Alfa, Rethymno

Alfa (Αλφά) Rethymno

Alfa is a semi-mountainous village of Crete in the regional Unit of Rethymno at an altitude of 192 meters. [1] [2]

Geography - History

Alfa is 24 km east of Rethymno and 5 km W.-NW. from Perama (seat of the municipality). According to the 2011 census it has 319 inhabitants [3]. The local community of Alpha also includes the settlements of Kallergos and Skordilo (or Skordilo). It is formerly mentioned that it consisted of two settlements, the Upper and the Lower Alfa [5], as Francesco Barozzi (P27V) states, while in "Kastrofylakas" (K173) it is referred to as "Alfa" with 113 inhabitants in 1583.

The inhabitants are mainly engaged in construction work (mainly stone building), olive growing, viticulture and wine production [6]. In Alfa there are 10 churches, a kindergarten, a kindergarten, a two-seat primary school, a playground, while in 2013 the stadium of the local PAO Alfa team "Giannis Dandolos" and the spiritual center of the village "Emmanouil E. Papadakis" were inaugurated [6].

Alfa stone door arch. Panormo Mylopotamou, 2015

Alfa is known for the characteristic rock of the area (marl limestone), which is used throughout the province of Mylopotamos as a building material, as initially it is relatively soft and easy to process, but over time it hardens. This building material has taken its name from the name of the village and is known as "alfa stone" or "Alpha stone". Many of the buildings in the area have a stone structure made of alfa stone, including the primary school in Skordilo, built in 1884, which has been abandoned since the 1950s but has been declared a monument. [4] [7]

Relatively recently and on the occasion of the formation of the road Alfa - ancient Eleftherna, 128 tombs belonging to the northern part of the cemetery of ancient Eleftherna were discovered and excavated. These tombs are carved in the typical rock of the area (alpopetra) and contained gifts, such as clay vessels and gold mouthpieces. [8] A Roman bath building of late antiquity has also been found in the area. [9]

In Alfa was born and raised the famous lyricist Kostas Mountakis (1926-1991) and the also famous lyricist and mantinadologist Giannis Dandolos [6]

References

Buk.gr: Alfa Rethymno
Encyclopedia Nea Domi. Tegopoulos - Maniateas. 1996. p. 155, vol. 3.
"Government Gazette of Permanent Population Results", p. 10885 (p. 411 of pdf)
Ministry of Culture, Irini Magiafa, architect-engineer: Primary School in Skordilo
website Δη. Alpha School [dead link]
Rethymno News
"PEREMANENT CATALOG OF CIRCULAR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND MONUMENTS". listedmonuments.culture.gr. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
Ministry of Culture: KE 'Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities (pdf)
Rebecca J. Sweetman: The Mosaics of Roman Crete: Art, Archeology and Social Change, Cambridge University Press, 2013 p. 291