It is located west and directly opposite the neck of the mount Zygos , which from the past is the boundary between the Northern and Central Pindos that continues with South Pindos (dolomite). But it is the “Gate of entry” from Epirus to Thessaly and Western Macedonia, and therefore an important transport hub. Among these mountainous parts of Pindos, a large valley is formed up to the village Anthochori which crosses Metsovitikos River and which, in the position “Baldouma”, is poured into the river Arachthos which springs from Zagorochoria.

Metsovo is surrounded by high mountains such as: Peristeri (2294 m), Mavrovouni (2160 m.), Zygos (1820 M.), Katara(1689 M.), Karakoli (1491 M.), Chrysovitsa (1559 m.), Tsouka Rossa or Kokkinorachi (1985 m.) in the NW of the artificial lake Aoos near Valia Calda Greece National Park(Attention: There is another Tsouka Rosha 2377 m. In the mountain range of Tymfi, on the border of the Vikos – Aoos National Park, next to the highest peak of Gamila).

About Metsovo

Metsovo is a purely mountainous town, one of the most traditional and picturesque, surrounded by several meadows but mainly from dense fir and beech forests, where various animals (bears, wolves, etc.) nest. In such a position and with such nature, the climate is purely continental, with low temperatures, many rainfalls and snowfall in winter and cool summers.

The Metsovitikos River is born from two springs, which forms two streams that merge under Metsovo and just before Anilio, creating Metsovitikos River. From there, the river first moves to the west and then to the southwest, where, after about 25 km, it meets the Zagoritikos river at Baldouma and together they create the large river Arachthos. In the past, the rushing waters of Metsovitikos River moved ten watermills and sawmills.

North of Metsovo and in close proximity is the picturesque plateau Politsia or Politsies (Policuare). From old and to the present in the rich meadows of this site, during the summer months, graze sheep, goats, cattle, domesticated or free horses, donkeys and mules that are a wealth for the breeders of Metsovo. The name probably originated in the latin word Policia and was associated with a Roman military garrison that had settled there.

The Politsia Plateau was the favorite country site of Metsovites and in the old years, as the historian Panagiotis Aravantinos informs us, the wealthy Μetsovites enjoyed the landscape by staying in tents. Today a large part of the plateau has been covered with water as in 1987 PPC constructed a hydroelectric dam. The artificial lake that was formed gathers the waters of the sources of Aoos River and the waters that gather in the plateau of Poliitsa.

Activities

In such an area the activities are many and varied. Metsovo is located in North Pindos which is a place where mountaineering and hiking are unique experiences. The routes and trails starting from Metsovo and well-marked, are numerous and have scalable difficulty. Crossing one of the most beautiful areas of Epirus in the Valia Calda (warm valley) National Park which is the brown bear’s habitat, they offer breathtaking pictures of nature.

From the area of ​​Metsovo passes the European Trail E6, on its way from Igoumenitsa to the country’s eastern border. Two of its most interesting parts are the city of Metsovo as a hub.

A very nice road trip is the tour of Lake Aoos as well as visiting the nearby Metsovo villages.

Metsovo Race: The Metsovo Athletic Club has been organizing the Ursa Trail and in the footsteps of the Bear running track in Metsovo since 2013. These races have become an institution for the region and it brings together athletes from Greece and not only. The goal of the organizers through the design of the route is to bring the athletes through into the bear’s habitat and make them aware of environmental issues and brown Bear. The route goes through old trails that have been cleaned with a lot of volunteer work and can now be used not only by the athletes on race day but also by everyone for hiking or mountaineering. Race info: www.metsovorace.gr 

During the winter months the ski resort of Anilio has easy and direct access via Egnatia Motorway (just 7km from the Anilio Exit) and snow removal services on a 24-hour basis.

What to see

Averof Vineyard

The vineyards of Metsovo are located in the locality of “Yíńetsi” , which in the Vlach local dialect means vineyard. Perched on the slopes of Pindos are the most mountainous vineyards of Greece at an altitude of 950-1050 meters. The re-planting vines project began somewhere in the late of 1950.

The vineyards of Metsovo are found in the habitat of the brown bear, which lives on the slopes of Pindos and which of course visits the vineyards tasting the grapes of its liking. Many times the people who work in the vineyards have found footprints from bears and teddy bears next to the vines. Moreover, every year in Metsovo is organized the established Mountain Marathon race “Ursa Trail-in the footsteps of the bear” that follows the bears’ steps. . However, Katogi Averof duly honored it by giving its name to a limited production of bottles the collector label with the Vlach name “Mare Ursa” (Big Bear).

The Katogi Averof Winery is harmonized with the traditional architecture of Metsovo, while the interior spaces with visual interventions create a unique spectacle. Next to the winery is the homonymous hotel that offers a complete hospitality experience.

The tour of the winery is definitely worth because the visitor originally is browsing the area of the “Museum”, where there are the writings of Averof, medals, personal effects, as well as the first draft for the label of the first wine “katogi”. Below is the route to the underground areas of the winery which is an audiovisual media experience between barrels and bottles.

Averof Museum

The Averof Museum of Neohellenic was inaugurated on 27 August 1988 by its founder, Evangelos Averof-Tossitsa, who had long wished to create a small yet exceptional Museum in his hometown. Its permanent exhibition comprises representative works by the major Greek painters, printmakers and sculptors of the 19th and 20th century, such as Gyzis, Lytras, Volanakis, Iakovides, Parthenis, Maleas, Galanis, Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, Moralis, Tetsis, and many others. The museum’s Collection is regarded as one of the most complete and important of this period.

In addition to the Permanent Exhibition, the museum mounts temporary thematic, retrospective, group, and other special-interest exhibitions with art works selected from other museums and private collections in Greece and abroad.

The main corpus of the collection is the 200 works of 19th and 20th century Greek artists collected by the founder and donated to the Foundation, together with the modern three-storey building built specifically to house his collection. The fact that the collection was created from the outset for the purpose of establishing a gallery defines to some extent its museology character.

Fold Art Museum

The Metsovo Folk Art Museum is one of Baron Michael Tossizza Foundation’s very first projects and has been in operation since 1955. It is housed in the renovated manor house of the Tossizza family—famous benefactors of Metsovo— which was originally built in 1661.

Walking through the museum, the visitors can relive the atmosphere of centuries gone by and learn how a Metsovo manor house was organised and functioned. Based on the idea of an “open museum”, the museum’s valuable items and rich collections are exhibited in their natural space, inside the rooms, stables, warehouses and large parlours of the old mansion.

The exhibits include items that could have been present in a manor house during Metsovo’s economic boom, as well as items that uniquely represent the nation’s historical memory: Collections of firearms and swords from the struggle of 1821 against the Ottoman occupation, copper and wooden kitchen utensils, jewellery, traditional dresses, decorative plates and silverware, saddles embroidered with gold, chests, agricultural tools, looms and woven fabrics.

The museum also features a major collection of 66 icons, dating from the 15th to the early 20th century, as well as a collection of Byzantine metal items, covering a long period from the early Christian times up to the late Byzantine period. In 1991, the museum’s third floor was dedicated to Evangelos Averoff, featuring personal items and photographs from his life.

Tsanaka Museum

The Tsanaka Folklore Museum is housed in the old stone mansion of the Veneti and Tsanaka families in the area of ​​Agios Georgios (1 Grigorios Tsanakas str.) and is a Wallachian Art Museum in Metsovo. Completion of the restoration work and curatorship of the Museum was commissioned by the Moscow Dance Association in February 2013.

Museum exhibits include objects from the Veneti and Tsanaka families, as well as many Metsovite families. There are also two showrooms with a collection of 19th century old weavers, pillows and embroidery, as well as the area of ​​wool processing until the stage of fabrication of woven pillows and woolen garments.

Averoff Garden

The main street of Metsovo Square leads to the Averoff Garden. It is a beautiful location with trees and plants. In the center is the restored chapel of St. George. There, in 1840, George Averoff before emigrating said farewell to his mother and asked for the help of the Saint. Since then he has never returned, but has sent money to repair the old church and to create a garden with trees of Pindos.

Gkina’s watermill

At a relatively short distance from Metsovo on the banks of the Arachthos River is the Gkina’s watermill. It is one of the most famous watermills in the area and its connection to Metsovo and the adjacent monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin is made with a picturesque cobblestone pavement.

This mill used the power of the river’s abundant water, for many decades, in order to turn it into mechanical energy for grinding cereals in the wider area. It has been designated as a historic preserved monument.

Anthohori’s mechanism

The Open-air water-power Museum of Anthochori in Metsovo was designed to highlight the importance of water power, techniques for exploiting and harnessing the power of water, documenting the long-term procedure of traditional societies in the pre-industrial period. In the open air museum there are old remodeled watermills and various similar hydrokinetic systems

The area is in a spot with great views. There is no refreshment bar in the complex as stated in the information on the site. The visit was made on 18/08/2018.

Aoos Lake springs

Near Metsovo and at an altitude of 1340m on the northern slopes of Zygos, on the Politses plateau, lies the mountainous artificial lake of the springs of Aoos River amidst an idyllic landscape with lush pastures surrounded by high mountains with dense forests of fir, beech, black pine and pinus leucodermis. Its altitude ranks it as the most mountainous lake in Greece.

It is located between two National Parks, Valia Calda and Vikos-Aoos. Mavrovouni, Flega and Tsuka Rosa rise to the north while hills and forests around Chrysovitsa and Metsovo extend to the south. The shoreline of the lake is large and lacy with beautiful wooded small fjords and many islets forming inland.

The lake was built in 1987 on the Politses Plateau to generate electricity, gathering water from the springs of the Aoos River, as well as runoff from the Politses plateau, but without any provision for ecological benefits. The reservoir grows in the area of ​​the Politses plateau.

The lake is ideal for amateur fishing, with special permission, and regulations, or for swimming, although the waters are frozen due to altitude. Also offered for a lovely roundabout ride on the lakeside road by car, bike or horses.

The churches and the monasteries in Metsovo

Agia Paraskevi

It is located in the central square of Metsovo and is three-aisled basilica, and is the cathedral of the mountainous settlement. It is not known exactly when it was built, but it is first mentioned in 1511 and subsequently through successive restorations, in 1759 with the permission of the sultan, in 1894 at the expense of Georgios Averoff and in 1959 by the Baron Michael Tositsas Institution and the initiative of Evangelos Averoff – Tositsas. 

The interior deserves the visitor to pay special attention to the wonderful reredos crafted by Metsovite woodcarvers in 1730, as well as the double pulpit which is rare for Orthodox churches. The first for reading the Gospel, and the second for reading the Apostle and preaching. The church’s precious relics are the mosaics, which are copies of the mosaics of the Galla Placidia in Ravenna (5th century AD)

The church has witnessed historical events that marked the history of Metsovo. The late chieftain Captain Stylianos Kleidis was buried here and this is where all the official visitors of Metsovo worshipped.

In the courtyard the impressive belfry with the clock of 1925 that has 25m. height was built in the period 1880-1885 and costed 700 pounds sent from Alexandria by George Averof  together with the plans. In the continuous post-courtyard square the «Koultouki” every year on the 26th of July  takes place the feast of Agia Paraskevi and the graphic dance of the women of Metsovo dressed with their gold-plated and colourful costumes. (Only the grandees of Metsovo were seated in “Koultouki” and not only was  forbidden for second-class people to enter  in that square but even not to pass the next street (https://www.vlahoi.net).   

