The valley north and west of Pyrgou village makes up a Wine Land with exceptional characteristics. It is located in the hydrological basin of Gazanos River with an amphitheatrical morphology. The undulating earthen mounds, with the beneficial for the vines clay, are exposed to the north and they receive the wet meltemi winds of the Cretan sea.

Pyrgou and Agios Myron watch over this valley where olive trees and vines continue their centuries-old competition under the conditions imposed by the market. Sometime the vine prevailed when the wine and the raisins had good prices and when they lost their value and the oil’s price rose, the olive trees filled the soil’s mosaic. However enough vines always existed for the production of wine intended for local consumption.

In a prominent position at the vineyard of Pyrgou, at a site named “Skepasta”, there is a dilapidated complex of at least two domed buildings with external dimensions 8.60m x 4.00m. Their internal dimensions are 3.30m x 2.50m, with the northern one’s roof intact, whereas the southern one’s roof has collapsed. Large arched openings 1.60 m wide, westwards, small square openings on the inner walls, and small windows to ventilate and exhaust the wine’s odor, eastwards, have been saved. A wall, S.E. of the buildings, is still preserved. The use of these buildings is not entirely clear. An internal coating exists up to a height of 1.5m.

This area, according to testimonies of the locals, was connected by a pipeline with the winemaking areas of Ai Giorgis Mesambelitis, 300 meters upwards, but no sections of this pipeline have been saved. They do not seem to be fermentation tanks, since the coating does not reach the top, but most probably they are covered winepresses whose troughs are not visible.

The valley north and west of Pyrgou is a wine land with exceptional characteristics. The undulating earthen mounds with beneficial clay for vines are exposed to the north and they receive the humid meltemi winds of the Cretan sea. The church of Agios Georgios, also called Mesambelitis, since it is surrounded by vineyards (ambelia), stands on a plateau of this valley. Traditional information saved by the late scholar Kostis Mastrogiannakis, states that a monastery existed there in the past, which thrived during the period of the Venetian Occupation. The current church was built later on the ruins of an older one. Saint George’s memory is commemorated on November 3rd, at the feast of Ai Giorgis Methystis, marking the relationship of Mesambelitis with the production of wine since, according to the tradition, wine barrels are opened on that day to taste the new wines.

Chrysopigi is located south of Pyrgou, close to Nissi settlement. In an enchanting landscape, close to the stream of the river, Ano and Kato Nissi are hidden among the trees together with nymphs in a Dionysian setting. Three hundred meters separate it from Chrysopigi, with 83 huge oak trees, 95 plane trees and 15 carob trees, as indicated at an auction (November 15, 1870) of estates belonging to Gorgolaini Monastery, under whose jurisdiction they had fallen.

Today, a winepress is saved there, where except for the floor with dimensions 6.00m x 5.50m, there is a section of the south wall with traces of red plaster and mud from ground tiles and lime at a height of 1.40m from the floor. Most probably this was a covered area which no longer exists. From the stone faucet the must reached a trough (container) with dimensions 2.20 x 1.20 x 1.40m (volume 3.69m3) with flanges and a sedimentation well. Next to it there is a waiting tank, with dimensions 1.50 x 1.20 x 1.40m (volume 2.52m3), which was filled with the overflow of the trough.

Nissi is hidden among the trees in an enchanting landscape by a brook. There are references to this location in Venetian documents of 1577, 1583 and 1630 as Nissi or Gnissi, as well as in Turkish records of 1670.

The birthplace of Dionysus was called Nysa, according to information which existed during the time of Diodorus (1st century B.C.).

The name “Nysa”, according to Lekatsas, “appears to be Indo-European and synonymous with the Greek “nymph” and “daughter”.”Nysa” is the “Nymph” and the country Nyssa or “Nysiion” is the location of the “nymph” or “nymphs” who feed “Zeus’ child”… Nysiai and Nysiades are projections of his Maenadic troupes… the “nymphs “who raise this god follow him in his journeys, during the act of maenadic “climbing”… A drama by Aeschylus had the title “The Nurses of Dionysus” and Sophocles talks about the place “where Dionysus wanders with his divine nannies”.

Nissi among the trees by the river was the place of worship of Dionysus and Kastelas was the rock of the maenadic mountain climbing.

