5 Euro Hermoupolis

During the Greek Revolution, Syros island enjoyed neutrality under French protection as the majority of its population were Roman Catholics. This attracted numerous Greek refugees from Asia Minor and the Aegean Islands (Chios, Psara, Kassos) that had been devastated by the Turks. The refugees settled at the site of present-day Hermoupolis and, in 1823, built the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ, today the Orthodox Cathedral of Syros. The name of the city was decided by the first settlers at a meeting held outside the church in 1826. The name “Hermoupolis” was proposed by a refugee from Chios, Loukas Rallis, arguing that it was a city of commerce, “under the patronage of Hermes, overseer of trade”. Over the next decades, Hermoupolis grew rapidly into an important economic and cultural centre thanks to trade, shipping and industry. Studded with a host of public and private neoclassical buildings, it has been rightly called “The Lady of the Cyclades”.