Agios Georgios

It is located in the center of a beautiful park (Averof Garden). The original temple was founded in the early 17th century. It is preserved in its present form since the first half of the 18th century. Inscription apron portable icon of St George drakoktonos mentions founding date of the church in the year 1747. The same picture is dated 1751 and is the work of Metsovite  painter Stergios Papagiannis. It is three-aisled basilica covered with stone slabs. He even sent a gardener from Alexandria to shape the garden

The church was renovated in 1850 at the expense of George Averof. The benefactor himself connected particularly with this place. At this point, where the Chapel of St. George was, farewelled his mother when he emigrated and invoked the help of Saint making a promise to Him. George Averof, ten years later, was a successful merchant, kept his promise covering the costs of repair of the church and the creation of the park.  

He even sent a gardener from Alexandria, where he was settled, to form the garden which from the middle of the 19th century is known as Averof Garden. Almost a century later, in 1964, at the expense of the Baron Michael Tositsas Foundation maintenance works were done at the temple. In 2002 the church was preserved and restored in total with the personal expense of Yiannis Michael Averof. The last one is the great-great-grandson of Avgerinos Averof, the greatest brother of the Grand National benefactor George Averof, and served as mayor of Metsovo, Ioannina MP and MEP.He is the founder and lifelong president of EGNATIA EPIRUS Foundation.

Agios Dimitrios

It is located at Kato Meria (Kato Mahalas or Giosani) and is the second parish church of Metsovo and of the oldest churches, since, as it is called, this is where the habitation began. It is unknown when the original church was built. It was destroyed several times by earthquakes and was rebuilt entirely in 1818 and even with a firman of Ali Pasha. The positive attitude of Ali is due to the assistance he received from Metsovo helping him to cross the Zygos trail during this winter without problems. And here, as in Agia Paraskevi, there are two pulpits, something rare for Orthodox Church, as well as other remarkable relics. The churche was repaired for the last time in 1908

Αgioi Pantes (All Saints)

The church is located in the northern part of Metsovo. It is unknown the date of the founding and building. According to historical information it was burnt on November 22, 1848 and rebuilt in 1850 at the expense of the great national benefactor George Averof. The hagiographies of the temple and the portable icons of the iconostasis are works of art.

The Holy Trinity

Small but impressive church at the entrance of Metsovo. The original date of the temple’s building remains unknown. It was renovated in 1891 at the expense of G. Averof. The same year the belfry was built above the main entrance of the church.

Agios Charalambos

It is located in the southeastern side of Metsovo in the “Giosani” district (i.e. lower neighborhood). It is a large three-aisled Basilica, which was renovated in 1834  by Metsovite Ioannis Tsanakas and then in 1850 at the expense of George Averof, ass well as in 1964 at the expense of the Baron Michael Tositsas Foundation. On the west side has been added a nice bell tower. Internally the church is partially decorated with mural decoration. Inside it has a lovely painted ceiling, frescoes and remarkable woodcarvings (the temple, the two pulpits, the ciborium and the bishop’s throne).

Agios Athanasios (Griziou)

It is located in the homonymous area at the beginning of the old road Metsovo-Ioannina. The church was founded on 21 August 1871 at the expense of the benefactor Andreas Fardis, while the inauguration took place in 1873. There have also been two renovations (1907, 1975) the first at the expense of I. Dasoula, established in New York. The last renovation and maintenance of the church was made in 1975. The last renovation and maintenance of the church was made in 1975.

The Saints Anargyri

The church is located on the southeastern side of Metsovo. It is a temple that was originally built in 1879 at the expense of the Metsovite benefactor Georgios Averoff. The church was demolished in 1980 and in its place was erected the High School of Metsovo. Soon the current namesake temple was erected in another area. The new church was inaugurated by the Metropolitan Bishop of Ioannina on November 1, 1984.

The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

It is located in the southwestern part of Metsovo. Very old church but went through a radical renovation in 1895 at the expenses of G. Averof.

Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elias)

It is located at the south entrance of the plateau “Politses”, on the north side of Metsovo on the road to Kalambaka. The building date of the original temple remains unknown. From reports it is known that in 1861 the temple was renovated αt the expense of Panagiotis Tzioukas who was in Cairo. In 1912 burned and rebuilt with the expense of the Metsovo community and the assistance of the residents. The last renovation of the church was made in 1956. The church is historically linked to the liberation of Metsovo from the turkish enslavement after that there was killed Stylianos Klidis  who was the eader of the Cretan volunteer scouts at the battle of Prophet Elias on November 10, 1912.

Agios Athanasios (Zygos)

It is located in the eastern foothills of Zygos and the former entrance to the vivillage of Metsovo. It has frescoes from the famous Metsovite painter Stergios Papagiannis dating from 1743 to 1748, exquisite wood carvings by the sons of Stergios Vardakas dating from 1744, and excellent images of Christ and the Virgin Mary by the Metsovite painter Georgios Chrysoloras. According to the tradition, the temple was rebuilt entirely in 1818 with a firman of Ali Pasha. The current iconostasis is the work of Ioannis Gionis. 

Here in March 1854 Theodoros Grivas with his rebel scorps  gave a 24-hour futile battle against the Turks in their attempt to keep Metsovo, which they had occupied just before. Near the church there are three foutains: the fountain of St. Athanasios near the vineyards, the Siafa’s single hydrant fountain near the old Turkish cemetery and the fountain of Boianou.

The Holy Dormition Monastery

It is located on the eastern outskirts of Metsovo in the upper valley of the Metsovitikos River. It was built in 1754. The building complex consists of two-storey cells, hostels, and paved courtyards. The monastery is fully decorated with frescoes of the 17th century. The belfry is wooden from the middle of the building and upwards.

According to oral tradition, the bell was manufactured in Ioannina in 1870. This monastery, as well as Saint Nicholas’, due to its location by the river, has always been a pleasant station for the travelers who followed the road Ioannina-Kalampaka via Zysos. But in 1958 it was abandoned and left deserted until 1977 when the philologist nun Thekla came and gave life again. Inside the Katholikon, apart from the frescoes of 1754, there is a nice wooden iconostasis made in two different periods of time. Apart from the asphalt road, you can access it with a very nice hiking route, following the same cobbled path that descends to the Watermill of Gina.

The monastery celebrates annualy on the 15th of August and it is open to visitors throughout the year, but in specific timetables.

The Monastery of Agios Nikolaos

It is located southwest of Metsovo, in the valley of the Metsovitikos River. The monastery has a long history, although we don’t know exactly when it was built. However, it must be one of the oldest monasteries in the region, since it refers to the Byzantine Golden Bull of 1332, while in 1380 it is mentioned as a possible abbot and the abbot of Metsovo Isaiah who was blinded by the despot Thomas Prelubovic. The abbot Isaiah was an envoy from Constantinople and was the “ambassador” of religion, the Greek language and generally of the Byzantine spirit in Epirus, in the position key of the zyvoo of Metsovo. 

Reference is made again later in a document of 1650 stating that the monastery participated in the operating expenses of the then school of Metsovo

Its foundation goes back to the late Byzantine period (13th c.). The monastery was a rich religious center in the area of Metsovo and, as it was in a focal point, on the mountain pass of Zygos, it was a station for merchants and travellers who passed from Epirus to Thessaly. Its importance was mentioned by the English traveler Leake in 1805. The monastery of St. Nicholas was first renovated around 1700.

At its great peak, the monastery was one of the most important and most famous of the region and very rich with many fields, vineyards, nand watermills. The decline began shortly before World War I (1914-1918) and was completed when the Metropolis of Ioannina sold several of its estates, so the monks, without revenues anymore, were forced to abandon it definitively (1925). It was deserted until 1960 when the Michael Tositsa Foundation undertook to make a new renovation with the care of E. Averof-Tositsas.

The Katholikon of the monastery is vaulted and the frescoes internally, which are kept in relatively good condition, date back to 1702 and are the work of painter Efstathiou  according to an inscription on the left of the arched entrance to the south side of the temple. In the narthex of the universal hosted collection of images. The most important is the icon of St. Nicholas, a work of 1698.

The special feature of the monastery is the belfry of wood, material that abounds in the area.

The monastery is surrounded by stables, warehouses cells and other auxiliary buildings that are kept in quite good condition. At the entrance of the Katholikon there are the chains and the collars where they formerly tied the psychopaths who came here for treatment.

It is not only a beautiful and serene place but a living monument of viticulture and winemaking. Vineyards are spread around it, while in its cellars there is a huge barrel of wine (Karouta) that holds about 27 tons!

The Neomartyr Nikolaos

The Chapel of Martyr Nikolaos of Metsovo is attached to the southeastern side of the portico of the primary church of St. Nicholas Monastery and founded in 1800. The neomartyr Nikolaos was born in Metsovo in the late 16th century. His secular name, before his suffering, was Nikolaos Basdanis. He was martyred in the central square of Trikala where he was burned alive. Nikolaos was enlisted as a martyr in the conscience of the Christians early. He was officially listed in the Orthodox Almanac of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1988.

The Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi

The Zoodochos Pigi Monastery is built near Anthochori of Metsovo at Kokkino Lithari ( Red Stone) site. Locals call it the Red Stone Monastery (Kiatra Rosia in the Vlachs), due to the steep, spectacular red rocks to its east, where formerly there were hermitages.

It is believed that it was founded in the 17th century and was renovated in 1732 by Stergios Dafos, as recorded in the estate inscription. Due to its location near the main road it was a station for the caravans traveling from Epirus to Thessaly and the Balkans. In 1820 it was destroyed by Ottoman troops moving to Ioannina against Ali Pasha, and its monks were slaughtered. It was abandoned about a century later, in 1927

Today the monastery is completely renovated and on both sides there is a corner complex with auxiliary spaces and cells. In the center is the church, built of stone and covered with slabs. The architecture of the temple refers to the Mount Athos type (cruciform temple with dome).

Noteworthy is the wood-carved reredos originally built in the 17th century. All parts of it survived the fire of 1840 have been incorporated into the new 19th century.

The Monastery of Panagia Chrysovitsa

The Byzantine monastery of Panagia Chrysovitsa is located in the homonymous village of Chrysovitsa and is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The catholicon of the Monastery is a preserved monument. The oral tradition states that the village itself took its name from the icon of the Virgin Mary, which – always according to the oral tradition – wandered successively from the first church of Chrysovitzis in the Trichonida Province where the icon was found in 533 AD. , in various places religiously to end up in the village of Chrysovitsa. The monastery was rich and mixed with monks and nuns.

<p>The post Tribute to Metsovo – The Vlach village with tradition and history first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

Vovousa together with the villages Doliani, Vrysochori, Greveniti, Elatochori, Iliochori, Kavallari, Kastanona, Laista, Makrino, Tristeno and Flampourari make up the so-called Vlachozagoro.

This integration in the administrative unit of Zagorochoria shaped its historical course and influenced its economic organization and its relations with the Vlach villages of the surrounding areas, close and varied relations.

«The famous Valia Calda which many times served as a refuge for the infamous thieves extends above the village… There are green forests, from which the wood and the torch are extracted for Zagori and the other provinces of Epirus, where in summer men and women go there to carry home the torches they need, and their songs are very strange and their dances are inimitable…»

Ioannis Lampridis in “Zagoriaka” (p.83)

History and Information

The village is surrounded by large and dense forests of fir, beech and black pine. It is an area where the abundance of water makes it a great hydrological basin. The mountains that surround the area create a valley in which the main bed of the Aoos River is formed. At its lowest points, at an altitude of about 1000 meters, the river that now follows a northern course, passes through the settlement of Vovousa.

