Kastri of Evrymenes, Ioannina
Encyclopedia
Kastri is a village
of the unit of Evrymenes
, Zitsa
municipality, Epirus
, NW Greece
. Until 1950 it was named Siutista, a name still in use by the local people.
through a local road connected to the E92
/E90 route
(Ioannina - Igoumenitsa
). Built at an elevation of 800 metres, it is the highest village of Mount Kassidiaris.
According to the 2001 census
the permanent inhabitants are 63 persons distributed in twenty households; yet the actual number differs from the statistics. The number of the all-year-round inhabitants does not exceed that of 20, whatsoever. Nevertheless, this number rises after Eastertide
, when some retired former villagers travel from their residence in Athens or Ioannina to their village to spend the summer period. This results in a significant increase in the number of Kastri's residents, often exceeding 100 during the August summer vacation period.
fugitive
s as Siutista in the early 19th century; probably named after the adjacent mountain Kassidiaris, called Siutista at the time. The exact year is unknown, but it must have been soon after Ali Pasha
conquered Souli
(1803). The British
topographer William Martin Leake
mentions the village as Shútista in the 4th volume of Travels in Northern Greece, published in 1835, but saves no further information about it.
Monument of that first period is the monastery
consecrated
to the Dormition of the Theotokos
, situated at the northern edge of the village; today only the temple of the monastery survives. In the past it had also been asylum
for people suffering from mental disorders.
Typically the villagers of Kastri have always been stock-breeders. They also used to cultivate small amounts of corn
, onion
and vegetables for domestic use, since the mountainous soil was infertile for large scale farming. After the Second Balkan War
and the annexation of Epirus
in the Greek State (Treaty of Bucharest, 1913) the families were offered small arable properties in the nearby valley
of Upper Thyamis, which previously belonged to Ottoman
institutions (chiflik
s).
The civil war
of 1946-1949 triggered the first wave of immigration, when members of the defeated Democratic Army
fled to the Eastern Bloc
. This was followed by a second long-lasting wave in the following decades, during which most of the villagers immigrated to Athens
or West Germany
.
The EEC
subventions in the 80's provided some financial support for the few remaining inhabitants to keep on living in the village. At the same period, the connection with the rural road and electricity network encouraged some emigrant families to build houses in their fatherland for use in the summer months.
roadway driving to Kastri offers amazing view above the valley of Upper Thyamis as far Tymfi
(...) such that otherwise only alpinist
s can enjoy. Moreover, a footpath
starting from the village leads to the highest peak
of Kassidiaris (1329 m).
The only sightseeing inside the village is the Temple of Dormition. Around the temple is held each year the traditional festival
of the village (14–16 August) organised by the St. George Brotherhood, the fellowship of those born in or descended from Kastri. Another local celebration is the feast
of St. George, who is considered as the village's patron saint
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of the unit of Evrymenes
Evrymenes, Ioannina
Evrymenes was a short-lived municipality in the Ioannina Prefecture, Greece. Following the massive mergers that took place in accordance to Kallikratis Plan, since 2011 it holds the status of "municipal entity" within the Municipality of Zitsa. Its 2001 population was 1,525...
, Zitsa
Zitsa
Zitsa is a village and a municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Eleousa.-Municipality:...
municipality, Epirus
Epirus (region)
Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
, NW Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Until 1950 it was named Siutista, a name still in use by the local people.
Location - Demographics
Kastri lies 43 km northwest of IoanninaIoannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
through a local road connected to the E92
European route E92
European route E 92 is an A-Class European route, crossing the Greek peripheries of Epirus and Thessaly.E 92 routes through the following local capitals : Igoumenitsa, Ioannina, Trikala, Larisa, Volos....
/E90 route
European route E90
European route E 90 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from Lisbon in Portugal in the west to the Turkish-Iraqi border in the east.-Itinerary:...
(Ioannina - Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa , is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit Thesprotia. Its original ancient name used to be Titani....
). Built at an elevation of 800 metres, it is the highest village of Mount Kassidiaris.
