Participate in the 3rd Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship”
There is no participation cost, however participants should cover their own expenses (ferry tickets, transportation, accommodation and boarding, except for the light lunch offered during the break on the site).
We are pleased to announce the 3rd Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship”, which will be held in Aegiali, Amorgos Island, from 21 to 25 October 2024.
Following the cancellation of our Workshop in 2023, we are very happy to organise our project anew, incorporating a broader framework of events.
Similarly to the previous years, the goal of the Workshop is to raise awareness regarding the traditional land and water management methods, as well as to continue the educational process initiated in the previous workshops, with the active participation of three local stone masons, apprentices, students of the island and visitors.
This year, the event includes a deeper engagement with the issue of dry stone training and certification, calling a round table of stone masons, educational bodies and other experts. The aim is to discuss the current situation and the prospects for the future, based on the example of areas in continental Greece and other countries, with the presence of speakers from these regions.
The Workshop will be realised in three axes:
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The dry stone wall restoration works in the area of Kalopotama, in properties along the path of “Palia Strata” outside the village of Potamos.
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The dry stone apprenticeship, which will take place from 21 to 25 October 2024, restoring the dry stone structures in Kalopotama. The works will be led by three local stonemasons and will be realised with the contribution of apprentices. The students of Amorgos will also attend as part of a field trip.
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The theoretical part of the Dry Stone Workshop, with lectures presented by guest speakers, a movie screening and the masons’ round table discussion.
→ For more information, please contact us:
info@mitato-amorgos.com | +30 6932 889003 (Maria) | +30 6944 326036 (Semeli)
The 3th Dry Stone Workshop “The Amorgian Craftsmanship” is implemented with the funding of the Initiative of the Museum of Cycladic Art, Cycladic Identity, under the auspices and co-funding of the Ministry of Culture and the General Secretariat of the Aegean and Island Policy..
The Round Table on the Education and Training of the Stone Craft is funded by the Cyclades Preservation Fund (CPF) and ferry transfers are partially sponsored by Blue Star Ferries..
For the educational activities for teachers and students, The Mitato of Amorgos is collaborating with the Centre of Education for the Environment and Sustainability of Korthion, Andros Island.
The project is realised under the auspices of the Municipality of Amorgos..
→ For more information about Cycladic Identity, visit www.cycladicidentity.gr/en/.
Complete schedule of the Workshop:
8:30 am Transition to the site (Kalopotama, Potamos) for the beginning of the works and dry stone apprenticeship: Restoration of dry stone structures (sustaining walls) in a property along the marked path 1 of the Path Network of Amorgos Island.
17:30. Assembly hall of Amorgos High School (Chora): Workshops for adults held by the Centre of Education for the Environment and Sustainability (CEES) of Korthion, Andros Island.
- Modern human interventions in the dry stone landscape of the Cyclades.
- Building or... demolishing terraces.
08:30 am. Site (Kalopotama, Potamos): Dry stone restoration and construction works / dry stone apprenticeship.
18:00. “Anna Synodinou” Assembly Hall of Aegiali-Tholaria Primary School (Aegiali): Welcome, greetings and lectures.
- Presentation of the Centre of Education for the Environment and Sustainability of Korthion, Andros Islands – programmes and projects. Anna Koukoutsi, Head of CEES of Korthion, Andros.
- The use of dry stone structures in the past. Nikos Chazapis, Deputy Head of CEES of Korthion, Andros.
- Dry Stone Narratives in County Kerry. Kenneth Curran, Self-employed dry stone specialist and Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland (DSWAI) Trustee.
8:30 am Site (Kalopotama, Potamos): Dry stone restoration and construction works / dry stone apprenticeship.
17:00. “Anna Synodinou” Assembly Hall of Aegiali-Tholaria Primary School (Aegiali): Round table discussion on the training and certification of the stone craft in Greece, initiated by lectures:
- Conditions and strategy for the creation of Schools for the stone craft. Ioannis Tsiaoussis, President of the Non-Profit Association “Blossoming Stones” (Langadia, Arcadia).
- Current workshops and educational bodies for the dry stone structures in Greece. Ioulia Papaeftychiou, Dr Architect, Current Representative, Former Vice President (1998-2018) and Founding Member of the International Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Dry Stone (SPS).
- Ireland's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Dry Stone: Construction and safeguarding the practice. Kenneth Curran, Self-employed dry stone specialist and Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland (DSWAI) Trustee.
- Linking the stone craft training with the primary and secondary education. Educational Team of the Centre of Education for the Environment and Sustainability (CEES) of Korthion, Andros Island.
The lectures will be followed by discussion on the above topics by guest stone masons, representatives of public and non-profit bodies and the general public.
8:30 am. Site (Kalopotama, Potamos): Dry stone restoration and construction works / dry stone apprenticeship.
19:00. “Anna Synodinou” Assembly Hall of Aegiali-Tholaria Primary School (Aegiali): Screening of the film “Stone Through Time... The Dry Stones of Kythnos” by Yiannis Spiliopoulos.
8:30 am. Site (Kalopotama, Potamos): Dry stone restoration and construction works / dry stone apprenticeship. Completion of the Workshop.
19:00. “Kamara” Restaurant, Potamos: Closing ceremony, presentation of results, certificate awarding.
Wall 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.
“Allaximaria”: Open call to a standardised dry stone workshop
We are extremely pleased to announce the organisation of the pilot dry stone workshop of “Allaximaria”, from 8 to 22 October 2025, on the island of Iraklia, and we invite you to participate in one of its two events.
Secure your spot in one of the above events now, by filling out the relevant form:
Sign up to the dry stone apprenticeship (8-22/10/2025)
Sign up to the dry stone workshop (13-18/10/2025)
** Registration is open until 15 September 2025.
Water on the island of Amorgos – The traditional management systems as inspiration for the future
One of the most crucial issues on the Greek islands is the management of water resources. The confined geography, the shift of local economy and society with the consequent abandonment of agricultural land, as well as the current challenges of touristic development and climate change, raise concerns regarding the sustainable future of these exceptional places and their treatment.
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