(ANSAmed) - ROVIES, 20 SET - (by Patrizio Nissirio) The skeletons of charred trees line the roadside and stretch over hills and valleys in the north of the Greek island of Evia - a terrible reminder of the fires that in August 2021 devastated these areas, burning for 10 days thousands of hectares of woods and olive groves, destroying homes and economic activities, forcing thousands of people to flee by sea.
    But at an intersection near the village of Rovies, a sign left by an unspecified group of 'friends of Rovies' signals the presence of three small pine trees 'planted in 2022'. A minuscule but important sign of rebirth.
    And the desire for a new beginning is also symbolized by the exhibit of Venetian illustrator Lucio Schianon, 'Levante', hosted by a Medieval Venetian tower in downtown Rovies. The show is curated by Myth Euromed and, on the ground, by researcher Dimitris Georgiou, under the patronage of the Greek tourism agency and with the support of the Italian embassy and the Italian cultural institute in Athens, whose director Francesco Neri attended the inauguration. His welcome address, along with many other speeches at the inauguration, recalled the deep connection of these places with the Serenissima, the Republic of Venice, as well as with contemporary Italy.
    The portraits of historic Venetian figures made by Schiavon with his contemporary style focus on how the two cultures continue to interact and how the 'Venetian' contribution is today symbolically relevant to leave the wildfires of 2021 behind. The itinerant show, which adds a new image during each step of the way, debuted in June on Corfu: in Rovies, the Medieval tower of the local Papadopoulos family reopened after years.
    "Northern Evia embraces an endless landscape of excellence and cultural heritage, which ranges from antiquities to industrial archaeology", explained Georgiou. It is a territory that must be discovered "slowly, in honor of sustainability, through experiences like 'from the sea to the table" and the tasting of local products. All these experiences can be savored while "immerged in a unique cultural and natural landscape amid maritime towns, olive groves and mountain woods. Honey, pomegranates and the olives of Rovies PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), together with fish of which Evia's gulf is rich, are only a few of our territory's excellent offerings", added Georgiu.
    The area is thus investing on a varied offer, which still needs to be discovered, along with cultural signals, in particular from Italians, in this part of the great island east of Athens only 3% of foreign visitors, according to local economic operators.
    Under the destroyed woods - with the fire also burning the so-called 'Bride', a 2,500-year-old olive tree, locals recall - greenery can once again be spotted, in another good sign, along the rocky coasts that encompass the small port village of Limni down to the sea, with small pebbly beaches which can only be accessed by wild goats. In front, sea bass and sea brim farms and fishing pots for langoustines and shrimps dot the gulf, where it isn't a rare occurrence to spot dolphin pods. It is a Greece far from the 'Cycladic' image which is as rich of marvels - and surprises. (ANSAmed)