Kondariotissa
Encyclopedia
Kondariotissa is a village in the Pieria regional unit of Macedonia
, Greece
. It is located 9 km south of the prefectural capital, Katerini
. Its population is 1,980 (2001 est.). The nearest interchange with GR-1
lies to the east. The main occupation of the people is growing tobacco
. It was the administrative centre of the municipality of Dio.
also originates from the slopes within this area. The name became known as Kondariotissa around the Medieval times
. According to one version, its name derives from spears (in Greek: "kontaria"), that were made in the region during the Medieval times. The name Koundouriotissa (Κουντουριώτισσα) is older and stems from "kountouri", which means a wooden plough. Another version says that the name of the village comes from the bob-tailed horses, called "kountoura". The official name of the village is "Kondariotissa" ("Κονταριώτισσα"). Yet another version for the name says that this came from the "holy kontoura" , which is angels depicted οn the dome of the Church of Virgin Mary, on the hill with the same name.
Kondariotissa has a modern surgery, a pharmacy
, a small kindergarten school, a Primary School, a Secondary School (including a school for the last three grades of the Secondary Education) , two parish churches (Saint Thomas and Saint Paraskevi), town hall (completed in 2006) and a square (plateia
), a senior citizen's centre, a football stadium and a farmer's union. There is also an active Cultural Association, called "Pieres" . The old building of the town hall is set to house a Folkloric Museum. Regarding the sport, the settlement has a local football club, called "Pavlos Melas", established in 1959 and composed of young local players. A namesake basketball association is also active. From March 2009 there is also a medical centre for athletes.
, a hailstorm devastated crops and farmlands ruining a large part of its production. Today, most of its inhabitants are farmers.
One of the main places that worth visiting is the Byzantine church of the Slumber of Virgin Mary (Naos Kimiseos Theotokou). It has a dome and two chapels on the West aisle and is dating from the beginning of 11th century, which means it is the oldest post-Byzantine church in Pieria. Some claim that the church is older, dating before the 10th century. There is also a new women's monastery
called Osios Ephraem, built in 1983.
and Dionysus
were worshiped. The existence of the ancient town is confirmed by Strabo
, who wrote on it. The location of Pieris was, according to the dominant claim, today's Kondariotissa where the soil is not rough and this is confirmed from the fact that Dionysus was not a bucolic god, so he didn't need slopes and mountains.
Modern authors write on the location of Pieris and they all agree that the town was near today's Kondariotissa.
In the area where ancient Pieris is thought to exist once, in today's Kondariotissa, ceramics , coins and other findings dated from the ancient Greek and Roman years have been found. In the same place the post-Byzantine church of the Slumber of Virgin Mary is located.
, in 1878, against Turks
.
Many European travellers visited the settlement. William Martin Leake
names it "Andriotissa" and Leon Heuzey
writes that at the beginning of the 19th century there were 50 houses and also the estate of Ali Pasha
, owned by the bey
of Katerini. Tryfon Evangelidis passed through the village, naming it as "Konthouriotissa" (Κονδουριώτισσα) and the same person says that there was an oaktree forest there. He also says about ancient findings excavated near the church of Virgin Mary.
In early 20th century the village is referred as Village Kontourgiotissa (Χωριό Κοντουργιώτισσα), belonging to kaza (administrative division) of Katerini. In 1896 the village came under the jurisdiction of Bishopric of Kitros. The sanjak of Thessaloniki
comprised 13 kazas, including this of Katerini. It was an estate with 450 Christian Orthodox residents. In 1912 Katerini was liberated from the Turks. Another village near Kondariotissa, Agios Spyridon belonged to Kondariotissa under the name "Kalyvia Kondouryiotissis". Its population were originated from Walachia and had been living in Saint Athanasios Church since 19th century. Then they moved to Kserolivado, in Imathia.
Regarding the schools, Kondariotissa had 1 Primary School with 1 teacher and 30 students in 1894-1895. In 1930 sources (see Bibliography below) a school is mentioned with 2 teachers and 165 students.
In 1924 a new parish was established in Kondariotissa, as people from Yenikoy
or Neochori Chilis, fled their - today's Turkish
-village and came to Kondariotissa to settle. Nearly 80 years later, a column was erected in a square to commemorate this event.
