Mineral: Ilvaite
Locality: Mega Horio, Serifos Island, Cyclade Islands, Kykládes Prefecture, Aegean Islands Department (Aiyaíon), Greece
Dimensions: 53x15x15

Description: Located on the southwestern part of Serifos Island, Megalo Livadi was founded because of the bauxite mines located nearby. When the mining industry was at its highest peak, around 1880 and 1890, Megalo Livadi was born. However, before reaching this picturesque coastal village you will travel through Mega Horio further up in the hills. Locally known as Megalo Chorio, or Mia Chorio, this was Serifos' ancient capital. Today, Megalo Chorio is an almost uninhabited village. Megalo means ‘big’ in Greek and Chorio means ‘village’. Thus, Megalo Chorio was ‘the Big Village’. It was the largest settlement of the miners’ era. Between 1880 and 1912, Megalo Chorio was at its zenith with many residences, churches, schools, grocery stores, tailor shops, shoe shops and two hospitals. The remains of one of the hospital buildings has survived to this day, but the other one has collapsed, dragged down by the landslip of a mine gallery. Shortly after the closure of the mine, Megalo Chorio was gradually abandoned. Today it is almost deserted and what you will find there is mainly ruins, as well as the entrances to some old mine galleries.

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