Kato Asites settlement stands at the foot of Mountain Koudouni at an altitude of approximately 450m. The village is built on the west side of a small valley oriented towards the east, so that as soon as the sun rises it lights up and warms the village. Westwards Koudouni rises impressively, whereas the cultivable lands of the village which contain olive groves and vineyards extend towards the north and east.

Mainly the region of Kato Asites can be characterized as rural with chief agricultural products grapes, wine and olive oil. In smaller quantities, and only for family consumption, various fruits (oranges, tangerines), dried nuts (almonds, walnuts) and vegetables are produced. However, the principal crop is the vine for wine or raisins, when this product thrived.

The Holy Monastery of Agios Georgios Gorgoeleimon or Gorgolaini Monastery is built at an altitude of 500m N.W. of Kato Asites settlement and it dates back to the late period of the Venetian rule (15th/16th century). During the first quarter of the 16th century, the systematic settlement of monks begins there, as concluded by the renovations of churches, the fountain and the supporting walls. Since the 17th century the monastery was standing on three levels laid out in terraces.

The course of the monastery through time follows the violent course of the region. During the revolutions of 1821 and 1866, the monastery suffered very serious damage but managed to survive.

In the 1881 census the monastery appears to be inhabited by three monks and five laymen. Remnants of the monastery’s homesteads were demolished during the renovation of 1957, when the Archdiocese created a sports area for camping children on their site. Also here is the grave of Frangios Mastrachas from Gergeri who was killed in 1868 in a battle close to the Monastery.

Many objects of the region’s rural life are exhibited Inside Gorgolaini Monastery: barrels, presses, saddles, ploughs, two-prong weeding hoes, hoes, sulfur dusters, sprinklers, bags, funnels, carboys, baskets, small baskets, various types of baskets, various types of water canteens, small clay storage jars, clay pots for storage or transport of vinegar, spring balances and drills. These objects were offered by the inhabitants of Asites village to the Museum to save them from deterioration due to the passage of time.

At the root of Psiloritis, with the historic Malevizio Wine Land in the background, Diamantakis Winery constitutes a new, contemporary unit for the production of qualitative wines in Crete.

It is located southwest of the city of Heraklion, outside Kato Asites village and the historic Gorgolaini Monastery. It was founded in 2007 by members of Nikolaos G. Diamantakis family: Ioannis, Michael, and Zacharias. The first two, third-generation winegrowers, possess an extensive experience in viticulture and they are responsible for the wine-growing department of the Winery, whereas Zacharias, with studies in oenology, is in charge of the process of winemaking and wine promotion.

On the eastern base of Psiloritis Mountain, at the edge of Malevizio, towers a calcareous rocky mound. Fossils on this rock certify that this region once was the bottom of the sea, in fact during two different geological periods: the most recent one, around 10 million years old, which created the marly limestone of the rock, and the oldest, which is assumed to have resulted from 140 million years-old ophiolites, which can be seen at the southern end of the base of the rock.

This rock has been used since the Early Minoan years, given that a vase-bag of that period was discovered there. Many carvings and remnants of buildings are preserved on the rock. In the southern part, an offering table with four cavities testifies to ancient sacrificial rites. According to the popular tradition, these cavities were created by the feet of St. George’s horse. A small carved basin and carved steps are still preserved there, whereas the top of the rock as well as square cavities of unknown use are also carved.

The undulating earthen mounds of Malevizio and, in the background, the sea with Dias islet can be seen from this rock. Nissi is located in the ravine, among towering trees, and probably it is related to the carvings of Kastelas.

The dilapidated catholicon (temple) of the Monastery of Agios Antonios is a two-aisled church built during the Venetian Occupation. The north aisle which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is the older of the two and it maintains traces of frescoes in the sanctuary area. At the end of the 15th or the beginning of the 16th century, the aisle of Agios Antonios was added, which communicated with the aisle of the Virgin Mary through arched openings resting on supports. Of particular interest are the sculpted ornaments of the church, especially the late Gothic frames of the south side windows. Traces of the mural painting decoration are visible among the ruins.

The sacred monastery of Agios Antonios was a women’s monastery, in which the nuns were engaged in the weaving of silk fabrics, among other things; according to the tradition, the region was named “Petali” due to the noise caused by the “pedals” of the looms. Next to it the fountain of the monastery which brought water from the nearby spring is preserved, together with a carved cistern reminding of a winepress.