Silo Art Factory

Just a stone's throw from the archaeological site of Mycenae, on the way to Nafplio, the Siló Art Factory, impressive for its uniqueness and its size, cannot be satisfied with a single visit, but the first acquaintance with it will be impressed in you forever.
How many times I had stood in front of the famous Trojan Horse and the emblematic Victory of Samothrace, to photograph and admire them! Wood, metal, stone, a mixture of creativity and imagination. I didn't mention it when I first met their creator Stelios D. Maragos, owner of Siló Art Factory, but I think he knows how many eyes have been attracted to his original works.
Here, three huge narrow buildings, old aviaries, start from the road and end up there, where the view disappears in an oasis of orange groves. The two large silos, which gave their name to the Art Factory, stand proudly, now carrying intellectual food, food for thought. While waiting for Stelios, I stare around the beautiful Café Silo space. In the open-air café, wooden railway tracks have been transformed into the most naif decks I have ever seen, and others have become inviting tables. The lady employee there smiles, as she serves me some of the orange marmalade she has just made, from their own oranges of course. I sit down to enjoy my dessert in one of the two silos, which has been transformed into an original café, with the sun sneaking around the perimeter of the glass windows and illuminating the tables and chairs of another era.

Journey through time
Outside the main building, the words "art workshop", "ceramics", "decorations", "workshop" written on the wall give a simple stigma and summarize the meaning of Silo Art Factory. To the right and left of the entrance I am greeted by two Griffins with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle, mythological symbols of power and majesty. Upon entering, you don't know where to look first! From museum replicas to restored furniture, the list is endless! My feminine vanity is drawn to a jewelry corner, and I 'm impressed by the Greek jewelry line featuring with orange blossoms and olive tree leaves as its central theme, made of sterling silver 925 and gold-plated silver, handcrafted by Stelios and inspired by the springtime nature of Argolis.

Dirt and water
Continuing further inside, I discover the spot with the most positive energy: the ceramics workshop. Here, on its long wooden tables and stools -made of course by Stelios' hands- children and adults from all over the world learn the history of ceramics, come into contact with the ceramic art of ancient Mycenaeans, mold the clay and create their own work of art. "We are clay, soil and water", Stelios will tell me philosophically, and I begin to understand why of all the arts he chose to spread the art of ceramics.

Like a scene from a play to come
The creator continues the tour by talking, explaining, but mostly asking questions. He talks to me about his participation in the Maison & Objet Paris exhibition in 2019, with the artwork "Aphrodite Imprisoned", skillfully probes my imagination by asking me what I see in each work. "The routine of life kills us", he tells me. As he speaks, he conveys to me the passion, excitement, grounding and elevation of his thoughts. We stand for a moment in front of Stelios's personal collection of jars. These jars, with their exquisite acoustics and musical substance, gave the creator the idea for a theatrical space, like nothing I've ever seen before! In front of the stage, like the set of a Xenopoulos play, rows of fer-former chairs dressed with rag cushions, and in the background, school and military desks await each of us to choose what to become: spectator in the events of life or protagonist?

Small treasures in imaginary chests
Stelios does me the honor of showing me around his workshop, "his woodworking shop", as he humbly calls it, where everything begins, but not everything ends, here where an old door, a shutter, wood from train tracks and small metal parts are transformed into handmade works of art.
Another special enclosed space, with the characteristic inscription "Vintage/ Silo Furniture" and its own entrance, closes within itself different periods of modern Greece, memories of mansions once full of glamour. Above its entrance, another characteristic work of Stelios, "Atlas, ready to throw us (the Earth) away", steals the eye.
The number of objects one can find here is countless, our conversation with Stelios is insatiable. He pauses to treat me to a piece of "galaktoboureko" (Greek custard cream pastry), which was just been brought to him warm. Enjoying our dessert, I listen to Stelios's plans for creating the largest Trojan Horse, for reviving the most historic hotel in Mycenae, for the dreams, which are so many, he doesn't know how many he 'll have the time to realize! What matters is that he dreams...
Leaving without saying goodbye; I know that I will soon meet Stelios D. Marangos again, in wood, marble, metal, in the dust of the past, which in a magical way manages to transform into an oasis, a bright source of imagination. Silo Art Factory is not just a destination on your trip to Argolis, it is a unique journey through space-time and a life experience worth having!

Did you know that?
A silo is a cylindrical structure used for solid material storage and feeding. The term is derived from the French "silo", which in turn comes from the Spanish "silo", meaning "underground storage", possibly originated from the Latin "sirus", which is derived from the ancient Greek "siros", meaning "container or pit for storing grain".
Sit down at Café Silo, to enjoy a freshly squeezed orange juice, a homemade spoon sweet, to drink your coffee, but also to buy jams, spoon sweets, origan, basil, olives, all full of flavors and aromas of Greece.
If you are a teacher, arrange a ceramics lesson for your class, combined with a guided tour of Mycenae. Also, if you have planned a getaway to Nafplio with your friends, stop by to visit the Silo Art Factory, grab a coffee and take a ceramics lesson.
The family of Stelios D. Marangos also owns the exceptional Siló Stone House (in the village of Fichtia, 2 km from the archaeological site of Mycenae) and the wonderful Silo Luxury Rooms (2, N. Spiliadou St., Nafplio), where you will find his wife Georgia in charge.
They are currently reviving "La Belle Hélène de Ménélas", a historic hotel dating back to 1862, where Henry and Sophia Schliemann (who gave it its name) have stayed and, among others, celebrities such as: Agatha Christie, Virginia Woolf, Carl Jung, Jean-Paul Sartre, George Seferis, Angelos Sikelianos, Nikos Kazantzakis.


In your choices...
Soft drinks, Coffee, Snacks at the refreshment stand, Wi-Fi, Vintage furniture exhibition, Statues and various constructions made of metal and wood pieces, Ceramics of all kinds and sizes, glass bottles and objects (glasses, carafes, etc.), Gift shop, Educational programs, Activities.

Operating period
All year round

Opening hours
Monday to Saturday 09:00 - 17:00.