Photographer Nikos Desyllas captures the essence of mainland Greece in Greek Historical Settlements. Though less well known abroad than the islands and big cities, the rural villages pictured here are emblematic of the Greek heartland, from the Mani to Thrace. The wooden interior of an old coffee-house in the mountain village of Zatouna in Arcadia, reliefs on the doorway of a church in Zagarochoria, brick and timber farmhouses in Macedonia, cobblestone streets, woodstacks, vineyards in Metsovo, painted fanlights on an old mansion, slate-roofed houses, the characteristic towers of the Mani – all set in landscapes of breathtaking natural beauty – are images to return to and treasure. Dimitris Philippides, Professor Emeritus of Athens Technical University, traces the history of the settlements and the gradual integration of human interventions into the Greek landscape. A bilingual edition in Greek-English, translated by David Hardy, this the first of two volumes devoted to Greek settlements.
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