Milies
Milies is a mountain village in the southern part of Pelion, built at an altitude of 400 m and at a distance of 28 km east of Volos and is the seat of the Municipality of Milia.
The region played an important role in the history of Magnesia and the Greek Nation in general, as the famous "School of Milies" founded by Gazis, Konstantas and Filippidis, was an important spiritual center of the time and the center of the liberation struggle of 1821. The School operated in the place where the Milia High School currently has its facilities. As a result of the enlightening work of the famous School of Milia, there was the establishment of the amazing library of Milea "Psychis Akos", which operates until today with more than 3500 rare books and historical relics.
In the village there is the church of the Pammegiston Taxiarchon, which was renovated in 1741. The church is a typical example of local traditional architecture and has remarkable post-Byzantine hagiographies. It is built so that every sound inside it is not heard outside, because Christianity was forbidden at that time. It was built in the middle of the 18th century, during the Turkish occupation, in such a way that its exterior, without a bell tower and other religious symbols or samples of ecclesiastical architecture, does not betray the true nature of the building.
In Milies, a railway built in the late 19th century by the father of the famous surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico, Evaristo de Chirico, connects the commercial and industrial center of Volos with the fertile and rich area of West Pelion. In 1985 the Pelion Train was characterized as a preserved historical monument.
In 1996, after a series of repairs, it was reopened covering a total of 16 km, from Lechonia to Milies, offering the passenger the opportunity to enjoy the unique natural beauty of the landscape and the ornate architectural constructions, from April to in October. The lush vegetation, the view of the Pagasitikos, the arched bridges, the small tunnels and the iron bridge of de Chirico are the key elements for one of the most beautiful routes in Europe.
History
The town was founded by people fleeing pirate attacks on Milies on the island of Euboea. The town was constructed inland and while the sea can be seen from the village, the community cannot be seen from the sea.
Anthimos Gazis and Grigorios Konstantas opened the school "Psychis Akos" in 1814 which is now a library with books and historic features. Milies was the first community of Pelion which saw the Greek War of Independence of 1821. Magnesia lost the battle and did not join the Greek Kingdom until 1881. When Milies and the area became part of Greece in 1881, the Ottomans left the area.
During the German Occupation in World War II nearly the whole village was burnt down by German occupation troops on October 4, 1943. According to the official report of the municipality the Germans executed 25 men and three inhabitants died in their houses by the flames. This was after the resistance had killed a German officer and a soldier nearby eight days before on September 26.
Sights
1. The Old Library
2. The Fountains
3. The area of the old Station
4. The Folklore Museum
5. The Church of Pammegiston Taxiarchon
6. The De Chirico Metal Bridge
8. Vyzitsa
View
Bridge of Tsagarada
Stone Bridges