Moreover, many residents went to Municipality of Piereon, in today's Kavala
prefecture. The name of the Municipality originates from Pieria, which was the first home of today's residents. Those were called "Pieres" (Πίερες, gen. "Piereon" Πιερέων) and they were originated from Pieres of Thrace
. The Municipalities of Dion and of Piereon moved to become sister municipalities. Also, in the area where Municipality of Piereon is located, there is a valley called "Pieria".
One of the main traditions is the burning of Jude, called Οβρηός (Ovrios). This tradition holds not only in Macedonia but also in other areas of Greece.
The tradition is thought to originate from Greek refugees
coming to Greece from Yenikoy
in
Asia Minor
. Those refugees came into Kondariotissa following the Asia Minor Crisis, in 1923.
Ovrios tradition occurs each year, only on Good Friday, where the Passion of Christ is mourned from Christian Orthodox people outside the church. The stake is prepared by male youths, in the morning of the same day. A puppet dressed in old men's clothes is erected on a high pole, which recalls Judas
and his betrayal at Jesus Christ. People set fire on the puppet and the latter is burnt to nothing. Following those, the Epitaph is displayed.
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is located 9 km south of the prefectural capital, Katerini
Katerini
Katerini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764...
. Its population is 1,980 (2001 est.). The nearest interchange with GR-1
Greek National Road 1
The Greek Motorway 1 is a motorway, partly under construction, and the 2nd longest in Greece. It is the principal north-south road connection in Greece, connecting the country's capital Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second largest city,...
lies to the east. The main occupation of the people is growing tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. It was the administrative centre of the municipality of Dio.
Name
The settlement dates back to ancient times and was known as Pieris (Greek: Πιερίς) where the name Pieria originates from the ancient tribes of Pieris. The genus name PierisPieris
Pieris can refer to:Organisms* Pieris is the andromeda or fetterbush genus in the plant family Ericaceae* Pieris , described by Franz Paula von Schrank in 1801, is the garden white genus in the butterfly family Pieridae...
also originates from the slopes within this area. The name became known as Kondariotissa around the Medieval times
Medieval Times
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Each location is housed in a replica 11th-century castle, with the exception of the Toronto location, which is housed...
. According to one version, its name derives from spears (in Greek: "kontaria"), that were made in the region during the Medieval times. The name Koundouriotissa (Κουντουριώτισσα) is older and stems from "kountouri", which means a wooden plough. Another version says that the name of the village comes from the bob-tailed horses, called "kountoura". The official name of the village is "Kondariotissa" ("Κονταριώτισσα"). Yet another version for the name says that this came from the "holy kontoura" , which is angels depicted οn the dome of the Church of Virgin Mary, on the hill with the same name.
Geography
- Location:
- Longitude: 22.46 (22°27'46") E
- Latitude: 40.225 (40°13'36") N
- Postal code: 601 00
- Elevation: 60 m
- Dialing code: +11+30-23510 (030-23510)
Historical population
Population of the town is growing , according to the latest figures from the last three decades.| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1,390 | - |
| 1991 | 1,717 | - |
| 2001 | 1,981 | - |
Infrastructure
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, a small kindergarten school, a Primary School, a Secondary School (including a school for the last three grades of the Secondary Education) , two parish churches (Saint Thomas and Saint Paraskevi), town hall (completed in 2006) and a square (plateia
Plateia
Plateia or platia is the Greek word for town square. Most Greek and Cypriot cities have several town squares which are a point of reference in travelling and guiding...
), a senior citizen's centre, a football stadium and a farmer's union. There is also an active Cultural Association, called "Pieres" . The old building of the town hall is set to house a Folkloric Museum. Regarding the sport, the settlement has a local football club, called "Pavlos Melas", established in 1959 and composed of young local players. A namesake basketball association is also active. From March 2009 there is also a medical centre for athletes.
Economy
The economy for about 2,000 people rests on mainly tobacco. On July 1, 2002July 2002
July 2002: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-July 1, 2002:* A Russian Tupolev Tu-154 airliner and a Boeing 757 operated by DHL collide at 35,000 ft over Uberlingen, due to failure of correct communication from...
