Anemogiannis Factory

ANEMOGIANNIS FACTORY

-preserved monument, Landscape of Special Natural Beauty (an exemplary sample of industrial architecture from the past century in the Ionian Islands region)

The factory was built in the late 19th century by the brothers Stefanos and Ioannis Anemogiannis (a doctor) and initially operated as an olive press. It is located in the bay of Longos, in the northern part of the settlement, right next to the beach, covering an area of approximately 1,800 square meters (mainly industrial building, auxiliary buildings, warehouses, and an industrial chimney with a height of 24 meters) on a plot of land totaling 3,500 square meters, which was purchased by the Anemogiannis family in 1874. After the death of Stefanos Anemogiannis in 1910, his son Spyros Anemogiannis, a chemist, took over. After the death of Ioannis Anemogiannis, the second period of expansion of the factory began in 1932-1935, during which the factory also operated as a refinery, oil mill, and soap factory, while for a period it also produced and bottled cognac.

It was a large olive processing unit,

It was rivaling the best factories in Italy and was unique in the Balkans with exports reaching Turkey. In addition to the large quantity of olive processing, it had the capability to process olive pits and produce excellent green soaps.

Between the years 1918-1930, it was recorded as a steam-powered olive press, exporting olive oil to Italy. In 1936, it was found that Spyros Anemogiannis was charging exorbitant fees for 30 olive oil tanks and 20 carts of oil and the olive pits in cases where transportation was at the expense of the landowner or 18 carts of oil and the olive pits in cases where transportation was at the expense of the olive estate owner. On July 1, 1938, the factory installed state-of-the-art fruit pressing machines for the production of common oil, edible oil, oil distillation, export of kernel oil, and soap making. The factory operated around the clock, had space for animals (horses), and had access for loading raw materials and products from the sea with the construction of a makeshift pontoon. At its peak years, it employed 60-72 workers (from oral testimonies, we know that several workers came to work from the opposite mainland shores, who stayed on the factory premises), providing significant and measurable economic assistance to the Longos area and the entire island for that period.

No content

A problem occurred while loading content.

Previous Next

The factory's activity wasn't limited to olive pressing but also encompassed the storage, safeguarding, and distribution of the produced oil, which each producer stored at the designated gate, having absolute trust in the operation. Honesty and a constant willingness to provide economic assistance, whether in money or in kind, especially during wartime periods, gave this enterprise a distinctly humanitarian character.

In 1964, a fire broke out, destroying the entire drying section of the factory and the adjacent warehouses, while in 1966, a second fire erupted. By 1979, it was already employing few workers, eventually closing down in the 1980s. Subsequently, various proposals and discussions took place in the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Paxos for its utilization by the Municipality in order to enhance the economic, social, and cultural life of the island, support the local community, and improve the quality of life. For example, it was proposed to be used to meet the needs of the cultural and educational associations of the island, to house outdoor and indoor markets or public services, to accommodate cinema halls, lectures, conferences, exhibitions, performances, tourist businesses, or an Olive Museum. Many young scientists have dealt with the history and modern utilization of the factory in their undergraduate or diploma theses (indicatively mentioning the designs of students from the architectural school of the University of Innsbruck supervised by Professor Robert Veneri). Ultimately, in 1985 it was purchased by private individuals, resold in 2006, and remains unused until today.

"Lychnos Euterpe," ed. Echo of Paxos, issue no. 529/December 2021