Loutsa, Evoia

Loutsa (Λούτσα) Evoia

Loutsa is a village of Dirfion - Messapia of the Regional Unit of Evia. According to the 2011 census it has 298 inhabitants. It is built at an altitude of 260 m. [1] at the southern foot of Dirfi. It is located 28 km northeast of Chalkida and 9 km west of Steni. [2]

Historical data

In the cave of Voidokleftra, at an altitude of 900 meters, have been found shells from the Bronze Age, pottery from Hellenistic times and a Roman coin. [2] [3]

In 1835 Loutsa was annexed to the municipality of Lilantia. With the abolition of the municipalities in 1912, it was initially annexed to the Kathenon community, but in 1925 it was designated the seat of a homonymous community in the province of Chalkida. With the Kapodistrias plan, it was annexed to the municipality of Dirfion and with the Kallikratis program to the municipality of Dirfion - Messapia. [4]

Population censuses

The course of the population according to the censuses:
Census 1928 1940 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 1991 2001 2011
Population 286 [1] 386 [1] 352 [1] 369 [1] 317 [1] 322 [1] 365 [1] 410 298
Points of interest

The cathedral of the village is known as Panagia Vrontou. It is dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin Mary and is a newer three-aisled church which was built on the site of an older one. [2] It is located in the cobbled square of the village, where there is a guest house, a cafe and a plane tree. There are also fountains in the village. [5]

Outside the village, to the west, is the church of Agia Paraskevi. It is a cruciform church, probably from the 14th century, inside of which frescoes are preserved in very good condition. [2] The church used to be a catholic monastery which was disbanded after a royal decree in 1833 as it did not have the required number of monks. In the temple there is an inscription which mentions Archbishop Euripus Lavrentios, who lived in the second half of the 16th century. The temple is supported externally by four reservoirs, three on the south wall and one on the south corner of the west wall, which were built by the inhabitants so that it would not collapse. The entrance is located in the western part of the north wall. [6] Maintenance work took place in 1967. [7]

About 2 km to the east, between Loutsa and Kato Steni, is the church of Agios Dimitrios, a catholic of a dissolved monastery. The monastery seems to have been founded during the Turkish occupation, during which time it flourished. It then served as a school for local students. The Turks attacked the monastery in 1822, but the monks had taken refuge in the mountains, taking the relics with them. It was disbanded in 1890, with its possessions being taken to the monastery of Makrymallis, of which it is now a metochi. [2] [8]

Between Loutsa and the villages of Kathenoi and Vouni, the ruins of a medieval tower survive. This tower is known as Paleopyrgos Stenis. It is not known when it was built, most likely during the 14th to 15th centuries, when other towers were built in Evia. He was in visual contact with the Towers in the Mountains, in the Cathedrals and the Tower in the Trinity. The north side is preserved at a height of 6 meters, while the other walls do not exceed 1.5 meters in height. The base has a rectangular plan with dimensions of 7.5 by 5.5 meters. [9]

Customs

On the second day of Easter, the custom of Kazanitsa takes place in the church of Agia Paraskevi. The villagers arrive at the church in the morning with animals that they slaughtered in the previous days. When they reach the church, they put the meat to boil together with a noodle in large cauldrons and place them on the fire. Then they watch the divine service. When the food is ready after a few hours, the priest blesses it and then distributes it to those present. [2]

References

Stamatelatos, Michael Vamba-Stamatelatou, Fotini (2006). Geographical Dictionary of Greece. Athens: Hermes. p. 447. ISBN 9603201332.
"Pike." servitoros.gr. It was archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
Sampson, Adamantios (1985). "The caves and their use in Evia and in Greece in general". Archeology 15: 37-44. Retrieved on 2019-12-26.
"Loutsa (Evia)". Residential Changes - Detailed. EETAA-Hellenic Society of Local Development and Local Government SA Retrieved November 4, 2019.
"Pike." Holidays. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
Paul, Antonis? Kareglis, Costas. "Agia Paraskevi Loutsas". Folklore of Steni Evia. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
Lazarizis, Pavlos (1968). "Medieval monuments of Evia: 1. Loutsa (Church of Agios Paraskevi), 2. Avlonari (Church of St. Demetrius), 3. Tower (Church of St. Nicholas), 4. Agia Thekla (Church of St. Theklis), 5. Karystos ( Castello Fortress - Rosso) ". Archaeological Bulletin 23 (B1): 243-245.
"Holy Monastery of Agios Dimitrios". Folklore of Steni Evia. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
Papathanassiou, Manolis. "Old Tower of Steni". Castrologist. Retrieved December 28, 2019.

Municipal unit Dirfys
Community Agios Athanasios
Agios Athanasios (Άγιος Αθανάσιος, ο)
Community Amfithea
Amfithea (Αμφιθέα, η)
Community Vounoi
Vounoi (Βούνοι, οι)
Community Glyfada
Agriosykia (Αγριοσυκέα, η)
Glyfada (Γλυφάδα, η)
Kotsikia (Κοτσίκια, τα)
Niki (Νίκη, η)
Community Theologos
Theologos (Θεολόγος, ο)
Community Kathenoi
Kathenoi (Καθενοί, οι)
Community Kampia
Kampia (Καμπιά, τα)
Kato Kampia (Κάτω Καμπιά, τα)
Skounteri (Σκουντέρι, το)
Community Loutsa
Loutsa (Λούτσα, η)
Community Mistros
Ano Mistros (Άνω Μίστρος, ο)
Κλιμάκι, το
Mavropoulo (Μαυρόπουλο, το)
Mistros (Μίστρος, ο)
Community Paliouras
Paliouras (Παλιούρας, ο)
Community Pissona
Pissonas (Πισσώνας, ο)
Community Pournos
Pournos (Πούρνος, ο)
Community Steni Dirfyos
Κάτω Στενή, η
Pyrgos (Πύργος, ο)
Στενή Δίρφυος, η
Community Stropones
Agia Eirini (Αγία Ειρήνη, η)
Lamari (Λάμαρη, η)
Παραλία Χιλιαδού, η
Stropones (Στρόπωνες, αι)

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