The settlement and its name

According to Fanis Dasoulas, PhD in Folklore at the University of Ioannina, all the idiomatic and linguistic forms of the historical name of the river are variations of a common root derived from the popular Latin phrase Amnis or Aqua or Fluvia Vivosa or Viosa. The use of the adjective vivosus, which literally means alive, presupposes the rapid and impetuous movement of the water or its cool texture

The settlement was first mentioned in 1592/93 in a manuscript of the Monastery of the Transfiguration of Meteora which is a valuable archive of toponyms and names from the period 1592/93 – 19th century. So the settlement pre-existed or had just been formed.

According to undocumented traditions, the village was formed by the union of small settlements, which have disappeared today, between the 16th and 17th centuries and since then it has been named after the river that crosses it. The original settlers were primarily engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry and secondarily in the exploitation of forest resources. In the course of time, it is very likely that the existing agricultural settlements of the mountain valleys coexisted with groups of mobile pastoralists who sought stable mountain homelands and who then integrated with the inhabitants of the settlement.

The French traveler F. Pouqueville, who passed through Vovousa in 1806, gives a brilliant picture of the village, describing the houses surrounded by gardens with many vegetables and many roses. It is an image that suggests a permanent installation, not a seasonal one.

Hydrokinesis

Vovousa, having the potential of water propulsion, was an important derveni (mountain pass) with a fully developed manufacturing function, just like other Pindos settlements. Merchants and producers of grain and woolen fabrics, processed and processed there, safely, the products that moved between different regions.

The technological starting point of these developments was the water saw, a real water-powered wood chopping machine, which achieved greater and higher quality production at a lower cost in time and effort and contributed to the rapid growth of logging production. The water saw has been known in Europe since the 14th century and its use became known in the Balkans in the late 16th century.

According to the residents of the village of Vovousa, the water saw was imported to Pindos from Bulgaria. The art was practiced by specific groups of craftsmen who roamed throughout the mountain range.

However, there was a continuous and massive use of the water saw in Greece only in Pindos. Technologically, this mechanism can be considered as the most complex tool ever built by the inhabitants of Pindos, in the pre-industrial era.

A large part of the inhabitants joined the gangs organized by the sawyers, i.e. the manufacturers-operators of the water saws. The participation of the residents of Vovousa was important. The endurance of the teams in the difficult geographical and climatic conditions of the mountains and the art of the sawmills was admirable.

Vovousa during the Turkish Occupation

During the Turkish occupation, Vovousa, like the area of ​​Zagori, came under the jurisdiction of Valide Sultan (the queen mother) and by paying taxes, like the rest of Zagorochoria, managed to maintain the privileged status under which the institution of self-government operated. It was the period of the great prosperity of the village and was considered one of the largest villages.

When in 1803 the youngest son of Ali Pasha, Salih, lent to the inhabitants a sum of money which, when they collected it, he refused to receive it asking for the amount in Venetian coins, as he had lent them. Refusal to accept another equivalent currency has cost residents around 4,000 grosses. This trick of Ali Pasha and his relatives was aimed at turning Vovousa (as well as those villages that could not repay the loan) into a feud (ciftlik). Anagnostis Hadjigeorgiou, one of Ali Pasha’s grammarians in Thessaly, who came from Vovousa helped in this difficult situation,and giving 20,000 “white” (silver coins), relieved the village of its debt. Unfortunately, Hadjigeorgiou lost not only his position but also his life.

Source: The information is translated from: Χρήστος Καραβίδης, ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΧΟΡΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΒΟΒΟΥΣΑΣ, p. 19

Robberies and expatriations

The pressure of the Turks, the tyrannical domination of Ali Pasha and the robbery raids, forced the inhabitants to emigrate, both inside Greece and in the wider Balkan and Central European area. In 1817 about 120 families, belonging to the ruling class of Vovousa, left in groups in search of better fortune in eastern Macedonia and eastern Romulia where a group established a colony near Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

In 1833 they returned, setting up their households again and continuing the logging and supplying with wood not only Zagori but also many other parts of Epirus they reached again the prosperity they had before.

Between 1878 and 1883, robbery was rampant. Vovousa was at the center of this crisis, as a transportation center that was, but also as the more vulnerable village in Zagorochori in the presence of robbers from the villages of Grevena such as Perivoli, Distrato and Samarina.

The damage suffered by the villages of Zagori was incalculable and to such an extent that the inhabitants were forced, in that decade, to leave their place.Towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, with the abolition of privileges and due to the looting raids, the decline of both Vovousa and the general area began.

Source: The information is translated from: Χρήστος Καραβίδης, ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΧΟΡΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΒΟΒΟΥΣΑΣ, p. 20, 22, 24

The liberation of Vovousa

In November 1912, in an engagement involving between a Turkish detachment and the inhabitants, ten houses and a large clock made exclusively of wood were burned. After the liberation, Vovousa with the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913 was annexed to the Greek state and underwent the changes of the mountainous volume of the Greek countryside. Unlike other neighboring villages, Vovousa did not show a strong population outflow because a large part of its economy turned to various craft activities, such as logging and transporting timber to Ioannina with sacks. There was a small influx of immigrants to Romania and later to the United States.

Source: The information is translated from: Χρήστος Καραβίδης, ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΧΟΡΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΒΟΒΟΥΣΑΣ, p. 28

Romanian propaganda in Vovousa

The causes of the issue were Romanian grandeur and the need to disorient the Vlach-Moldavians due to loss of Transylvania from Austria-Hungary, and Bessarabia from Russia. Because any reaction to these Great Powers posed serious dangers to the hegemonies turned their attention to the Vlachs of Thessaly, Epirus and Macedonia whom they characterized of the same nationality. The creation of the Kutsovlach issue was first created in 1849. In 1863-64 it was officially supported by the Romanian government.

In the period from 1881 to 1886 and in the context of the Romanian propaganda, there was intense conversion pressure with the establishment of schools both in Vovousa and in the wider area. The effort did not have the expected success, and over time, the national sentiment of the residents was awakened and they reacted strongly.

In the period from 1917 to 1940 there was a new resurgence of Romanian propaganda. The Italians attempted to install consuls in the Wallachian villages, but met the reaction of the Greek Wallachians. In the fall of 1918, the “Principality of Pindos” was proclaimed by the Vlachs of Koritsa, who prevented the Greek army from taking Vovousa from the retreating Italians. This particular Republic lived for only one day, while 10 families of the propagandists were forced to relocate, for fear of reprisals, to the region of Northern Epirus.

Source: The information is translated from: Μιχαήλ Τρίτος, Το Κουτσοβλαχικό ζήτημα και Δημήτριος Χατζής, ΑΝΤΙΠΟΙΝΑ ΤΩΝ ΕΡΜΑΝΙΚΩΝ ΑΡΧΩΝ ΚΑΤΟΧΗΣ ΣΤΟ ΖΑΓΟΡΙ (ΙΩΑΝΝΙΝΩΝ) 1943-1944

The battle at Vovousa

At dawn on October 28, the Italian attack began outside Kalpaki of Ioannina, in Thesprotia and Pindos. The Italians repelling the light Greek divisions, arrived on November 3 in Vovousa, 20 km northwest of Metsovo, threatening to cut off the Ioannina-Kalampaka road.

That morning, Captain Anastasios Pappas arrived in the village first with all his soldiers left wandering for three days in Pindos, exhausted and with little ammunition and also cut off from the forces of Davakis who was defending on the line Smolikas-Kastaniani-Kiafa-Katafiki. Arriving in Vovousa, they found that the Italians and specifically the vanguard of the 3rd Alpine Division Julia were arriving in the village. Not having a radio, the captain immediately notified the military administration in Metsovo from the telephone line of the Gendarmerie Station. The lieutenant colonel who was in Metsovo, with whom Pappas spoke, was taken by surprise. He was not waiting for the Italians there, nor for Pappas, who normally had to be somewhere else. However, he was found at the right time in the right place.

The lieutenant colonel asked Captain Anastasios Pappas to keep a defense until reinforcements arrive. Thanks to the heroism of the captain who attacked suddenly with the few men of his company, and gave a victorious battle against the men of the Division Julia, the first retreat of the Italians was achieved. Pappas’s company played an important role at the beginning of the war. Despite the suffering of the soldiers and the lack of ammunition, he kept the Italians in Vovousa. And what is worth mentioning is that the Italian division consisted of warlike men with capable command. On November 9, 1940, the commander of “Julia”, General Mario Girotti, ordered the retreat of the division. A few days later, Greek forces recaptured the border crossings of Pindos.

Source: The information is translated from: Η μάχη στη Βοβούσα, Η Μηχανή του Χρόνου

“In the military history of Italy, the Greek-Italian war is one of its darkest pages. It was a useless, shameful war with negative consequences”

As the Italian journalist and writer Mario Cervi wrote in ​​his essay “History of the Greek War” (Storia della guerra di Grecia) 

The Germans in Vovousa

On October 19, 1943, German troops invaded Vovousa. They were accompanied by Italians, who did not accept the capitulation of Italy, coming from villages of Konitsa. Due to the fact that the Hellenic People’s Liberation Army (ΕΛΑΣ)in March 1943, attacked, disarmed and executed the Italian carabinieri, they carried out a complete robbery of the existing ones and set the village on fire.

Out of the 84 total houses, 80 and together the two schools (boys and girls), as well as the church of Agios Athanasios were set on fire and destroyed. They also took 90 large animals (cows, halves) as well as clothing, furniture and food. In July 1944 in the framework of the operation “Steinadler” (Golden Eagle) (against ΕΛΑΣ guerrillas in the area of ​​Grevena, Metsovo, Konitsa and Kastoria) Vovousa together with the nearby villages of Tristeno, Flampourari, Elatochori, Doliani and Leptokarya suffered looting and new destructions.

Source: The information is translated from: Χρήστος Καραβίδης, ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΧΟΡΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΒΟΒΟΥΣΑΣ, p. 28-29

Vovousa during the civil war

The suffering of the village continued in the civil war as Vovousa, due to its geographical location, was the focus of hostilities between the National Army and the National Liberation Front and mourned victims on both sides. In 1948 some families of Vovousa left the village due to the civil war and settled in Ioannina where some stayed permanently while others returned after the civil war and organized their life in the village.

Source: The information is translated from: Χρήστος Καραβίδης, ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΧΟΡΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΒΟΒΟΥΣΑΣ, p. 29

Post war period

After the war, in the context of housing the fiery settlements, the reconstruction of the destroyed village began and one-storey houses were built. Many residents settled permanently in Ioannina, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Athens and others emigrated to North and South America, Germany and Australia. However, the village did not present the image of desolation that most of the mountainous and semi-mountainous settlements of the Greek province had suffered because a large part of the population remained there and was active in logging.

As one of the most remote villages of Epirus, it was left in isolation since the old road network was abandoned and the new carriage roads that were built bypassed Vovousa and marginalized it. The dirt road that connected it with Perivoli was built in 1965, the road to central Zagori was used seasonally by loggers and Forest Services and until the 1970s there was no electricity supply. The women take care of their households and gardens. There is a single-seat primary school in the village. The rapid growth of tourism in recent years has turned the activities of many families in the tourism sector.

Source: The information is translated from: Χρήστος Καραβίδης, ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΧΟΡΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΒΟΒΟΥΣΑΣ, p. 30

Dance, music and songs

Dance was the dominant element of social events in the countryside (festivals, weddings, return of expatriates). In the music and dance tradition of Vovousa, the “General Dance” is performed, which takes place in open public spaces from the feast dances that used to take place at home, while later and until today they are danced in the various entertainment centers of the village.

