More than ten years have passed. OUR Vassilis Bartzokasdentist with holiday home in Fello Andrew, visited the abandoned lighthouse of Gavrio, located at the entrance to the port. Motivated by his poor condition, he discussed with his architect niece, who was still a student at the time, Sofia Bartsoka what could be done to save him.

She, in turn, spoke to her fellow students, they visited the lighthouse and formed a group to save it. Its name is “Lighthouse 8022” from the code that accompanies this particular lighthouse on official records.

Lighthouse Gavrio

The students were soon surrounded by professors and private engineers, all volunteers. “Gavrio lighthouse was built in 1874 by the French lighthouse company. Initially, it was a basement floor, later a floor was added, and then an extension. It was destroyed by the Germans in 1941 and started working again in 1945. Since 1953, its function has been replaced by an automatic traffic light in the Spatial Network Tower, and since then the building has been in ruins,” says Ms. Barcoka.

“This particular lighthouse has many features. It is one of the few lighthouses in Greece in which the keepers’ residence has two floors, and the only one in which the staircase leading to the lighthouse is external. This is an important monument of historical, cultural, architectural and technological value, which can become a landmark for the port of the island.”

With the help of professors, professional engineers, and the Navy Lighthouse Service, the group prepared a study to restore the lighthouse. Because the lighthouse survived, the study had to go through a lengthy approval process, which was completed in 2015. The team then decided to publish their initiative in search of a sponsor. The effort was fruitless until a year and a half ago, Andriot shipowner Giannoulis Campanis agreed to bear the costs.

Restoration work on the monument to Gavrio began a few days ago and should be completed in the spring of 2023.

The day before yesterday, a consecration took place at the lighthouse, dedicated to the start of restoration work, which will be completed in the spring of 2023. The project leader is the architect Andreas Chalas, who was also part of the team that prepared the restoration study. “The project will be carried out privately and handed over by the sponsor to the Navy Lighthouse Service. The building will become fully functional, we are even trying to make its lantern a copy of the original one, and we will remove the iron tower with a modern lantern,” he explains.

The study envisages connecting the lighthouse area to Gavrio via a 2 km walkway, creating a small space for cultural activities in its vicinity and points of “view” of the port and sunset.

“Our study is accompanied by a proposal to use the lighthouse as the ‘Museum of Lighthouses and Lighthouses of Andros’, so that its new use would be the custodian of the building,” concludes Mr. Chalas.

Keepers of memory

“The importance of this project is twofold,” says Ms. Barcoka. “This is not only the restoration of an important monument and its reintegration into the life of the island. But also the fact that it all started and went beyond the level of a citizen, something exemplary, especially in small communities.

“What happened in Gavrio is a celebration of volunteerism,” says Mr. Halas. “A group of people came as custodians of memory, embraced the monument and made it functional for the needs of the local community. I will be glad if there is a continuation on other islands by local volunteer architects.”