Lesvos culture was always very developed and this can be shown
to us thanks to the great creations they created and which enshrine
until today. These creations were castles, houses, monasteries and
some small constructions which you can find and visit at the superb
museums of the island. In Lesvos also you have the possibilities to
hear some of the great legends which were created in the island
of Lesvos.

Many of the typical, traditional costumes of Lesvos have
been preserved and can be seen in a permanent
exhibition rganized by the Lesvos Women's Association.
Woolen capes, furs, overcoats and trousers, women's
costumes, gold-embroidered costumes from Plomari,
Vrisa and Yera.

In the same exhibition, the Association has on display the
island's traditional weaving and embroidery. Folk collections
with the costumes of Lesvos, each with its own unique
exhibits can be found throughout the island and are open
to visitors all year round.

Many celebrities of Literature and Arts, Lesvos made known from antiquity to the
present as: the famous philosopher and botanist Theophrastus (387 - 272 B.C.),
the historian Theophanes (100 B.C.), the renowned musician and poet Arion
(625 - 585 B.C.), Terpander, the great musician and creator of choral poetry
(210 B.C.), Pittacus, who wasone of the Seven Sages of antiquity.

We can leave out certainly Sappho and Alcaeus, two figures with particular brilliance.
Sappho was born at Eressos in 612 B.C. and even today, remains unrivalled, for the
passion, the sensitivity and the subtle lyric vibrancy of her lines. During the years
leading up to the Greek Revolution, Benjamin of Lesvos was one of the most                                                                                                                                                  important and appealing figures and was given the title "Teacher to the Nation".

Intellectual life flourished on the island - in the years immediately following the
achievement of Greek independence - with writers such as Stratis Myrivilis,                                                                                                                                                    Ilias Venezis  e.t.c. Today, a galaxy of writers carries on this blossoming of the arts                                                                                                                                               with the Nobel laureate Odysseas Elytis.

The Turkish invasion and the passage of time caused losses and
changes to the town of Mytilini. Unlike these town and country
houses - which were designed to answer to the rudimentary needs
- were the "towers" with their stone construction, their height, the
small fanlights and the projecting balcony to give more room on the
upper floor.

Such towers can still be found today, as also several mansions in
excellent condition as the Alepoudellis (Elytis) and Papadopoulos.
Characteristic of these houses are the Ionic and Doric pillars, facades
and niches.

A basic characteristic of almost all the settlements on Lesvos is their
"urban" nature. In many places one still finds the row house system
and courtyards are entirely absent. In the cases where there are
courtyards they are surrounded by high walls and completely cut
from the street.