Stratoni, a coastal village built in the gulf of Ierissos,
numbers today approximately 1000 residents. In this region, ruins of the Roman
Period have been found. Most important would be considered the "Iroou"
(burial monument) which dates back to the end of the 1st Cent B.C.. From this,
two statues clearly stand out, a man's and a woman's (the woman has been named
"Lady of Stratoni"), which are kept in the Museum of Poligiros.
The foundation of Stratoni as a constituted settlement dates back
to the mid 19th century but has always had an unbreakable tie with the mining
activity. The rich layers of mixed sulphur minerals, known from the ancient and
Byzantine years, constituted the basic wealth-producing source for the village.
Since then many people assembled in Stratoni from the around regions but also
from a lot of parts of Greece in order to join the workforce in the Mines. The
population also increased considerably with the refugees that resorted here after
the Asia Minor destruction.
In 1932 the village was extensively damaged by the earthquake that had an epicentre
the gulf of Ierissos and unfortunately there was a big number of victims. In the
immediate following years, the village was almost entirely rebuilt from start.
The residents of Stratoni, although a big percentage has come from
different regions, have always constituted a single, harmonious total with a high
standard of living. They have proved to be hard working and hospitable and they
have always stood out for their culture. During all of its historical course,
Stratoni has always been a rich source in artistical and local events. Among them
stand out the amateur theatrical representations - even during prewar times,the
foundation of a music school during the 5th decade, icon painting, music band,
dance group, organisation of impressive carnival events, concerts with popular
greek artists, all of which are just samples of the cultural tradition which Stratoni
has offered and that is continued untill today through the activities of the Local
Associations.
