Ellinopyrgos, Karditsa

Ellinopyrgos (Ελληνόπυργος) Karditsa

Ellinopyrgos (formerly Gralista) is a village in the prefecture of Karditsa, built at an altitude of 560 meters in the northeastern highlands of Agrafa, above the plain of Karditsa. It belongs to the municipality of Mouzaki and its population according to the 2001 census is 429 inhabitants. Due to the presence of historical buildings in the settlement, it is characterized as traditional [1].


Historical data

The first reference to the settlement is made in a letter of 1328 discovered by the university professor N. Veis in a monastery of Meteora and which mentions the settlement with the name Gradistio. In the following years the village meets the name Gralista. Initially, the settlement was lower, but due to a plague epidemic that broke out in the middle of the 17th century, the surviving inhabitants left their original homes and settled in the livestock settlement in the current location of the village. [2] The village was included in the treaty of Tamassi (1525) which granted autonomy to Agrafa and in the following years experienced growth based mainly on livestock and textiles. During the 18th century, Cosmas the Aetolian visited the area. [2]

George Karaiskakis settled near the village at the age of 8, having been orphaned. He stayed in a cave near the settlement, the cave of Lolos. Karaiskakis remained in the village until 1800, when he was 18 years old, having formed his own corps. [3]

During the revolution of 1821, Ellinopyrgos suffered significant damage. In 1822 the pasha of Trikala, Selichtar, campaigned against the Agrafa and destroyed the settlement. Ellinopyrgos suffered two more disasters. The first was in 1854 during the Crimean War when Thessaly revolted. After the failed outcome of the revolution, Turkish troops completely burned the village. The second catastrophe occurred in 1878 during the new revolution in Thessaly. [2] This time, the damage was minor. Three years later, Thessaly was united with Greece. In 1928 the settlement was renamed from Gralista to Ellinopyrgos. The name Ellinopyrgos is due to an ancient building that stands at the top of the hill, above the village. [4]

Topography

The traditional settlement was crossed by the Gralisiotis river, 3 km long, dividing it into two districts. Kapsouna peak is located at an altitude of 950m. and the peak "Kastri" at an altitude of 907m. In the area "Paxaraki" we find a stream and small waterfalls.
Religious Monuments

Holy Temples

The churches of Agios Georgios, Agia Paraskevi and Agios Dimitrios are exquisite architecture-monuments of the village of Ellinopyrgos. Agia Paraskevi, to honor their patroness. The church was erected on the site of a previous church that had been burned by the Turks after the revolution of Thessaly in 1854, in which the village also participated. The church of Agios Dimitrios, the newest of the three, was built in 1925 and adorns the eastern district of the village.

Chapels

In the chestnut forest of "Ailias", the eponymous chapel dominates. On the day of the feast of the Prophet Elias of Thesvitis (July 20), a Divine Liturgy and a bread class are held in the courtyard, according to local tradition.

The chapel of Agios Athanasios [5].

Ellinopyrgos, Karditsa (Information about this image)

Culturally

Cultural Associations

Hellenic Tower Cultural Association "Agios Athanasios".

Landscaping and Cultural Association of Hellenic Towers "Agia Paraskevi". It is based in Athens.

Landscaping-Cultural Association of Hellenic Towers "The Immortal". It is based in Larissa and publishes the newspaper "O Ellinopyrgos".

Hellenic Tower Cultural Association "The Castle". It is based in Thessaloniki.

Museums

Folklore Museum of Ellinopyrgos [6].
References

"Ellinopyrgos: My village". www.karditsa-net.gr. It was archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
"History of the Greek Tower". Archived from the original on March 24, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
"Karaiskakis, Hellenic Tower of Agrafa". Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
Receiver, renaming
"The church of Agios Athanasios in Ellinopyrgos (Gralista)". gr.geoview.info (in English). Retrieved January 10, 2018. [dead link]
"Karditsa-net - Museums in Karditsa". www.karditsa-net.gr. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2018.

Municipal unit Ithomi
Community Agios Akakios
Agios Akakios (Άγιος Ακάκιος, ο)
Livadia (Λιβάδια, τα)
Community Ellinopyrgos
Ellinopyrgos (Ελληνόπυργος, ο)
Zografia (Ζωγραφία, η)
Community Kanalia
Kanalia (Κανάλια, τα)
Lygaries (Λυγαριές, οι)
Community Kappas
Kappas (Καππάς, ο)
Community Loxada
Loxada (Λοξάδα, η)
Community Pyrgos Ithomis
Pyrgos Ithomis (Πύργος Ιθώμης, ο)
Community Fanari
Kompelos (Κόμπελος, ο)
Fanari (Φανάριον, το)
Community Charma
Charma (Χάρμα, το)

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