It is located between Arnaia and Neochori. It is one of the most beautiful villages in the Municipality of Aristotelis and an important transport hub. The village still maintains its traditional features, spreading around the square with the ancient plane tree, while the shops and cafés around it form the image of a lively village center.
Built at 550 meters above sea level, with more than 1,500 inhabitants, Paleochori traces its roots back through the centuries. It is no coincidence that nearby lies the Neposi Castle, and throughout the years, coins, vessels, shards, ruins of fortifications, and tombs have been found in the wider area.
The exact founding date of Paleochori is not known. A plaque found at Neposi Castle indicates that the settlement existed about 1,000 years ago. According to some evidence, Paleochori was one of the 32 cities of the Olynthian Confederacy, which was destroyed in 348 BC by King Philip II. The famous “Kasteli” is also mentioned. It is believed to be the largest castle in Chalkidiki, which should have been destroyed for the first time by the Huns in 540 AD. Two centuries later, “a large village” took its place.
Of particular historical and religious significance in Paleochori is the church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, with its beautiful frescoes and the statue of Ecumenical Patriarch Joachim III of Constantinople in the courtyard. There, according to tradition, is the miraculous icon of Archangel Michael (16th century, Cretan-Macedonian art) and the icon of the Virgin Mary of Gorgoepikoos (a unique faithful copy of the miraculous icon embedded in the Monastery of Dochiariou of Mount Athos).
Following the road leading to Megali Panagia, on your left, you will find one of the most beautiful monastic guesthouses. That of the Virgin Mary “Joy of the Sorrowful,” in whose courtyard stands the church of Saint Athanasius the Athonite. The church celebrates on July 5th.
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According to the writer and researcher Yiannis Anapliotis, the hero of Nikos Kazantzakis’ work, Alexis Zorbas, lived in Paleochori from the age of 22 to 44. We should also mention the constant involvement of the women of Paleochori in weaving, a craft passed down from generation to generation, and the effort to preserve the local dialect, which has significant influences from the time of Ottoman rule, as well as many roots from ancient Greek and Latin.
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