Monospita, Imathia

Monospita (Μονόσπιτα) Imathia

Monospita is a lowland settlement of the Prefecture of Imathia with a population of 897 inhabitants (2011 census), east of Naoussa and north of Veria. After the implementation of the "Kallikratis" project, it belongs to the Municipality of the Heroic City of Naoussa.

Name

The origin of the name of the village is a topic that has been discussed in the past. The early architecture of the village was based on the classic "single houses" of Greece with a special architecture where all the houses were united by forming something similar to the "terraced houses" of England. The existence of 2 such parallel constructions obviously gave the name to the settlement, annulling the view of a Hellenized Slavic name [reference is pending]. The oldest reference to the village is in the tours of the Metropolitan of Veria, Daniel, in the years 1770-1778, where it is explicitly stated that the Metropolitan also passed through the Monasteries of Veria, where he functioned in the church and consecrated. [1] On a map of the Ottoman Empire the village appears with the name monopiste [2] (obvious typographical error), while in a newer Greek map of 1912-1928 the village is normally referred to as Monospita [3].

Geography

The Monospita are located at the eastern foot of Mount Vermio in the plain of central Macedonia. The Koutichas torrent passes through the village. The distances from the neighboring villages / cities are: Veria (14 km), Naoussa (11 km), Ag. George (2 km), Kopanos (3.5 km), Chariessa (3.5 km).

Road communication

Access to the Monospita is via the provincial road Veria-Naoussa with two exits: one at the 7th km of the road Veroia-Naoussa and the other at the intersection of Naoussa. Since 2017, a section of the new Para-Egnatia Road Veria-Edessa has been put into operation with two entry points: the level junction at 7.5 km of Veria-Naoussa and the uneven junction "Monospiton" 1.5 km west of the village. Alternative entrances, from the neighboring villages of Kopanos, Chariessa, Ag. George.

History

There was evidence of ancient construction near the village, most likely a pottery or tomb, but it was destroyed after World War II. In general, the surrounding area is rich in archeological findings (Macedonian Tomb of Kinch, Macedonian Tomb of Anthemion, School of Aristotle, etc.).

There is a recorded visit of the Metropolitan of Veria, Daniel, in which it is mentioned that during the visit, the Metropolitan performed a Divine Liturgy and Holy Communion. Also, after counting the 166 families living in the village at the time, they paid the corresponding 3,000 groschen to the Metropolitan for the financial needs of the Metropolis [4]. The same document shows that in the village there was a church, as the Metropolitan did not perform a Divine Liturgy in villages without churches. In fact, the popular tradition states that the Metropolitan performed the consecration on a centuries-old plane tree, behind the church that was flooded at that time. The modern I.N. Agios Nikolaos Monospiton was built in 1877, in the ruins of the older church that probably burned down a few years ago (oral tradition).

The participation of the villagers in the Macedonian Struggle, in the First and Second Balkan Wars and the Asia Minor campaign [proof of reference] is proven. In fact, during the liberation from the Turks, the 2nd Infantry Division of the Greek Army encamped in the Monospitas on October 17, 1912 in the area of ​​Kokkines, next to the Koutikha torrent where there were open areas and drinking water for the animals. From that day on, this area is referred to by the inhabitants as "Batalia" (battalion: infantry division of 300-800 men, battalion, plural: battalia). The same point is still characterized by the ES. as a recruiting point. After all, during the mobilization of 1974, all the commercial vehicles of the area gathered there.

In 1922, with the population exchanges, the village was warmly welcomed by East Romulia and Asia Minor.

Culture

The customs and traditions have been preserved until today mainly through the cultural associations of the village. The cultural association of the village "Agia Mavra" undertakes the cultural events, the organization of excursions and the promotion of the traditions of the village.

The church of the village honors them Agios Nikolaos and Agia Mavra. The modern church was built in 1877. It celebrates twice a year: on December 6 (Agios Nikolaos) and on May 3 (Agia Mavras). On May 3 is the festival of the village where it is accompanied by cultural events

The economy of the village is mainly based on agricultural crops. The main crops in the area are peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, kiwis, cherries, almonds, persimmons and vegetables. However, Monospista is famous for its fruit tree nurseries. [Citation needed] About 3-4 million plants are produced each year (peaches, pears, apples, apricots, plums, chestnuts, etc.) which are sold abroad (in Greece and France, Jordan, Albania, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, the Netherlands, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey)
. About 70 licensed nursery businesses are located in the village. In recent years, the cultivation of ornamental plants has been intense, making the Monopispita center the nurseries of Northern (and not only) Greece.

References

Voudouris, Athanasios. "Tour of Metropolitan of Veria Daniel 1769-1799 in the villages of the province of Veria" (PDF).
«Https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Vodena_-_40-41.jpg». «Map of struggle for Enidzhevardar lake.jpg».
Voudouris, Athanasios. "Tour of Metropolitan Daniel of Veria in the villages of the province of Veria" (PDF).

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