Mesta is situated in the southernmost part of the island, it is the last in the group of the Mastic Villages and it is 35 kms away from the town of Chios. With a history of eight centuries it is representative of the castle-like villages which were developed in the area particularly during the period of the presence of the Genoese on the island of Chios. As it is interwoven with the production of Mastic, it preserves its singular defensive type of architecture.
The tour lasts up to one hour and the Acoustic Guide devices are readily available for use at Musticulture, the Agro tourist Agency which is located at the Square of Mesta.
“The first thing the Genoese had to do was organize the workers in the area and secure the production from then all too frequent pirate raids. To achieve this they gathered the disparate population into specific areas, where they constructed purpose-built fortified settlements. In this way they not only protected the population,but also controlled them. Let us not forget that the Genoese were always a foreign occupying power. And this is how the kastrochoria, or castle villages, came into being.”
“All the houses were covered by flat roofs, and connected to each other by the roofs of the domed arches that covered the narrow streets. Thus, one could get from one side of the village to the other without ever setting foot on the ground. This made a surpise attack on the enemy from above, both possible and effective.”