, a hailstorm devastated crops and farmlands ruining a large part of its production. Today, most of its inhabitants are farmers.
Places of interest
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...
called Osios Ephraem, built in 1983.
Ancient years
Kondariotissa is thought to be located in a place where Pieris, an ancient town where OrpheusOrpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
and Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
were worshiped. The existence of the ancient town is confirmed by Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
, who wrote on it. The location of Pieris was, according to the dominant claim, today's Kondariotissa where the soil is not rough and this is confirmed from the fact that Dionysus was not a bucolic god, so he didn't need slopes and mountains.
Modern authors write on the location of Pieris and they all agree that the town was near today's Kondariotissa.
In the area where ancient Pieris is thought to exist once, in today's Kondariotissa, ceramics , coins and other findings dated from the ancient Greek and Roman years have been found. In the same place the post-Byzantine church of the Slumber of Virgin Mary is located.
Modern history
Several residents from Kondariotissa took part in the Revolution of OlympusMount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
, in 1878, against Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Many European travellers visited the settlement. 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...
names it "Andriotissa" and Leon Heuzey
Léon Heuzey
Léon Heuzey was a noted French archaeologist and historian.In 1855 Heuzey came to Greece as a member of the École française d'Athènes, and for the next two years traveled extensively in Macedonia and Akarnania. The record he kept of his journey, "Le Mont Olympe et l'Acarnanie", was published in...
writes that at the beginning of the 19th century there were 50 houses and also the estate of 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...
, owned by the bey
Bey
Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
of Katerini. Tryfon Evangelidis passed through the village, naming it as "Konthouriotissa" (Κονδουριώτισσα) and the same person says that there was an oaktree forest there. He also says about ancient findings excavated near the church of Virgin Mary.
In early 20th century the village is referred as Village Kontourgiotissa (Χωριό Κοντουργιώτισσα), belonging to kaza (administrative division) of Katerini. In 1896 the village came under the jurisdiction of Bishopric of Kitros. The sanjak of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
comprised 13 kazas, including this of Katerini. It was an estate with 450 Christian Orthodox residents. In 1912 Katerini was liberated from the Turks. Another village near Kondariotissa, Agios Spyridon belonged to Kondariotissa under the name "Kalyvia Kondouryiotissis". Its population were originated from Walachia and had been living in Saint Athanasios Church since 19th century. Then they moved to Kserolivado, in Imathia.
Regarding the schools, Kondariotissa had 1 Primary School with 1 teacher and 30 students in 1894-1895. In 1930 sources (see Bibliography below) a school is mentioned with 2 teachers and 165 students.
Settling by refugees
Yenikoy
Yenikoy is a small village in the Region of Afyonkarahisar in Turkey. It is a traditional Anatolian village. Its local government is a Muhtarlik...
or Neochori Chilis, fled their - today's Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
-village and came to Kondariotissa to settle. Nearly 80 years later, a column was erected in a square to commemorate this event.
Moreover, many residents went to Municipality of Piereon, in today's Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
prefecture. The name of the Municipality originates from Pieria, which was the first home of today's residents. Those were called "Pieres" (Πίερες, gen. "Piereon" Πιερέων) and they were originated from Pieres of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
. The Municipalities of Dion and of Piereon moved to become sister municipalities. Also, in the area where Municipality of Piereon is located, there is a valley called "Pieria".
Tradition
The tradition is thought to originate from Greek refugees
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey was based upon religious identity, and involved the Greek Orthodox citizens of Turkey and the Muslim citizens of Greece...
coming to Greece from Yenikoy
Yenikoy
Yenikoy is a small village in the Region of Afyonkarahisar in Turkey. It is a traditional Anatolian village. Its local government is a Muhtarlik...
in
Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. Those refugees came into Kondariotissa following the Asia Minor Crisis, in 1923.
Ovrios tradition occurs each year, only on Good Friday, where the Passion of Christ is mourned from Christian Orthodox people outside the church. The stake is prepared by male youths, in the morning of the same day. A puppet dressed in old men's clothes is erected on a high pole, which recalls Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
and his betrayal at Jesus Christ. People set fire on the puppet and the latter is burnt to nothing. Following those, the Epitaph is displayed.
External links
- Mapquest - Kondariotissa, street map data not yet available