The dance started either with the song or with the music of the various companies. Men took the lead in order of age and women followed in a second circle according to the date of their marriage.

The musicians who participate in the General Dance follow all the first dancers closely and play directly in front of them, without the use of sound amplifiers. Until the year 2000 they did not use audio amplifiers. From then until today, the electrical amplification of musical instruments and voices has been established.

The folk song connected with all aspects of social life has character, not only entertainment and ritual, but preserves the historical memory. Passing from generation to generation, it accepts new elements and adapts to social and historical conditions. The place and the history shaped the the closed Vlach society with its strict principles obviously had no room for love songs.

However, with the contacts they had with Greek-speaking villages and with large cities, such as Ioannina, they began to accept influences on their way of life and this was also seen in their songs.

Source: The information is translated from: Χρήστος Καραβίδης, ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΧΟΡΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΒΟΒΟΥΣΑΣ –  http://vlahoi.net/ebooks/karavidis-tragoudia-kai-xoroi-tis-vovousas

People from Vovousa

From Vovousa comes a great man known to almost all the people of Ioannina, Father Athanasios (1932-2021), who for decades made the monastery of Panagia Dourachani a center of love and offering. Although he said he was illiterate, he nevertheless managed to read the Bible first, and then all the church books.

A serious illness and a vision changed his life forever. He left the family business, rented two houses in Ioannina to accommodate children in need, and tried to help poor students he knew to read and find shelter for the night. He worked two or three jobs a day to provide food and shelter for the children. He started gathering children who could not even play, rented a room to play and read.

In 1972, an assistant bishop in Ioannina urged Sotiris Hatzis, acknowledging his desire to become a monk. He was then ordained a deacon and a priest the following year. Initially, he was granted the monastery of Agios Ioannis Prodromos, and then the monastery of Panagia Dourahani.At that time, the abandoned monastery of Panagia Dourahani, which was given to the monk, had only rocks and stones. Father Athanasios resurrected it with his own hands.

“In the dilemma, whether I will be close to the world or go to a sanctuary, the social mission prevailed. I wanted to have the joy of creation, to be close to man, to offer”

With these words, the elderly monk, Father Athanasios, sets the stage for the great decision of life, which he took as a young monk in 1974.

His will made him a craftsman and gave breath to the ruins, where “Anthos”(Flower) was created for many years, a non-profit Charitable Foundation. It is a boarding school-shelter, a Primary School and a High School, which operate with great effort but strong will, in an area next to the monastery and offer affection and care to children, aged 6 to 18 years.

The premises also have libraries, reading rooms, entertainment rooms. There they find food, sleep, education, affection and love, hundreds of people who need it. The hagiography workshop, the radio station and the folklore museum, are the voluntary offer of the elder’s associates, and a practical example of love for fellow human beings. The hagiography workshop, the radio station and the folklore museum, are the voluntary offer of the elder’s associates, and a practical example of love for fellow human beings.

All the children that Father Athanasios helped, became great scientists and businessmen, but they never forgot the man who took care of them. Today, they lend a helping hand and support to the social work of Father Athanasios.

Source: The information is translated from: Πατέρας Αθανάσιος, κατά κόσμον Σωτήρης Χατζής   (http://www.dourachani.gr/2018/01/blog-post_8.html – Ιερά Μονή Παναγίας Δουραχάνης Ιωαννίνων)

Also from Vovousa were: the chieftain of Zagori Nikolaos Douvlis and Apostolos Hatzis or Tsarouchas (1891-1983) who was involved in the collection of historical and folklore material and in 1976 at the age of 85 he dictated his memoirs, which were useful about the history of Vovousa.

What to see when you visit Vovousa

The bridge in the village

The large single-arched bridge that dominates the center of the settlement built in 1748 with the sponsorship of Alexis Missios from Monodendri of Zagori is the main feature of the settlement and was the only passage of Aoos for travelers heading from the area of ​​Zagori to Grevena and generally to Macedonia and Constantinople. Especially in winter this arterial road was more accessible than the main one, which crossed the town of Metsovo and for travelers who wanted to travel from Ioannina to Macedonia. The control of the bridge presupposed the control of the valley and consequently of the surrounding mountain passes.

The place names testify that the valley was not only an organized passage but also the seat of an important armatoliki. For the men of arms the control of the valley helped in the exercise of local authority, and when they disagreed with the central then they came into conflict with it. The construction of the bridge, made this passage of Aoos in one of the most important roads of communication of Epirus with Macedonia and it is very likely that it contributed to the final unification of the surrounding small settlements.

Source: The information is translated from: Θεοφάνης ∆ασούλας, διδάκτωρ Λαογραφίας Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων, Η εφαρµογή της υδροκίνησης στην ξυλουργική βιοτεχνία της Πίνδου. Το παρελθόν της βιοτεχνίας και µια πρόταση μουσειακής ανάδειξης

La Puntika bridge

Small single-arched bridge at 995 m altitude, in the homonymous location in the south shortly before entering the village above Asprorema (Aroulou Albu in Vlachs), which flows into Aoos river. The villagers call it “La Puntika”, a Vlach name meaning “small bridge”. It is unknown when it was built and who built it.

The water power museum

It is worth the visit because after many years, the historic water saw was put into operation with the assistance of the experienced craftsman Alekos Drougias. The magnificent construction that the lumberjacks of the area dismantled and rebuilt depending on the place where they worked to cut the logs, is an achievement of the versatile craftsmanship that combines technology with the power of nature. With minor repairs and the power of the Aoos, the engine started again on the first day of August 2020.

Churches

The churches of Agios Georgios (building of 1814), Agia Paraskevi (where the divine service takes place every July 26 and the traditional three-day festival of Vovousa) and Panagia stand out, as well as the Primary school built at the expense of Petros Kazanas.

The forest of Agia Paraskevi in Vovousa

In Epirus, in the mountains of Zagori and Konitsa, there are many natural places dedicated to churches, chapels, icons, where old trees and age-old forests are found. Along with the effort to systematically record them and highlight their importance as valuable elements of our natural and cultural heritage, the idea was born to study whether these sites are of particular value for the conservation of nature and biodiversity.

This idea finally took shape with the project Project: THALIS-SAGE (Sacred Groves of Epirus), which was coordinated by the University of Ioannina and in which scientists of many different specialties, both natural and humanities, from five different countries participated. The five-year cooperation and research provided many interesting facts, most importantly that the sacred forests of Epirus functioned as sanctuaries for the conservation of biodiversity, long before words like “sustainability” or “nature protection” are heard that have now become part of our daily vocabulary.

The example of these places, both in the research area in Epirus and elsewhere, shows how the local communities of the past managed to preserve Nature. Because these small communities have been able to preserve these forests for their own values ​​and by serving their own goals, they are now gaining in importance.

In 2015, the sacred forests of Zagori and Konitsa, which are home to dozens or even hundreds of centuries-old trees, were included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. According to the UNESCO definition, intangible cultural heritage refers to collective representations, practices, expressions, values, knowledge and skills associated with specific communities, groups or individuals and passed down from generation to generation.

One of these forests is the forest of Agia Paraskevi in ​​Vovousa which is dedicated to the church of Agia Paraskevi. It is located at the top of the homonymous hill and celebrates on July 26. There are some of the largest black pines of Pindos and many trees that die naturally from old age. It is one of the most well-preserved forests in the area. The forest is about half an hour away from the village and is approached following a path that starts from the stone bridge of Vovousa.

Source: The information has been translated from: Τα Μεγαλειώδη Δέντρα του Ζαγορίου και της Κόνιτσας, Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων 2015, Έργο: ΘΑΛΗΣ – SAGE «Η διατήρηση της Φύσης μέσω της Θρησκείας – Τα Ιερά Δάση της Ηπείρου»

The valley of Valia Calda

Vovousa is located in the center of the National Park of North Pindos, next to the famous Valia Calda and in areas of exceptional beauty. Since the founding of the Pindos National Park in 1966, it includes the valley of Valia Calda and Arkoudorema as well as the mountains Lygkos and Mavrovouni. Its area reaches 70,000 acres of which 33,000 are the core. In 2005 the Forest merged with the nearby Vikos-Aoos National Park, forming the North Pindos National Park, which is now the largest Park in our country.

The name “Valia Calda” means in Vlach “Warm Valley” although this is a euphemism since it is one of the coldest and wettest areas in the country. The predominant element of water in the area, the wild forests, the snow-capped peaks, the rapid streams and the beautiful glades compose an amazing scenery of natural beauty with unique ecological interest on a national and pan-European scale.

The richness of biodiversity and the important presence of protected species such as the Brown Bear and the White-tailed Vulture is truly impressive. It is one of the 2-3 most important virgin and wild places of our country.

Activities

Exploring nature is a unique experience and the options are many depending on the time available and preferences: routes, others on asphalt roads to neighboring areas and villages, others on passable dirt roads, and others purely hiking trails. Circular hiking routes starting from the bridge of Vovousa, amazing route with 4×4 from Vovousa to Gyftokampos.

The Mountain shelter “Valia Calda”

In a wonderful mountain setting, in 2001 was built the shelter “Valia Calda” of Vovousa which can accommodate 50 people and on the ground floor the restaurant can serve up to 100 people. The outdoor shelter during the summer months is an oasis. Part of the outdoor area of ​​the shelter is used for camping.

For mountaineering and other activities in the area, the people in charge of the shelter are the most suitable people for any information. http://katafigiovaliacalda.com

Vovousa Festival

From 2015 and from July 16 to August 7, the Vovousa Festival is successfully organized every year. Music events, theatrical performances as well as modern dancing, hiking trips, truffle hunting, herbal medicine, intangible cultural heritage and oral history are organized.

«Protect Aoos» MTB Ultra

The Protect Aoos MTB Ultra for the protection of the Aoos is the most demanding mountain bike race in Greece and every year it attracts dozens of athletes from all over the country.

Festivals and Events

In the early 1900s, when men worked in the “water saws” as lumberjacks in the forest, returning home every 15 days led to a party, sometimes with local companies or others that were not local.

The local festival is organized every year on the day of celebration of Saint Paraskevi on July 26th. After the service in the church of Agia Paraskevi, they gather in the village, where visits with the accompaniment of musicians and an all-night feast follow. The festival ends with a feast the next night.

Another festival takes place on August 15th on the celebration of the Virgin Mary where the dance is accompanied by songs without an orchestra.

June 23-24 of Ai-Giannis or Giliata (Bride bazaar): Until the end of the 1960s, this event gave the opportunity to dance as first dancers to women who did not have a husband at home, and it was not possible at other events to dance in front if they did not have a male escort. Of course, the “Bride bazaar” also operated through the dance, where women alone were invited to dance in the middle of the village. This enabled men to “look” and “choose”. Today the dance takes place in the various shops. The dance is always accompanied by an orchestra and the songs are the same as those heard at other events.

At Easter the General Dance takes place in the courtyard of the church of Agios Georgios after the Second Resurrection on Sunday afternoon and at Carnival the songs heard were mocking.

Matchmakings, engagements and weddings took place in the houses and relatives were present. All the customs regarding the ritual were observed and a feast followed with songs from the mouth or with an orchestra.

The music and dance tradition of Vovousa is culturally different from the other Vlach communities of East Zagori (Greveniti, Flampourari, Elatochori), which have assimilated more elements of the Zagorian music tradition.

The music and dance repertoire of Vovousa has influences from the neighboring areas of Grevena, Metsovo and the Vlach villages of western Pindos, but shaped in a special style different from the other neighboring cultural units. After World War II, the demographic problem due to internal migration in the urban centers of the country altered the social fabric of the community.