According to the 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
the permanent inhabitants are 63 persons distributed in twenty households; yet the actual number differs from the statistics. The number of the all-year-round inhabitants does not exceed that of 20, whatsoever. Nevertheless, this number rises after Eastertide
Eastertide
Eastertide, or the Easter Season, or Paschal Time, is the period of fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.It is celebrated as a single joyful feast, indeed as the "great Lord's Day". Each Sunday of the season is treated as a Sunday of Easter, and, after the Sunday of the Resurrection,...
, when some retired former villagers travel from their residence in Athens or Ioannina to their village to spend the summer period. This results in a significant increase in the number of Kastri's residents, often exceeding 100 during the August summer vacation period.
History
Kastri was founded by SouliotesSouliotes
Souliotes were a warlike community from the area of Souli, in Greece, who became famous across Greece for their resistance against the local Ottoman Pashalik of Yanina ruled by the Muslim Albanian Ali Pasha...
fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
s as Siutista in the early 19th century; probably named after the adjacent mountain Kassidiaris, called Siutista at the time. The exact year is unknown, but it must have been soon after Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...
conquered Souli
Souli
Souli is a municipality in Epirus, northwestern Greece. It was originally settled by both Greek and Albanian refugees who were hunted by the Ottomans in Thesprotia, Greece and Laberia, Albania. In early modern times, it was inhabited by about 12,000 Souliotes. After their expulsion the population...
(1803). The British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
topographer William Martin Leake
William Martin Leake
William Martin Leake, FRS , British antiquarian and topographer, was born in London.After completing his education at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and spending four years in the West Indies as lieutenant of marine artillery, he was sent by the government to Constantinople to instruct the...
mentions the village as Shútista in the 4th volume of Travels in Northern Greece, published in 1835, but saves no further information about it.
Monument of that first period is the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
to the Dormition of the Theotokos
Dormition of the Theotokos
The Dormition of the Theotokos is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which commemorates the "falling asleep" or death of the Theotokos , and her bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. It is celebrated on August 15 The Dormition...
, situated at the northern edge of the village; today only the temple of the monastery survives. In the past it had also been asylum
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
for people suffering from mental disorders.
Typically the villagers of Kastri have always been stock-breeders. They also used to cultivate small amounts of corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
and vegetables for domestic use, since the mountainous soil was infertile for large scale farming. After the Second Balkan War
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
and the annexation of Epirus
Epirus (region)
Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
in the Greek State (Treaty of Bucharest, 1913) the families were offered small arable properties in the nearby valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
of Upper Thyamis, which previously belonged to Ottoman
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
institutions (chiflik
Chiflik
Chiflik, or chiftlik , is a Turkish term for a system of land management in the Ottoman Empire. Before the chiflik system the Empire used a non-hereditary form of land management called the Timar System...
s).
The civil war
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
of 1946-1949 triggered the first wave of immigration, when members of the defeated Democratic Army
Democratic Army of Greece
This article is based on a translation of an article from the Greek Wikipedia.The Democratic Army of Greece , often simply abbreviated to its initials DSE , was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War, 1946–1949...
fled to the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
. This was followed by a second long-lasting wave in the following decades, during which most of the villagers immigrated to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
or West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
The EEC
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
subventions in the 80's provided some financial support for the few remaining inhabitants to keep on living in the village. At the same period, the connection with the rural road and electricity network encouraged some emigrant families to build houses in their fatherland for use in the summer months.
Sightseeings
The winding asphaltAsphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
roadway driving to Kastri offers amazing view above the valley of Upper Thyamis as far Tymfi
Tymfi
Tymfi or Mt Tymphe, Timfi, also Tymphi is a mountain in the northern Pindus mountain range, northwestern Greece. It is part of the regional unit of Ioannina and lies in the region of Zagori, just a few meters south of the 40° parallel...
(...) such that otherwise only alpinist
Alpinist
Alpinist is a quarterly American magazine focused on mountaineering ascents worldwide. It was originally published out of Jackson, Wyoming and was founded in 2002...
s can enjoy. Moreover, a footpath
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
starting from the village leads to the highest peak
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
of Kassidiaris (1329 m).
The only sightseeing inside the village is the Temple of Dormition. Around the temple is held each year the traditional festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
of the village (14–16 August) organised by the St. George Brotherhood, the fellowship of those born in or descended from Kastri. Another local celebration is the feast
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
of St. George, who is considered as the village's patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
.