Heiligtum bei den Quellen von Flerioz

In antiquity the area of Melanes was of great importance for the island of Naxos, both economically and culturally. Especially in the area around Flerio (east of Mili) large strata of good quality marble exists close to the surface, which promoted the development of Greek marble architecture and sculpture. The peak exploitation of the quarries occurred in the 7th and 6th century BCE. Some of the most impressive sculptures and buildings dating to this period on the islands of Naxos and Delos and elsewhere in Greece are linked to the work carried out in the ancient quarries of the Flerio area, where statues and other works are still preserved half-finished or in various stages of completion often called kouros, in this area the kouroi of Flerio and of Potamia.

Dromos