The first Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship” was successfully completed on Friday 15 October 2021. The Workshop was organized in the area of Langada by the Mitato of Amorgos, a group whose goal is the preservation of the natural and cultural environment of Amorgos and the Cyclades in general.
During the Workshop, four local craftsmen, masons Antonis Vlavianos, Michalis Theologitis, Antonis Synodinos and Dimosthenis Theologitis, led more than 20 apprentices and participants in the construction of dry stone sustaining walls and cobblestone path.More local craftsmen, shepards and other peasants, were present at the workshop, applying the art of dry stone as they have learnt it from their forefathers and as they continue to use it in their fields.
The result of this collective effort is a beautiful dry stone complex, organically integrated in its surrounding natural environment, which the organizers, masons and participants hope will serve as an example for similar interventions in the Amorgian landscape in the future.
Within the context of the Workshop, lectures were presented in the evening hours, where several issues related to dry stone were discussed, as well as topics related to the role of dry stone structures, such as terraces, in the environment, tradition and culture. Lectures were presented by Mr Rigas Zafeiriou from the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (Med-INA), Mr Grigoris Koutropoulos and Mr Panagiotios Kostoulas from the itinerant workshop on traditional building techniques Boulouki, Dr Theodora Petanidou from the University of the Aegean, architects Mrs Eleni Pangratiou-Alexaki, Dr Ioulia Papaeftychiou and Dr Vivianna Metallinou, Mr Andreas Maniatis, representing the Blossoming Stones from Langadia, Arkadia, and Mr Ioannis Lagos, president of the Panhellenic Confederation of Social Economy Unions. The Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship” concluded with a beautiful farewell ceremony on the evening of 15th October 2021, where a first report of the project was presented and certificates and souvenirs were awarded to participants. The feedback received by all participants was excellent, acknowledging the role of the Workshop in raising awareness on the importance of the art of dry stone and its cultural, aesthetic and social value.
The Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship” was realized under the auspices of the Municipality of Amorgos, with the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Secretariat-General of the Aegean and Island Policy and Blue Star Ferries, and the support of Cyclades Preservation Fund (CPF) and Part of the Solution..
The lectures presented are available here.
- Rigas Zafeiriou, coordinator of the programmes on Kythera Island (Kythera Trails, Terra Kytheria), Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA).The wisdom of tradition: The environmental value of dry stone complexes in the Mediterranean ecosystems.
- P. Kostoulas, G. Koutropoulos, architects, “Boulouki” itinerant workshop. ‘“In place - On the road”: The itinerant workshop approach for the traditional building techniques.
- Dr T. Petanidou, Professor, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean. The project LIFE TERRACESCAPE: too ambitious to succeed?
- Dr I. Papaeftychiou, Dr architect. International dry stone practices. Dry stone structures in Greece.
- Andreas S. Maniatis, Member of the Board of Directors of the non-profit association "Blossoming Stones". The Blossoming Stones and the masonry of Langadians: An example of reviving an empirical craft related to sustainable local development.
- Dr V. Metallinou, Dr architect. The elegy of stone on the highlands of Aegiali, Amorgos.
4th Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship”: Open call
It is with great pleasure that we announce the organisation of the 4th Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship” in Amorgos, from 19 to 31 October 2026.
The 4th Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship” has been designed based on the programme and content of the above standardised model and we are pleased to invite you to participate in one of its two events: the dry stone apprenticeship & the dry stone workshop.
read moreKrastu Mastru – Learning the art of Dry Stone in Sardinia
From 1 to 10 May 2026, we had the pleasure to participate in Krastu Mastru, a project realised by Foghiles in Semèstene village, in the province of Sassari in Sardinia (Italy), represented by the member of The Mitato of Amorgos, Maria Nomikou. The aim of the project was the exchange of knowledge regarding various techniques of dry stone building, and its transmission to apprentices.
read moreWelcoming the second group of students from the Lycée Agricole de Matiti, French Guiana
In the context of Erasmus+ programme, we welcomed in Amorgos the second group of students of the Department of Management and Protection of Nature of the Lycée Agricole de Matiti, part of the French Guiana educational organisation EPLEFPA BTS, from 20 to 24 April 2026.
read moreParticipation in the first European Network Meeting of the Programme for Culture and Engagement LOKAL
The Mitato of Amorgos was pleased and honoured to be among the organisations invited to attend the first European Network Meeting of the Programme for Culture and Engagement LOKAL
read moreWelcoming students from the Lycée Agricole de Matiti, French Guiana
In the context of Erasmus+ programme, we welcomed in Amorgos the students of the Department of Management and Protection of Nature of the Lycée Agricole de Matiti. Together we worked with us in the restoration of dry stone walls in the outskirts of Langada, learning the craft from our craftsman Antonis Vlavianos. Furthermore, as part of their specialisation, the studied the flora and fauna of the area, particularly that of the micro-ecosystems created in dry stone structures.
read moreA manual for organising and realising an educational programme on the dry stone craft
It is with great pleasure and pride that we present the manual for the organisation and realisation of an educational programme on the dry stone craft. The aim of the manual is to guide organisations and civil society groups who wish to actively engage in the efforts towards the conservation and transition of knowledge of the dry stone craft, assisting them with the planning and realisation of educational programmes in order to secure minimum educational and quality standards.
read moreThe art of dry stone in Iraklia: the interaction between material, landscape and craftsmanship through time
This article is only in Greek and was born out of the reflections that arose during the Pilot Dry-Stone Workshop, held as part of the program ‘Allaximaria: Design and implementation of a model dry-stone workshop,’ which took place in Irakleia, through our interaction with the local community.
read moreImplementing a standardised dry stone workshop in Iraklia
The pilot workshop of the project "Allaximaria: Design and implementation of a standardised dry stone workshop" was realised on the island of Iraklia, Cyclades, from 8 to 22 October 2025, in collaboration with Boulouki team along with Association “Ambassada”. The pilot dry stone workshop was structured on two axes _ the programme of professional apprenticeship and the open workshop programme. Both programmes involved practical work on site and theoretical lessons.
read moreWall building at the Dry Stone Canada Festiposium 2025
The Mitato of Amorgos has been invited by the organization Dry Stone Canada and took part in the Festiposium 2025 which was held on Amherst Island in Lake Ontario, Canada, from 26 to 28 September 2025..
The Festiposium was a meeting opportunity for the members of the Association, friends of dry stone in general, as well as residents of Amherst Island, where the largest concentration of Irish type dry stone walls in Canadais found. Starting in 2015, the Dry Stone Canada team has realised more events on the island, with participants from other countries too, mainly Ireland, the UK and the USA. Through these events, free standing walls are restored, many of whom have been officially designated as dry stone heritage.
Participation in the events of the 7th Workshop in Traditional Stonemasonry in Langadia, Arcadia
It was with great pleasure that we received the invitation of the Association “Friends of Traditional Architecture - Blossoming Stones” to participate in one of the two evening events organised in the context of the 7th Workshop in Traditional Stonemasonry in Langadia, Arcadia (Greece), from 27 July to 3 August 2025.
The lectures focused on aspects of stonemasonry in the past, the relevant scientific research, but also the training framework in France, as well as the current steps towards this goal in Greece.