Many of the social events no longer take place and only the three festivals are revived today but not with the dynamics of the past: the Little festival on June 23, the three-day festival of Agia Paraskevi on July 26 and the festival on the 15th of August. Weddings and name days are becoming more and rarer. However, today the people of Vovousa believe in the singing and dancing continuity that has preserved many of the elements of the past, which they try to highlight as faithfully as possible in the authentic and traditional form of the ritual part of the festivals.

<p>The post Vovousa: A beautiful village in a mountainous valley first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

The amazing location is full of firs, beeches, cedars, hornbeams and mainly chestnuts from which it got its name (chesnut= kastania).

The two streams that pass through the village divide it into three mahalades Messaria, Galina and Rachi.

It is a well-preserved craftsman village with aesthetic and architectural interest with stone houses, two-storey and three-storey mansions, cobbled streets, and bridges within the settlement.

The wonderful examples of local architecture are works of great craftsmen from Kastaniani. They started as stone craftsmen in the village, participated with the famous mpouloukia in the construction of many well-known projects in many places not only in the region but also in the rest of Greece and abroad, and developed into public works contractors.

According to the website kastaniani.gr, the foundation of the settlement in its current location is placed at the beginning of the 11th century AD. After the liberation of Epirus and its integration into the Greek state, Kastaniani became the seat of a community, which was maintained until 1998, when it joined the Municipality of Mastorohoria.

Historical information about Kastaniani

There are no historical records on the founding of the settlement, but according to tradition and the discovery of some findings, it is believed that the first settlement was built around 600-700 AD in the location Skourlia at the foot of Gyftissa, but it was destroyed by the invasions of the Huns and the Slavs. The second settlement was built in the location Malnitsa around 900 AD where they built a fortress at the castle of Kastri.

During the same period, the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior was built in a fortified form. During the invasions of the Huns, Bulgarians, Serbs, Albanians and others, the monastery was the place where the inhabitants resorted to repulse the attackers. At this time, when the village was located in the location Malnitsa, there was an invasion that forced the residents to take refuge in the location Kastri, but eventually the attackers invaded the fortress.

The third attempt to establish a new settlement was made in 1018 at the current location, which was considered safer. The church of Panagia was built in 1018 at the edge of the Gkalyna neighborhood, a date that testifies to the village’s construction date. A settlement always began with the construction of the church. At the point where the village was built, residents built churches on the hills as fortresses with slings.

The raids of the Serbs in 1059 and the Slavs in 1071 devastated the area, leaving Slavic place names in their wake. Nevertheless, according to earlier oral testimonies, the residents spoke the Greek language and were involved in animal husbandry and agriculture.

From 1204, after the first siege of Constantinople, the Konitsa region belonged to the Despotate of Epirus until its conquest by the Turks.

Source: The information on this section has been translated from the Greek text which is based on the book “Ιστορία της Καστάνιανης Κονίτσης” of Mr. Christos N. Gassios.

The Turkish Rule

In 1438, the entire province of Konitsa was subjugated by the Turks and Kastaniani followed the fate of Epirus. During the period of 1775-1780, Albanian bandits attacked the entire region of Epirus, burning, killing, and looting. In 1778, Ali Pasha managed to secure his appointment in the province of Ioannina and to pursue the Albanians, imposing order.

Kastaniani did not become a chiflik, remaining state property, a fact that secured it some privileges and flourished contrary to other villages that became the chifliks of beys, and it became a large village of the Kazas (province) of Konitsa with 833 residents according to the Ottoman Statistics (Salnamé) of 1895.

During the 19th century, the phenomenon of banditry, which was rampant throughout the Ottoman Empire and particularly in Epirus, forced many of the residents (about 50 families) to emigrate and settle in various villages and cities of the then-free Greek state, and most of them did not return.

Source: The information on this section has been translated from the Greek text which is based on the book “Ιστορία της Καστάνιανης Κονίτσης” of Mr. Christos N. Gassios.

Liberation of Kastaniani from Turkish Sovereignty

In 1912, the Greece-Turkey war was declared and those from Kastaniani who were able to fight ran to participate. On February 8, 1913, Molista was occupied by the Greek Army, while on February 14, the historic Battle of Molista took place between the retreating Turkish units and the Greeks. On February 21, 1913, Kastaniani was liberated from the Turkish rule.

Source: The information on this section has been translated from the Greek text which is based on the book “Ιστορία της Καστάνιανης Κονίτσης” of Mr. Christos N. Gassios.

World War II and Civil War

The position of Kastaniani and the villages of the wider area of northern Pindos, as they were located at a point of strategic importance, formed the bulwark of national defense. It is due to this strategic significance that the region later became a theater of fighting during both the period of the National Resistance and the Civil War.

The Italian occupation was particularly harsh, especially in the areas that the Italians aimed to annex to their state in the future. The hostility of the residents was bound to exceed in intensity the dissatisfaction with the invasion of the German army in Continental Greece.

The period of the civil war was a tough and tragic time. Kastaniani and all Mastorochoria were deserted because they were in the war zone. Except for those who were killed, a large part of the population was forcibly displaced, and thousands of political refugees ended up in Eastern Europe. With the civil war, the demographic, economic, and social crisis that existed increased, and the decline was accelerated. In the 60s and 70s, the last big migration wave deserted the area.

Source: The information on this section has been translated from the Greek text which is based on the book “Ιστορία της Καστάνιανης Κονίτσης” of Mr. Christos N. Gassios.

Social Organization

There was a strict division of labor and gender segregation. Only men participated in various events and festivities (zaferia). Later, they began to bring their wives too. At weddings and funerals, women sat in different rooms. It was strictly forbidden for men and women to hold hands, especially if they were not related. Girls were not sent to school with the excuse “not to learn to write to the boyfriend”.

The social organization of the village was mainly based on the large extended family, and there were also isolated families whose members were integrated into these kindred groups based on their father’s ancestry.

Marriage was allowed to third cousins because they believed that there was no relationship beyond this degree. After all, the village was endogamous and at the local level. Few engagements had taken place, according to the registry, with neighboring villages because it was considered offensive to marry a girl outside the village.

Another characteristic of the village, as in the wider area, was the change of the groom’s surname when he came to settle in the house of a single daughter or a girl without brothers. This was evidence that the principle of organization of the “house” was stronger than the generation and the organization based on the principle of blood, which in their perceptions symbolizes paternal ancestry.

Source: The information on this section has been translated from the Greek text which is based on the book “Κοινωνική οργάνωση – Οικιακή οικονομία: Ο κύκλος ανάπτυξης της οικιακής ομάδας στην ορεινή κοινότητα Καστάνιανης Κόνιτσας” of Mr. Alexakis Eleftherios.

The craftsmen of Kastaniani and their work

The craftsmen of Kastaniani were highly valued as artisans, not only for the excellent construction of the buildings, but also for the exceptional quality of the local stone that allowed them to build “isosceles” or “straight” as they said in the local dialect. According to references to their work (archives of Ali Pasha of Tepelene), their contribution to the reconstruction of the Castle of Ioannina, where the “rewarded craftsmen” from Kastaniani were 53, a number that is considered large, is significant.

In the following years, the craftsmen of Kastaniani expanded their activity, leaving remarkable works in the wider area of ​​Epirus and continuing in the rest of Greece as well as in Albania.

From the beginning of the 20th century, overseas trips began, mainly traveling to America, where they worked on construction and railway projects. About 100 men from Kastania immigrated to America, and some of them took their wives.

From 1936-1939, many craftsmen worked in Macedonia on technical works and others. They also worked with other craftsmen from the villages of Konitsa at the borders on military works, at the Roupel fortresses, and on the so-called Metaxa Line.

After the end of the Civil War, the area of ​​the border Konitsa was under surveillance with repressive measures and under a special regime that negatively affected the economic and social life and cultural evolution.

Source: The information on this section has been translated from the Greek text which is based on the book “Μάστοροι & Χτίστες από τα Μαστοροχώρια της Κόνιτσας” of Mr. Argiris Petronotis and Mr. Vasilis Papageorgiou.

Churches and chapels

Agios Nikolaos church

It is built in the central square and dedicated to Agios Nikolaos, the patron saint of the village. The main phase of its reconstruction is placed in the period 1915-1920. Its completion took place in 1928, when the first operation took place, but without the interior decoration.

Agios Dimitrios church

The church of Agios Dimitrios is built at the top of the district of Messargia and is the oldest in the village. The church building was also used as a fortress by the inhabitants during the periods of barbaric raids. Until 1938 there was a cemetery in the precinct.

Chapels

In the old days, building a church was considered a sacred debt. After all, most of the craftsmen were in the village and building was not difficult for them. The competition pushed the inhabitants to build chapels on every ridge, peak and hillside.

Some families had undertaken to supervise and maintain them on a permanent basis. Seventeen chapels built around the settlement are associated with the history and tradition of families who were also responsible for their maintenance. They were and are a point of reference and during the festivities the locals and the pilgrims gather to pay tribute to the holy patron.

Bridges

Source: The information on this section has been translated from the Greek text which is based on the book “Γεφυρογραφία της Πίνδου” of Spyros I. Mantas.

The bridge of Rachi

It is located in the village between the neighborhoods of Mesargia and Rachi and bridges the pit of Messargia. It was built, probably by an engineer, in 1895 and the parapets were added later, in 1931, with holes for the drainage of rainwater

The bridge of Mitsaioi or Mitsadiko

It is located on the edge of the village and bridges the pit of Rachi next to the house of the Mitsis family. It has an arch made in a purely popular form with a double row of almost wedge-shaped stones. The arch has an opening of 9 meters and a height of 3.80 meters. The passage corridor is almost flat, has a length of 17.75 meters and a width of 2.40 and without the existence of railings or arches.

The bridge has been designated as a historical monument.

The bridge of Malnitsa

It is located in the north outside Kastaniani and bridges in the place Malnitsa the homonymous pit which joins below with the streams of the village and with the name Gostanikos flows into Sarandaporos. The inhabitants crossed the bridge going to their fields, to the chapels that were located on that side and also to the villages of Blistdani (today Lagada), Kantsiko (today Drosopigi) as well as in Macedonia.

Galina bridge

It is located inside the village. It was built in 1936 on the site of the old damaged bridge. The construction was started by local craftsmen but it was completed by the work of more craftsmen from Tzoumerka.

Activities

The very beautiful locations are ideal for 4×4 tours or hiking.

The village celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist on June 24 and Agia Paraskevi on July 26.

<p>The post Kastaniani: A tribute to the beautiful village first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

It is built amphitheatrically at an altitude of approximately 840m. at the foot of Strongoula (2.107m), one of the most spectacular peaks of the Tzoumerka Mountains or the Athamanian Mountains. (Besides, the story of Tzoumerka starts with the king Athamas, from which his name “Athamanian Mountains The village Pramanta belongs to the cultural unity of the Tzoumerkohoria (villages of Tzoumerka), but at the same time together with other villages (Christoι, Ambelochori, Ktistades, Raptanei) belongs to the unity of Mastorochoria of Tzoumerka.

Historical information for Pramanta

Pramanta today

Unfortunately today there are no traditional buildings in the village, except for a few. The burning of the village by the Germans and the earthquake of 1967 destroyed many of the traditional houses. Old houses that are examples of local architecture are the houses of Vourlokas, Giannikostas, Stamos, Karakostas, Tsirkas, Tsikos.

In the center of Pramanta is the beautiful cobbled square with the huge old plane tree, which was and is a reference point for the festive events of the religious festivals and the meetings of the expatriate residents during the summer days that are gathered in their birthplace.

