COMMUNITY LIBRARY

This historic library is the third largest in Greece in terms of volume and richness of its collections, making it a cultural pillar of the country. It was founded in 1792 thanks to the donations of Adamantios Korais, a native of the country who spent most of his life in France (he studied medicine in Montpellier, before moving to Paris in 1788). During the Chios massacre of 1822, a large part of the library's works were destroyed by the Ottomans: Korais sent back new works, some of them very valuable, especially in the medical sciences. Today, the library welcomes researchers and readers in the beautiful 19th century building where the collections were transferred after the devastating earthquake of 1881.

Upstairs, you can visit the Filippos Argenti Museum, named after another rich local donor. It is a fascinating folklore museum where you can see traditional Chiot costumes, objects of rural and agricultural life, and historical engravings that help to understand the history and civilization of the island through the centuries. The lithographs representing the costumes of the Chiote aristocracy illustrate the richness of the island's turbulent history. The museum also displays portraits of the island's personalities and donors, as well as numerous replicas of Delacroix's Massacre of Chios (1824), a painting that is very present on the island in various forms, and which contributed greatly to Western sympathy for the cause of Greek independence.