Stagira

Stagira is a Greek village lying on a picturesque plateau on the Chalcidice peninsula, and standing at the foot of the Argirolofos hill. The village stands a few kilometers south from the ancient Stageira, the birthplace of Aristotle, and a statue of him stands in it. In Byzantine times, Stagira was called "Siderokafsia" (which means blast furnace). The sultan's mint was located here in the 16th century and many ruins of furnaces can be found close to the village. The present-day village has approximately 500 inhabitants, but including the neighbouring village of Stratoniki, with which Stagira virtually merges, the population increases to around 1500. The central church was built in 1814.