The square is dominated by the central church of Agia Paraskevi which has been designated as a historical monument and the Fountain of Arapis which represents a human head with a tap coming out of its mouth. It is the work of Pramantian master builder Vassilios Chr. Georgakis and was created in 1887. The name, it is said, comes from a black man (arapis) who stood here and collected the taxes of servitude.

The Monument of the Woman of Pramanta is a culpture in the center of the village reminiscent the contribution of the women to the nation’s struggles.

Watermill – whirlpool – mantania: Historic listed building owned by the Tsaktsiras brothers. It is a ground floor stone building of simple folk architecture with a rectangular plan. Built in 1935 is perhaps the only case of co-housing water mill, whirlpool and mantania.

The area of ​​Tzoumerka in recent years has made huge leaps in the promotion of tourism, with the participation and involvement of professionals and with the support of institutions.

Today Pramanta is a lively village in the center of the area and the seat of the Municipality of North Tzoumerka with a population of about 800 inhabitants, which in summer exceeds 1500. It has taverns, patisseries, cafes and nightlife. It also has a modern Health Center, pharmacy, environmental education center, gas station, bank, ATM, post office, police station and schools of all levels. In this traditional village, which combines the modern way of life, the visitor can find information about everything he needs.

Tourism development in recent years is at a high level with the creation of hotels and hostels in the area. The quality infrastructure of the accommodation and the local gastronomy are key elements of a comfortable stay

The experiences gained by the visitor are quality experiences related to the experiential approach of the impressive nature of Tzoumerka and the monuments of the cultural heritage. “Active” tourism enriches the travel experience, and leads the visitor to more and more specialized activities.

The range of activities in such a natural environment is large and the options depend on the time available, the endurance and the mood. Mountains, and peaks for mountaineering enthusiasts, hiking trails, visit to waterfalls,rafting in Arachthos and Kalarrytikos, gorge descent for the adventurous, car trips to the surrounding traditional villages, visits to monasteries, churches and bridges. A special destination beyond the summer months.

What to see

Monasteries and churches

Throughout the Ottoman rule, the strong religious sentiment of the inhabitants of Tzoumerka and their deep faith helped them to face the difficulties not only of those who came from the barren land but also of those of Turkish rule. The expression of their faith is reflected in the construction of numerous churches and monasteries in the mountains of Tzoumerka.

Besides, their geographical location helped in the relative autonomy granted by the Turks and contributed to the reconstruction of ecclesiastical monuments. Most of the monasteries, apart from religious institutions, were centers of Hellenism that preserved and spread the language, the customs, the traditions, and mainly transmitted the idea of ​​revolution and liberation to the hearts of the slaves. The successive fires of the villages have destroyed many of these Byzantine monuments and those that exist date from the 17th century onwards.

Agia Paraskevi church in Pramanta

In this place from the old days there has been a small chapel dedicated to Agia Paraskevi. In 1890 the new church was founded in a basilica style with domes and under the guidance of the folk architect Konstantinos Mpekas, who came from Pramanta. With the contributions of the residents and the personal work of villagers, men and women, the work progressed to a point and then stopped due to a lack of money.

The characterization of the church contributes to the preservation of the special physiognomy of Pramanta, an interesting mountain settlement in the area of ​​Tzoumerka (http://listedmonuments.culture.gr). In honor of Agia Paraskevi, which is celebrated on July 26, there is a traditional feast organised in Pramanta which lasts three even four-days.

The monastery of Agia Paraskevi

It is located between Pramanta and Melissourgoi on a hill with splendid lush vegetation of spruce and fir trees. It is a walled large three-aisled basilica, covered stone slabs, with a loggia, cells on the front side, hostels on the first floor and a beautiful stone-made spring a little further. It was built in 1876 by the monk Dionysios Noutsos, as an engraved inscription says on the entrance. 

The monastery played an important role in modern history as it was the seat of the chieftain Putetsis during the 1912-1913 fights, and later used as a base by Napoleon Zerva’s teams. Inside, the remarkable icons in the iconostasis date back to 1839 and were transported here from the old church of Agia Paraskevi that was next to it. It celebrates on July 26th and becomes a religious function and a feast, but it is also open for the rest of the year because it is inhabited. Moreover, due to the beautiful natural location, the residents of the surrounding villages also prefer it for various social events (weddings, baptisms, etc).

Agios Nikolaos

Beautiful small church in Kato Mahalas. It was built in 1875-1876 at the expense of the Ptamantian Ioannis N. Rigas, of a well-known merchant with his trading center in Paramythia, from where he exported his products to Corfu and abroad.

The church of Asproklisia

It is located in the beautiful forest of Markopoulo.

The stone buidings of water

Tzoumerka is a predominantly mountainous and inaccessible area with amazing nature and rich water resources which people exploited with wisdom and moderation, subjugating nature and making it their ally.

This constant effort to survive in a bygone era is depicted in the bridges, watermills, mantania, fountains, wells, water saws, which are today stone monuments of the pre-industrial era. Some of the many and remarkable examples of traditional architecture are located in the area of ​​Pramanta.

The bridge of Plaka

Historical monuments are an attraction, they recall important moments of history, but at the same time they serve as a pole of attraction for visitors. They are unique examples of the Εpirotic architectural tradition and modern Greek culture.

The bridge of Plaka is one of the most famous bridges, not only for its history but also for its perfect construction and its wonderful architecture. It bridges Arachthos, one of the most rapid rivers of Epirus and is the largest single-arched bridge in the Balkans and the third largest in Europe.

Watermill, whirlpool and Mantania

Historic monument, owned by the Tsaktsira brothers. It is a simple ground floor stone building of 1935. Remarkable are the cylindrical stone hoppers that carry water to the water mill and the impeller, but also the stone-built water mill, one of the few of its kind.

The bridge and the watermill of Christoi

A two-arched bridge which bridges the Melissourgiotiko stream and is located immediately after the settlement of Christi on the way to Pramanta. It was constructed during the first years of liberation from the Ottomans (1833-1890) and replaced another older one located on the downstream.

Its condition is modest, as the deck has been coated with asphalt and the motorway passes. Next to it there is a traditional water mill, which in the period 1881-1912 was used as a military and customs outpost.

Next to the bridge of Christi there is a traditional watermill which from 1881 to 1912 was used as a military and customs outpost.

The bridge of Sigounas

A single arched stone bridge with a flat deck that bridges Kalarrytiko River. It is perched on the cliffs of both sides of the river. The bridge was constructed by the merchant Sygounas fron Syyrako, as from this point he was passing his merchandise to Arta.

Before the construction of the bridge, the transport of the goods was carried out with a wire rope, which was fixed on both sides of the river. The bridge is located on the road from Kipina to Christi.

Activities

Gorges and waterfalls, peaks and rivers, mountain paths, forests and plateaus… majestic ornaments of the earth.

The area around Pramanta as well as the wider area of ​​Tzoumerka is full of landscapes that seal the wild and authentic beauty of nature inviting the visitor to initiation and experiential enjoyment.

Strogoula

The beautiful peak of Tzoumerka with its characteristic shape is the trademark of Pramanta and a favorite peak of climbers.

Impressive in all seasons and visible from all sides, it magnetizes the eye.

The forest of Markopoulo

The fir forest above the village.At a time when the population of the village had increased and the arable land was not enough, they cleared various parts for cultivation. When the cultivation stopped, the forest was reforested and reached its current form.

From the village starts a path and a wonderful route in the fir forest. First stop is the Skala spring which is the source from which the village is supplied with water. It is called Skala (staircase) because it is the first step for the ascent to the forest of Markopoulos. The next source is Kerasia and the path reaches the Pramanta refuge.

The refuge of Pramanta

It is built at an altitude of 1260 m. On a beautiful plateau below the north side of Stroggoula and with stunning views of the volume of Kakarditsa. 

It has been operating since 2006 and has beds, organized kitchen, dining area, living room and fireplace. Next to the refuge, a small open-air theater is built.

Tsopelas

A settlement of Pramanta which in recent years has been significantly exploited. It is a summer destination of many Pramantiotes who live far away and come to their homeland in summers. The square of the settlement is very beautiful and in general it is a very well-kept settlement.

Melissourgoi

A few kilometers from Pramanta is the village Melissourgoi with the three squares and the volume of mountains around with the wild beauty that fascinates. In the center of the village is the first paved square with fountains and plane trees, a little above a second paved square and at the bottom of the village is the square of Panagia. From the beautiful villages of Tzoumerka with impressive areas for exploration and activities and with tourist infrastructure.

Also, a short distance above the village is the refuge of Melissourgoi at an altitude of 1209m. It is open all year round and consists of 5 rooms, chalet and kitchen. The rooms have five beds, heating and a private bathroom. The kitchen is open daily from early in the morning until late at night, offering a full board for guests.

Kefalovriso waterfall

Strogoula never ceases to fascinate. From the north side, the cascade of Kefalovrysso springs with a length of 350m. and with a constant flow of all seasons. The waterfall in its course forms the stream of Koferita which flows into the stream of Melissourgoi.

The route is easy and marked and starts either from the Pramanta Refuge or from the Melissourgoi Refuge. We walk in a fir forest for about half an hour until we we go out in an open area. Following the course and having visual contact with the waterfall we walk for about forty minutes. Leaving the gaze to wander from right to left we see the northern part of Strongoula, Gerakovouni and the peak Agathi, the Neck of the Ear and finally the impressive mountain range of Kakarditsa.

The magical world of Anemotripa

Three kilometers from Pramanta is the cave of Anemotrypa and is something you must see.The cave was discovered in 1960 and explored by Anna Petrocheilou. A part of the cave about 270 meters long was studied and explored. In 2000 the 250 meters were used for tourism and today it is accessible to visitors.

The cave has three levels. The tallest and oldest collapsed in the past and some parts of it are preserved. The middle level is what has been used for tourism. The third level is the underground riverbed, which is seen at the end of the tourist path,just before creating a waterfall 2 meters, 10 meters lower than the path. 

The water of the river appears again in a spring located in the ravine, 25 meters below the entrance of the cave. Stalactites and stalagmites with various formations and colors create an eerie backdrop. And of course what the visitor perceives is the clean atmosphere that shows that the cave has natural ventilation, and also is felt the complete lack of smell from the mold that most caves have.

The twin waterfalls in Tzoumerka

The waterfalls are located near the settlement of Kriopigi which belongs to the village of Katarraktis on the western slopes of Tzoumerka. The northern waterfall is more rapid and has a height of 87 m., While the southern reaches 100 m. Above them stand the northwestern peaks of Tzoumerka, thus creating an impressive setting.

The water from the mountain ends after a serpentine course of about 10 kilometers in the river Arachthos. In the area of ​​the waterfalls, a paved path and bridges have been created, so the approach is very easy, while a refreshment room is very close. The best time to visit them is towards the end of May, as then the waters are many and the force of their fall is impressive.

Kamili waterfall in Tzoumerka

One of the most impressive waterfalls in the area is located just before the village of Matsouki. This is the “Kamili” waterfall which is impressive not for its height (50 meters) but for the large volume of water that descends even in the summer months. Streams are created from the high peaks, such as Katarrachias (2280m.) And Kritharia (2200m.).

Two of them, Mavrias and Goura, cross Matsouki and creating an impressive waterfall they pour from a height of 50 meters. A little further on, they join the Red River and together they flow into the Matsoukiotiko Stream, which crosses the homonymous gorge, and in the process receives the waters of Karlibou stream.

