There are places you read about in history books, and places that make you feel history in your bones. Vergina belongs to the second kind. Half an hour’s drive from the hotel, on the slopes of the Pierian mountains, lies Aigai — the city where the Macedonian kingdom was born.
A little history
Aigai was the first capital of the Macedonians and the seat of the royal Temenid dynasty. Even after the capital moved to Pella, Aigai remained the sacred city of the kingdom: this is where the great ceremonies took place and where the kings were buried. It was here, in 336 BC, that Philip II was assassinated in the city’s theatre, and here that his son Alexander was proclaimed king — shortly before setting out on the campaign that would change the world.
For centuries the site of the city had been forgotten. The great moment came in 1977, when the archaeologist Manolis Andronikos, excavating the Great Tumulus, a huge artificial mound, found unlooted royal tombs. He identified the most important of them as the tomb of Philip II — an identification still debated among scholars today, though it takes nothing away from the brilliance of the find. Since 1996 the archaeological site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Museum of the Royal Tombs
An unforgettable experience. The museum is built inside the Great Tumulus, so that the tombs remain exactly where they were found. In the low light you see the façades of the Macedonian tombs, the wall painting of the abduction of Persephone by Pluto — one of the very few surviving originals of great ancient Greek painting — and the grave goods: the gold larnax bearing the Vergina Sun, the gold wreath of oak leaves, weapons, silver vessels and small ivory portraits of members of the royal family. The atmosphere is almost reverent.
The Palace and the theatre
A little higher up the slope stands the Palace of Aigai, reopened to the public after years of restoration. Covering some 12,500 square metres, it was the largest building of classical Greece, with impressive mosaic floors and views across the whole plain. Just below it lies the ancient theatre, the spot where Philip was assassinated. Standing there, history stops being abstract.
The Polycentric Museum and the necropolis
The main building of the Polycentric Museum of Aigai hosts exhibitions on daily life, religion and the people of the ancient city, while the extensive necropolis, with the royal cluster of the Temenids, has been laid out as a visitable, tree-planted site. Together they form one of the most complete archaeological ensembles in Europe.
Planning your visit
Allow at least three hours to see the main sites at a relaxed pace, and ideally set off early in the morning, before the tour groups arrive. Wear comfortable shoes — the distances between the sites are considerable — and bring a cardigan for the underground museum. The drive from Naoussa crosses the plain of Imathia, which fills with blossoming peach trees in spring, and can be combined with a stop in Veria. You will find more practical information on our Vergina page.
Would you like to experience it for yourself? Book your stay at Driades, just a few minutes from the centre of Naoussa.