Ypsipyli admired the mansions of the Romaikos Gialos, owned by members of the Greek Community in Egypt, gilded as they were by the rays of the sun setting behind Athos. Among them, the Christodoulides Mansion stood out imposingly.
Its location, size, architecture and history make it the jewel of Romaikos and a timeless reference point for the local community: a two-storey building with an L-shaped floor plan, 637.16 square metres per floor, 317.58 square metres in the basement and 265.38 square metres in the attic; rooms with colourful stained glass windows, granite fireplaces and carved wood floors, most of them brought over from Manchester, England. Built in 1868 by the prominent Egyptiot cotton grower and merchant Stylianos Christodoulides, the mansion became a symbol of local history in the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Admirals P. Kountouriotis and D. Fokas as well as the staff of the British Fleet were hosted here in 1912-13. In 1941, Stylianos’ son, George, founded the “Christodoulides Student Soup Kitchen”, which operated in the building. During the German Occupation it became a club for Gestapo officers and George Christodoulides was imprisoned in Moudros. He was released from prison, but died of hardship in 1943. Subsequently, the Christodoulides Mansion hosted Public Services and Institutions (The Agricultural Bank, Myrina High School, The Military Administration of Lemnos, The University of the Aegean) and today the transfer of the collections of the Archaeological Museum is being discussed.
