opera singer Maria Callas and the glamorous Greta Garbo. Chefs catered for the most delicate palates in the luxurious hotel restaurants.
“They were the high paid chefs of that time” says the writer Lilika Nackou. Some of the most beautiful hotels and villas standing in Aedipsos were built during that time, sucj as the T. Scylla, the Heracleon, the Ai Piyai, the Ethinkon, the Capri and the villa of Pneumatikos.
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