Important information – Sources

Much of the historical information you will find in the article was based on the book “Πράμαντα Τζουμέρκων – Ιωαννίνων, Ιστορία – Λαογραφία” by the Pramanta Brotherhood.

<p>The post Pramanta – Under the imposing peak of Strogoula first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

High and inaccessible mountain ranges with deep folds in which basins are formed, wild and at the same time beautiful mountains, snow-capped and lost peaks, rushing rivers, impressive waterfalls, seasons with color changes. It is the Athamanian Mountains or Tzoumerka that are a mountain range whose main trunk forms a horseshoe that in its unique opening to the N.D. rolls the impetuous Arachthos that flows into the Amvrakikos gulf.

The village of Melissourgoi is built on this passage at 1100m height and in the basin that is formed between the volume of Kakarditsa and Stroggoula.

“… and I climbed the mountain peaks gazing at the sun and the fir trees smiled at me and the fragrant cedars softened my aching body…”

Κώστας Στάμου (Τζουμερκιώτικα Χρονικά 2014 σελ. 193)

History and Information of Melissourgoi

The exact date of creation of the settlement is unknown. There is a view that the settlement of Melissourgoi were created by the contraction of micro-settlements during the Turkish occupation. It is very likely that the attack and the destruction caused by the Mani pirate Lyberios Gerakaris, who had joined the service of the Venetians, contributed to this, and we invaded Arta and its villages, looting and killing.

In general, the area of ​​Athamania is an area in which extensive and systematic excavations have not been carried out, with the result that the history and culture that concerns the very old times remain in the dark.

The archeological findings (looted tombs, charcoal remains, etc.) found at Melissourgoi at the sites of Kastania, Dovru, Gritsana, Skripta, Zizina and Zileousi prove an organized society.

Other historical sources useful for the study of the creation and evolution of the settlement are drawn from the written traditions which are dates in buildings of temples and monasteries that have been renovated or rebuilt as well as inscriptions on the lintels, hagiographies and church bells.

However, a Golden Bull of the Emperor of Constantinople (1321) who abolishes an arbitrary act (1272) of the military commander Kavasilas with which the latter had given the settlement of Melissourgoi to the Diocese of Dryinoupolis, , restoring the village to the Diocese of Ioannina, is an indisputable testimony of the existence of the village from that time.

What to see in and around Melissourgoi

The waterfall of Kefalovryso

One of the most beautiful places in the area is the waterfall of Kefalovrysos that springs from the north side of Strongoula having a length of 350m. and continuous flow all seasons. The waterfall in its course forms the stream of Koferita which flows into the stream of Melissourgoi.

The route is easy and marked and starts either from the Pramanta Refuge or from the Melissourgoi Refuge. We walk in a fir forest for about half an hour until we get out. Following the course and having visual contact with the waterfall we walk for about forty minutes. Leaving the gaze to wander from right to left we see the northern part of Strongoula, Gerakovouni and the peak Agathi, the Neck of the Ear and finally the impressive mountain range of Kakarditsa.

The bridge of Koferita

(Σπύρος Ι. Μαντάς, ΓΕΦΥΡΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΙΝΔΟΥ, ΤΟΜΟΣ Β΄, ΤΟ ΓΕΦΥΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΚΟΦΕΡΙΤΑΣ σελ. 324)

It is located outside the village south of Koferita location and bridges the homonymous river. It is single-arched and its semicircular arch has an opening of 10.60 m and a height of 5.80 m. The passage corridor is flat and with a crown outside having a length of 21 m. and useful width 1.75 m. It is one of the last stone bridges in the area since it was built during the German occupation of 1942-43. The bridge was gradually built by local craftsmen and was completed with the help of craftsmen from Raftanei village. The inhabitants paid in kind, mainly corn. It was used for the first time by ELAS guerrillas and then by the village cattle breeders.

Churches and Monasteries

Agios Nikolaos church

It is a three-aisled vaulted basilica without a dome. It was built in 1778 but because it was set on fire by the Turks in 1821, it was rebuilt for the most part with a stone roof and a shed supported by columns. During the earthquake of 1967 it was severely damaged and was poorly renovated.

The monastery of the Entrances of Virgin Mary

Today only its katholikon survives and is located directly opposite the Melissourgoi on the mountain slope above the stream and a little below the chapel of Agia Paraskevi. The katholikon of the monastery is in good condition outside and the surviving frescoes are very few.

The monastery of the Assumption of Virgin Mary

The monastery was built on the site, where today the homonymous church of the village in the NW of Melissourgoi is, and which, according to its founding inscription, was completely renovated in 1843. According to tradition, the church was built before the church of Agios Nikolaos around 1747 and had two cells which were demolished in 1843 when its katholikon was renovated.

Agia Paraskevi chapel

Above the katholikon of the Monastery of the Entrances of the Virgin there is the chapel of Agia Paraskevi which is not hagiographed and, according to the marble slab on the west wall, the date of its initial construction is unknown

Agios Markos chapel

It is a small wooden-roofed basilica without a dome. It was founded in 1770 on the site of an oldest – probably Byzantine – church, which was destroyed in 1696 by Maniatis Gerakaris Lymperakis and in 1870 it was completely renovated. The interior has magnificent frescoes from 1877 that are preserved in relatively good condition. It is located in the village and has access from paved paths

Agios Kosmas chapel

In a place with an amazing view.

Activities in and around Melissourgoi

The village Melissourgoi belongs to the area of ​​Tzoumerka, one of the most impressive areas of Greece and is offered for all kinds of activities. Canyoning and rappel in the gorges, mountain biking and riding motorcycles and 4X4. Hiking trails on easy and difficult routes. Visit to the surrounding villages, bridges and monasteries that are architectural treasures.

A short distance from the village is the Mountain Refuge of Melissourgoi. Built in the forest with a wonderful view of the mountain peaks, it is offered not only for accommodation and food but also for activities of small and high difficulty in the surrounding mountains.

Information: http://katafigiomelissourgwn.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_40.html and https://www.facebook.com/Katafigiomelissourgwn/

Accommodation and dining in the area meets all the specifications for a comfortable and interesting vacation. The area of ​​Tzoumerka has been used for tourism in recent years and the proof is that the traffic remains high during the winter.

In the Mountain Refuge of Melissourgoi

<p>The post Melissourgoi – Tribute to the beautiful mountain village of Tzoumerka first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

Originally it belonged to the vlach villages of Aoos Valley (Konitsa). However, from a historical point of view, it joined Zagori and in the meantime also differentiated in terms of its characteristics. So today it is part of the cultural and historical unity of Central Zagori.

History and Information about Vrysochori

About the village

Vrysochori used to belong to the Vlachohoria of Lakka of Aoos (Elefthero, Paleoseli, Pades, Armata and Distrato). Today it is one of the Vlachohoria of Zagori and is part of the historical and cultural unity of Central Zagori.

The exact date of establishment of the settlement is not known. According to tradition, before Vrysochori developed into a village, it was settled by clans that formed small settlements. The first settlements were established at the time of King Pyrrhus and over time and the increase in population a number of residents moved creating two new settlements.

When later the settlements collapsed and the current village was created, which was named Agios Athanasios after the homonymous chapel of the Saint. The final unification of the settlements probably took place in the 8th AD. century in the context of the organization of the Communities of the Byzantine Empire.

Some of the first inhabitants were Albanian-Blachs, known as Buioi (Boys) or Boiani which comes from the name Buia, brought by the first leaders of this tribe who were wild and initially lived in huts. Also mentioned are members of the same tribe as that of the Bouia, who were blond and fearless.

As for the name, I. Lambridis mentions the village with the type Lesnitsa and the interpretation as “leptokaryona” i.e. a forest with hazelnut trees. According to Konstantinos Oikonomou (Toponymic of Zagori), this is a toponym found in three Slavic languages, attested from the second half of the 14th century and derived from the word lëska “hazelnut”

In 1927, as part of the Hellenization of the names of the villages, Lesinitsa was renamed Vrysochori after the many fountains that the area had.

The course of the village over time

The abundance of water favored grain and horticultural crops.

During the difficult periods such as 1917-1922 and during the German occupation, many residents of the neighboring and other villages of Zagori survived thanks to the products of Vrysochori.

In the past they cultivated vines and there was a large production of wine and tsipouro. Today, there are no vines.

The extensive and dense forests around the area of Vrysochori were a refuge for many wild animals and game. Since ancient times, many residents have had hunting as their daily occupation. Besides the routes in the forest they ensured, especially in difficult times, plenty of meat for their families. In general, hunting events used to be important events for hunters.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the migration of many residents and the search for better living conditions in richer places is observed. At the same time, the financial assistance of the immigrants helped the village to progress from the 18th century and then the village showed great prosperity.

In World War II and the Civil War the residents saw their village burned three times: twice by the Nazis (18/10/1943, July 1944) and once during the Civil War (1945-49).

Vrysochori had the same fate as the rest of the villages in the area. What’s more. the migration of young people to the big cities resulted in the gradual desolation of the village which isolated it, since until 1996 there was only a manual telephone and the road connecting Vrysochori with Paleoselli was asphalted in 2009.

What to see in Vrysochori

St Charalampos

It is a large and impressive church in the main square of the village. The construction of the church began in 1799 and was completed in 1814, when it was inaugurated by the then Metropolitan of Ioannina Gabriel in September 1814.

The expatriates offered the most as well as the Monastery of the Holy Trinity from its income. Before the inauguration there was a controversy as to as to which Saint will be honored. Hierarch Gabriel asked for a list to find out which of the inhabitants offered the most and realizing that those who wanted Saint Charalambos to be honored in this Temple had offered the most money, without any hesitation, he opened the door chanting the apology of Saint Charalambos.

Since then, this holy temple became the symbol for the village and the reference point for every for every resident of Vrysochori, resident and expatriate.

Source: «ΑΓΙΟΣ ΧΑΡΑΛΑΜΠΟΣ» 1814-2013, Τα Νέα του Βρυσοχωρίου, τεύχος  84

The Monastery of Holy Trinity

It is located 13 km. from the village and at an altitude of 950m. and dates from the 17th century.

St Athanasios

It is the first and oldest temple of the village. According to tradition when in the 8th AD century, all the settlements were merged into one village, which was named Agios Athanasios.

St Dimitrios

It is built in the center of the settlement and was first built more than four centuries ago.

The church of Kato Panagia

It is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

Stone carvings in Vrysochori

Maria Tsoupi – Remou writes about the stone sculptures that are in Vrysochori and that adorn the houses:

More than 100 samples of folk stone sculpture are located in Vrysochori. Stone carving is one of the expressions of traditional handicrafts, such as wood carving, painting, embroidery, weaving, silversmithing, metalworking and ceramics.

It is noteworthy that Vrysochori is one of the few villages of Zagori, where one can often find these excellent examples of the art of pelicans – craftsmen of the masonry company.

All these stone carvings enhance the sense of liberation from the negative forces of Evil. They are amulet “points” that give way to the metaphysical concerns of man and create conditions for experiencing the divine presence.

The stone bridges of Vrysochori

Of the 19 stone bridges of the village that have been recorded, today only six survive, located inside and outside the village:

The bridge of Skarvena is built just outside the village of Vrysochori, next to the provincial road that connects central Zagori with Palioseli and the other villages of Konitsi, in Lakka Aou.

The bridge of Garanis inside the settlement, the bridge of Kοuitsa a small beautiful bridge at the entrance of the village, the bridges of Siannos two small single-arched bridges next to each other in Vrysochori, the bridge of Tsamare (=big) and the bridge of Tzanika (=small).

