ABOUT DROSOPIGI
Drosopigi (old Kantsiko) is a beautiful village located in the northeastern part of the prefecture of Epirus at an altitude of about 1050m. It is built in a rich natural environment surrounded by the mountain tops of Pindos and the forests changing colors every season delighting the senses.
History and Information
It is one of the villages that belong to Mastorochoria and one of the best preserved. The stone houses with the paved roofs or tiled roofs, the streets, the square which is of the most beautiful squares of Mastorochoria, the church of Agia Paraskevi (1930) and the stone school (1927) are examples of the local architecture.
Residents were builders but also excelled in viticulture and the art of barrel. Craftsmen from Kantsa worked throughout the Greek territory and abroad (Iran, Sudan, USA).
In the center of the square there is a huge tree with 6m perimeter which during the civil war suffered a shrapnel but survived and eventually stands up till today.
At a short distance from the square stands the beautiful and imposing church of Agia Paraskevi which was built by craftsmen from Kantsa in 1930.
What to see in Drosopigi
In Drosopigi also you can also admire the stone bridge known as “Kantsiotiko bridge“, from the older name of the village Kantsa. It is the only surviving stone bridge in the main Sarantaporo and a “trademark” and is one of the few bridges of Epirus, which was founded in the mid 18th century, more specifically in 1717.
It is built up in typical rock on both sides of which start two large arches towards the opposite riverbank. Above the cliff there is an even smaller arch to cross the waters of the river during periods of high level. Today we see a cluster of two bridges next to one another, with two different materials. The beautiful old stone bridge is just a breath away from the newest iron one.
The name of the master builder of the construction of the bridge is unknown, but there are several elements showing that this is a creation of the hands of Kantsa people. Unknown also is the name of the sponsor who addressed the construction costs. But it seems to have a strong historical basis myth that the money was allocated by the wife of a Bey (officer of the Ottoman Empire) in the region.
It is the only surviving stone bridge in the main Sarantaporo.
View towards Sarantaporos
The Sarantaporos is a river in northwestern Greece and southern Albania. It is a right tributary of the river Aoös, which flows into the Adriatic Sea. Its length is 50 km, of which the final approx. 10 km form the border between Greece and Albania.
Leave a Reply