The house of the great Greek writer has been classified by the Ministry of Culture as a historical monument since 1965
Just a few steps away from its bustling port Skiathos and in the heart of the most cosmopolitan part of the Country, a small alley to the right leads to the beautiful little square in the middle of which, a large tree generously gives its cool shade to the visitors of the white house who are waiting to enter and admire the contents – exhibits of the saint of Greek literature, the great Skiathitis Alexandrou Papadiamantis.
In simple words, as it was the whole life of the great writer Alexandros Papadiamantis, it is the house-museum that he lived in his hometown in the last years of his life.
From 1954, the house of Alexandros Papadiamantis passed to the Municipality of Skiathos and from 1965 it was classified by the Ministry of Culture as a historical monument which needs special state protection, while in 1990 repair and fixing works were carried out on the building.
The wonderful two-story house, which is a classic example of Skiathite folk architecture, was built in 1860 by the father of the great writer, the priest Adamantios, as every visitor can see from the inscription built in at the entrance of the house since then.
Alexandros Papadiamantis who was born on March 4, 1851 in Chora and died in the place where he was born in 1911 had an extremely modest life even in Athens where he lived a large part of his life. In addition to his great writing, he had to demonstrate an unprecedented austerity in his daily life, while he was also deeply religious, something that can be seen in the interior of the house.
An external wooden staircase on the east side leads visitors to the interior of the house, which is two storeys high and low, while upstairs, a narrow entrance leads to three rooms.
The hall, i.e. the first floor, is kept intact with its original furniture, period items and many of his personal items, such as his inkwell, his chest and his bed, while in the living room with the traditional fireplace and the original furniture , Alexandros Papadiamantis spent his last years before dying of pneumonia.
To the right of the entrance, there is a small related room, where the books and religious vestments of the author’s father, Pope Adamantios, are kept. This small room has only one window, a bed and a cupboard built into the wall, looking more like a monk’s cell. Alexandros Papadiamantis later used this space, when his health had deteriorated, both as an office and as a bedroom.
The living room of the house with the colored rhombuses on the ceiling is located directly opposite the entrance and to the left is the fireplace, which Alexandros Papadiamantis loved very much as a space. Above the fireplace, two small shelves still hold the mugs and cups with the island’s original designs, used by the great writer.
An internal wooden staircase leads to the courtyard and the ground floor of the house, which was used by the family as a storage area. Today, it functions as an exhibition space of old and new editions of the Skiatian author.
The mayor of Skiathos, Thodoris Tzoumas, speaking to APE-MBE, stated that “for us, for our island, for our Culture, highlighting the house of Alexandros Papadiamantis is of the utmost importance. It is a landmark for our place and a living history that we must pass on to the visitors of Skiathos and to the younger generation. For the island, the name Alexandros Papadiamantis is sacred and unsurpassed. We honor as much as possible, the great writer who is a flag for our island”.
It is worth noting that the emblem of the municipality of Skiathos is the face of our great writer, the most important street of the island bears his name and the international airport of Skiathos is also named “Alexandros Papadiamantis”.
