Messaria was the industrial center of the island. Today it is a lively village, with a fairly large permanent population. This is the business and commercial area: printer's, craft industries, hair-dresser's, beauty parlour, shops, hotels, taverns. Messaria is production center of the famous Santorinian wine.

Messaria is preferred by those who like to stay in a central location, whether they choose the comfort of an ordinary hotel, with none of the special features of Caldera, or simply a rental room. Fira is not far away, and as for the beaches... all roads lead from Messaria: Monolithos, Akrotiri, Perissa and Kamari all lie at its feet.

The traditional rock village with its domed houses has its charms, certainly, but what sets Messaria apart from other places are the monuments to its former splendor and by gone industrial development. The Argyros house is the only one of the mansions lining the village square to have been restored. Built in 1888 by land-owner and wine merchant Georgios Argyros and severely damaged in the 1956 earthquake, it was rescued from oblivion in 1985 by Melina Mercouri, who declared it a listed monument.

Today there is a guest house on the ground floor and a museum above. In these high-ceilinged rooms with their amazing painted ceilings and art nouveau antiques, you can put yourself into the life of prosperous late 19th century Santorini, when the ships of wealthy ship-owners carried visanto to Odessa and returned home laden with Venetian furniture and household furnishings from Constantinople.