The ruins of the ancient theatre stand 100 metres from the monastery of Spiliani, at Pithagorio. There are some remains of tiers which are believed to have been the theatre of the ancient town on the site of which Pithagorio was built.
The Archaeological Museum contains sculptures from the Archaic and Roman period, fragments and inscriptions from excavations in the area, grave reliefs from the 6th century BC, as well as fragments of grave reliefs and statues of Archaic art, Romans busts and so on.
The community houses the museum and a large number of its findings are kept in the storerooms at the moment. However, the collection never ceases to become enriched due to continuous excavations.
Samos Archaeological Museum is regarded as one of the most interesting provincial museums in Greece. Two buildings in the capital town of the island, a neoclassical and a modern, house the Museum.
The exhibits include findings from Heraion, the cluster by the Samiot sculptor Gemeleo which is dedicated to Hera, a gargantuan Kouros, a marble sarcophagus, the Kouros of Leukia, interesting sculptures from the Hellenistic period, female statues of enormous size, a collection of bronze objects, bronze votive offerings from Egypt and Persia, clay statuettes from Cyprus and Samos, ivory and wood artifacts from Heraion, Prehistoric vessels as well Geometric and Archaic pottery from Heraion.
The Evpalineio Aqueduct is one of the most significant works
carried out under Polycrates. Even today, one is filled only with
admiration for the skill of the man from Megara in digging this
tunnel-aqueduct. The task took a number of years, and the tunnel has a total length of 1,350 metres.
There is a portal with an inscription at the entrance to the
tunnel, through which one can see the ruins of a Byzantine church
deep inside the dripping crevasse. The other opening, on the other
side of Mount Kastri, is 1.70 m high. Today, it is not possible
to cross the whole tunnel because a part of it has collapsed.
The Fossil Museum of Mitilinii is a unique paleontological Museum in Greece, founded by Ioannis Melentis, professor of paleontology at the University of Thessaloniki (Aristotelio Panepistimio). In the Museum, on display are remains of prehistoric animals. Included in the collection are 118 valuable paleontological finds which were discovered in the deep valley of Stefanidis, as well as the bones and teeth of the so called Samotherion.
Among the exhibits are: the small horse of Samos with three toes on each hoof, aged 13 million years, remains of animals which were the antecedents of the giraffe, carnivorous animals with
Macherothonda as their most fearful representative, and primitive
elephants.
The famous Heraion of Samos lies 6 km from Pithagorio. It was believed that the goddess Hera was born in Heraion and that is why there has been a temple there since prehistoric times. After its destruction, a second temple was built in the 7th or the 8th century BC. But that was also destroyed by the soldiers of the King of Persia, Cyrus. The third temple was built under the rule of Polycrates by the Samiot architect Rhoikos. It was built in a mixed Doric and Ionic order, and was dipteral or peripteral with a length of 108.73 m, a width of 54.68 m and a height of 25 m. Its beauty and magnificent decoration characterizes it as Pinakotheke. In the middle of Heraion, there was the sacred statue of the goddess. In front of the temple today are the remains of thermal baths, as well as the pavilion of a temple from the Roman period. Nearby also lie the remains of the grand altar.
Two great feasts take place in Heraion annually. One is "Heraia", honouring the birth and the marriage of the goddess to Zeus, and the other "Tonaia", representing a miracle of the goddess.
The castle of Lykourgos Logothetis is situated to the southwest of the port of Pithagorio, and it was built at the beginning of the 19th century, when it became a jumping-off point of resistance and attack for the fighters of the Greek Revolution.
The hill of the castle of Logothetides must have been the oldest acropolis in Sa-mos, inhabited since the prehistoric period. In the castle's yard, one can come across two galleries of a Roman establishment from the imperial era, as well as the remains of some churches of the late christian epoch.
The Square of Agios Spyridon contains the historic church of the same name, in which the decision was taken to unite Samos with Greece.
On the feast day of the saint, to whom the chapel is dedicated, on December 12, a local food is served which is made from flour ground up and boiled with meat, butter and onions. It is called "yiorti" (feast).
The monastery of Panagia Vrontiani is the island's oldest extant monastery. It is situated to the west of Samos, close to the village Vourliotes, in a dense forest spot. It was founded in 1476 and renovated successively in 1566, 1702 and 1960.
The monastery is noted for its excellent icons and the outstanding rood scre-en of its church.
The monastery of Zoodohos Pigi lies in a thickly wooded area on Mount Rampaidoni, to the east of Vlamari. The monastery was founded by the monk Dorotheos round a little church which has stood there since 1796. The buildings were completed in the 19th century. The church is in the Byzantine cruciform style and is highly decorated, incorporating four ancient columns brought to the site from ancient Miletus in Asia Minor.
Another monastery in the area is that of the Holy Cross, which is among the oldest on the island, being first built in 1582. It was
extended in 1838 and took its present form. Its rood screen is a
work of outstanding quality, as is the pulpit and the bishop's
throne. The church is a huge three-aisled basilica, with a dome.
The middle aisle is dedicated to the Holy Cross, the north aisle to
the Well of Life and the south aisle to John the Baptist. The
monastery library has a fine collection of church relics (books,
vessels, etc,)
The monasteryis feast day is on September 14th, which draws large crowds from all over Samos.
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