Located inside the medieval Castle of Pantoniki in Nisyros, ‘Sterna Nisyros Residence’ is a traditional two-storey house that dates back to the mid 17th Century. It collapsed, along with the rest castle of the knights after the devastating earthquake of 1933, and it’s the first house to be restored in the medieval castle of Pantoniki in Emporeios.
The restoration owes its high level and preciseness to the research of photographic archives and to the few but significant structural and morphological findings of the excavation and was undertaken by Giorgos Tsironis. Restoring the authentic architecture of the building was achieved thanks to following traditional building techniques and using genuine building materials. The house now has modern infrastructure, of high quality and minimalist aesthetics, and disposes of three cisterns, one of which is the biggest one in Emporeios – to which Sterna Nisyros Residences owes its name, too (sterna in Greek).
The house covers an area of 128sq.m. The ground floor is an open room where the kitchen, the living room and working space are located. On the first floor, there are two spacious bedrooms with queen-size beds and private balconies and a bathroom. The house also features a 110sq.m. outdoor living space consisting of a 40sq.m. terrace with a big dining table and a 70sq.m. rooftop lounge area with sun beds and a living room. On the ridge of the island looking to Asia Minor and the other Dodecanese islands, it offers an impressive view of the volcano and invites visitors to discover its picturesque, chock – full of native vegetation, trails.
Sterna Nisyros Residences is addressed to those who wish to spend their holidays on a quite island with long history, which encourages introspection, favors inspiration and strongly resists the intense commercialization and mass tourism. The whole of Nisyros is part of the Natura network, due to its combination of history – from the mythology to the very origin of the volcano up to the latest archeological findings – and rare natural beauty.
At the same time, the residence aspires to become a meeting and socializing place for artists from Greece and all around the world. Through its art residency and exhibition program, Sterna Art Project, it attempts to provide an environment where contemporary creation will interact with the various aspects of Nisyros’ unique environment.