Source: TΑ ΠΕΤΡΙΝΑ ΓΕΦΥΡΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΒΡΥΣΟΧΩΡΙΟΥ (Αδαμάντιος Τσιομίδης «Τα νέα του Βρυσοχωρίου» τεύχος 102)

Celebrations, Events and Customs in Vrysochori

The active Educational and Mountaineering Association (M.O.S.) founded in 1970 is active by organizing celebrations and events so that the visit of guests and other visitors is pleasant.

The festivals that are celebrated and gather people are: the Festival of Agia Paraskevi on July 26-28 and the Festival of the Holy Trinity at the beginning of June in the monastery of the same name.

The Association also established the Pie Festival. It is a beautiful cultural event and celebration that started in 1991 and continues to this day. Every first Saturday of the third ten days of August, the women of the village make pies that they offer to those present and the program of course includes the traditional feast in the village square.

Theschure

An important, original and unique custom is “THESHOURE”. It is dedicated to the male dead of the village. It is, in a way, an invitation, made with the purpose of honoring the people who have left, bringing back their names aurally to memory and finally reminding the living of the cruel, fatal and inevitable course of man.

Theshure takes place in the square of the church of Agios Charalambos and from the bell tower, which is the tallest of the other two bell towers of the village. The bell can be heard in a very long distance and the location in the Eastern part of the village dominates the entire area. The custom takes place every year during Holy Week, specifically on the afternoon of Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday. It starts about an hour before sunset and ends shortly after sunset.

Source: ΘΕΣΧΟΥΡΕ, Τα Νέα του Βρυσοχωρίου, Αρ. φ. 82, Ευτυχία Οικονόμου – Γεωργοπούλου

The Fairy Fountain

From time immemorial, the power of water and the beauty of nature have been the catalyst for humans and have enlivened their imagination by creating myths with ethereal creatures, the fairies. The myths want them beautiful and inaccessible, but in the end they prove to be vulnerable to love and end up succumbing to the love of handsome and brave men, preferably of royal descent. Why not?A myth can have love, money, and blue bloods. Such a beautiful place as the Fairy Fountain at the roots of Tsuka Rossa could not but have its own fairies.

And as narrated in his book “Vrysochori” by Nikolaos Exarchos, according to the mythical tradition of the village from ancient times at the roots of the mountain is the ravine called Aboutsia in paraphrase of the Vlach word Amoutsa which means fainting.

Up there on the rock a spring gushes. At this point, always according to the legend, the hunters set a trap for wild goats and at the same time they saw the fairies that lived in the caves and went down to the stream and under the waterfall they bathed and spread their headscarves on the stones to dry.

At one point there was only one fairy left, the others may have left that place. At that time the son of the king of Epirus – yes, yes the prince – was looking for his lost sister in the mountains of the area. Arriving at the stream he saw the fairy bathing and rushed to catch her. The prince continued reaching the fountain that exists today. There he finally managed to catch her and finally make her his wife. And as the legend ends, instead of his sister, he found a wife and even a fairy. And they lived well and we were left with the curiosity of what happened to the sister.

The hiking trail with a few difficult passages but on an amazing path in dense vegetation leads to this famous fountain that gushes icy water.

Activities

The location of Vrysochori is suitable for many wonderful hiking, hiking or car routes. There are so many that we list some of them. Very nice route by car is to Gyftokampos, Skamneli and Laista and farther to the villages of Lakka tou Aoos (Paleoselli, Elefthero, Pades, etc.). For the climbers, the peaks of Tymfi (Gamila, Tsouka Rossa) stand up challenging and inviting.

There are many hiking trails, difficult and easy. For the most adventurous and lovers of wild rivers is the crossing of the gorge of Aoos to the Bridge of Konitsa, a very difficult route, since from this point to the Monastery of Stomiou in several places there is not even a path and one must swim to continue its course. Information can be obtained from the Educational and Mountaineering Association of the village.

<p>The post Tribute to Vrysochori: Gazing at the wonderful Tsouka Rossa first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>

The origin of the name is believed to come from the surname of Vourgarelis, which was a logger in the region, or from Bulgarian loggers who settled here due to forests and running water for the transfer of buildable timber to Arta.

History and Information

According to the philologist Vaso Rapti:

Athamania

The history of the village is related to the history of the wider region of Athamania, as this was one of its centers. Athamania took its name from the mythical king Athamantas, who reigned in the Orchomenos of Boeotia and after the murder of his son Learchos he migrated to Athamania and became its king.

The most important king was Aminandros (220-184 BC), who organized the state. After the death of Aminandros, the kingdom was abolished and the area was administered by the public of the Athamanians. Macedonian currencies certify their submission to Macedonia. During the period of the Roman occupation, residents were forced to live in Nikopolis, resulting in a decrease in the population.

From the 3rd century. BC, Celtic nomads settled in the area, leaving a lot of toponyms, not Greek.

The Turkish rule

In 1820, when the Turks fought with Ali Pasha, the Klephts (self-appointed soldiers, anti-Ottoman insurgents, who lived in the countryside when Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire) of the area and Markos Botsaris were assembled at the monastery of Ag. Georgios, in Vourgareli, to prepare the uprising in the area of ​​Arta. A second meeting must have taken place, on the same spot, before May 30, 1821, with the blessings of Abbot Christopher. It was attended by G. Bacolas Karaiskakis, M. Koutelidas and 200 Captains, with the aim of liberating Arta.

Officially, the revolution in Arta began on May 30, 1821, when Karaiskakis and G. Koudeidas hit the Turks in Komboti. Another important event was the Battle of Vourgarelli, on 23 September 1823, where Omer Vryonis was defeated, thus rescuing the Revolution in the West Roumeli.

The liberation

Despite the constant uprisings of the residents of the area (1854, 1867, 1878), the area of ​​Arta was liberated in 1881 and it was incorporated into the Greek state. In fact, this liberation concerned only 14 villages, because the rest were not own by residents, but some of them were owned by some squire, so the inhabitants were not free but slaves. The Turkish landlords sold their estates to the Greeks before they left, at a small price, which in turn became even more tough rulers than the Turks.

Vourgareli was Abraham Pasha Karakehaya’s. In order to reach its inhabitants, it was necessary to buy it, which was achieved after a hard struggle. The Mayor Theodorias Georgios Oikonomidis was the leader in that struggle. In the first contract in 1884, the inhabitants bought Vourgareli, by Abraham Pasha, for the sum of 4,416.66 golden Ottoman pounds. However, since there was an amount of 80.16 pounds that some residents were unable to pay the village was in danger of falling back to Pashas. Therefore, in the second contract in 1889, the landlord K. Karapanos from Arta was the guarantor, assuming the repayment amounting to £80,16 (2,244 drachmas) and thus became the new ruler of the region for the next 40 years.

In 1924 the inhabitants were able to repay the debt and the Cooperative of Co-ownership of Vourgareli – Paleokantouno was established. The Cooperative’s action was significant and at its expense, many charitable works were made.

The occupation and the civil war

During the Italian-German occupation, the region suffered much, due to the cruelty of the conquerors, and in the difficult years of the civil war many residents of the village were forced to emigrate. In April 1943, Nap. Zervas installed his headquarters at the home of Doctor Anagnostis.

Vourgareli became the first capital of free mountainous Greece. 

The Germans retaliated and on May 5, 1943, they bombed the village. German planes dropped more than 400 bombs. The victims were 13 dead and 30 injured, most of them village residents. Many homes were destroyed and many people were left homeless. The evil was completed on 3 October 1943 when the Germans burned it together with the surrounding villages. Then the church of St. Nicholas was burned, which was rebuilt in a design by architect and academic Anastasios Orlandos.

Another event related to the years of Occupation and National Resistance is the first theatrical performance of the Mountain Theater, the cultural department of EAM, played in Vourgareli square. The villagers also took part in this show.

The people of Vourgareli rebuilt their houses and set their lives from scratch. In the difficult years that followed (civil, post-civil years), many residents of the village were forced to immigrate, others to the cities, to study or search for better fortune and others in overseas countries, resulting in the weakening of the village as well as the entire Greek countryside.

What to see in Vourgareli

Such a place so favored by nature could not be left secret for a long time. The location with the unobstructed view, the green of the trees, the running waters and the stone fountains, the three beautiful bridges and the square (one of the most beautiful ones we met in Epirus) could only be a pole of attraction for those who love nature and are looking for the unspoiled life of the mountainous villages of Epirus and even the region of Tzoumerka.

And don’t even think for one moment that you will get bored. Beginning from the village you can explore the surrounding area. Starting from the beautiful square with the amazing view and walking along the old houses you first hear and then see the two stone taps that constitute the “trademark” of the village, Archonto and Kristallo which were built in 1926 at the expense of the Cooperative.

Do not miss the following:

Archonto and Krystallo

For over 80 years, water is running from the 4 mouths of Archonto and the 7 mouths of Kristallo. There are also mythical myths that if you believe in them and drink water you can get married in Vourgareli and stay there forever. The locals will show you the house that Napoleon Zervas chose for his headquarters and there is a sign in the village square that will remind you that in 1981 during the Rallis government, Vourgarell was chosen to give farmers and livestock farmers the first EEC subsidies.

The three stone bridges

The three stone bridges of the village are among the places that deserve your visit.

1. Neraidogefyro: It is an one-arched bridge located in Barda Place. It was built at the end of the 19th century (1950) and the sponsor was Konstantinos Poulis. Underneath it passes a stream of Sarantaporos that ends up in Arachthos. You will meet it when entering Vourgareli from Arta! It is located on a path that you follow in your right hand.

2.Bridge at Korais Stream: It is an one-arched bridge located in Vourgareli on the road to Athamanio. It bridges the homonymous stream of the Kalentini river, the tributary of Arachthos.

3. Bridge at Megali Vrisi: It is a single-arched bridge located in the same location outside the village of Vourgareli, going to Athamanio. It bridges the Kalentinis tributary of Arachthos. Its construction took place probably in the late 19th century.

The Red Church

About 4 km outside of the village is the Red Church or Panagia Vellas which is one of the most important monuments that the glorious Komninodoukades dynasty created in the 13th century in Epirus.

It is located in the village Paleochori, 4 km south of Vourgareli. It was built in 1281, ie before Parigoritissa of Arta, at the expense of Theodoros Tsimiskis, protortor (high military post of the Byzantine Court during the reign of the Komnenos and Paleologists Dynasty). The name Red Church is obviously due to the lively red color of the briquettes, of which the masonry of the temple is composed. Traditionally, it is also called the “king monastery”, probably because it was once the catholic (mainly temple) of a royal monastery which, when abandoned, became a part of the monastery of Vellas, from which it was named.

For the particular importance of the Temple, it has been designated as a Historic listed monument.

The Saint George Monastery

Surely the Saint George Monastery just outside the village is worth your visit as well. The monastery was founded in 1690 and it was rebuilt in 1714, according to an inscription found on the wall. Today’s cells are later constructions. In the middle of the 19th century, the monastery was in great prosperity and its charitable action was significant since, as mentioned in sources, it donated large amounts to local schools and assisted poor families.

It played an important role, in the sense that it contributed to the beginning of the revolution in Epirus, since the rebellion of the area was prepared there. During the Ottoman domination it served as a refuge for the troops and thieves of Tzoumerka, but it also covered the religious needs of the inhabitants, when the Germans burned the Saint. Nicholas In 1957 it was named a preserved historic monument.

In 1957 it was considered a preserved historic monument.

<p>The post Vourgareli – In an outstanding natural beauty first appeared on Epirus Explorer.</p>