Voutsaras, Ioannina
Encyclopedia
Voutsaras is a village in the Ioannina peripheral unit in Greece
and the municipal unit of Molossoi
in the area of Douskara. Its 2001 population was 150. The old GR-6
(Volos - Larissa - Ioannina - Igoumenitsa) runs through Voutsaras while the Via Egnatia
, the new highway, runs further south without any interchange.
, northwest of Arta
, north of Preveza
and east of Igoumenitsa
.
s, wolves, hare
s, higher primates
and deer
. The population of wild boar and squirrels has been in decline for a number of years, as a result of extensive hunt
ing. Wildlife conservation groups have been putting pressure on local and regional government to protect the dwindling populations of these species, but these pressures are being resisted, as hunting forms a substantial part of the local diet, along with roots and locally grown food such as kopria. The Thyamis River flows three kilometers to the north. There is a small lake
(xhavouza) near the village, through which the river flows. The xhavouza is used as a dumping site for septic tanks from houses in Voutsaras and other cities in the Molossoi municipality, as the untreated water can then be washed away by the river. According to local legend, the xhavouza is the place where water nymphs used to wash their hair, and onlookers were turned to stone.
and the Greek Civil War
, its buildings were rebuilt. An architectural pattern typical for the village consists of a two-floor house: the top floor is fully walled and serves as the residential area for one or more families, whereas the ground floor is used for housing livestock (goats, sheep, swine). Less wealthy families, who cannot afford a two-floor house share living quarters with the livestock.
The village of Chinka
was connected to Voutsaras with a paved road in the 1970s. A few years later, automobile
s were introduced in the village. Typically, these were half-trucks (local dialect: Datshunia), used to transport livestock, although nowadays some residents can be seen driving modern automobiles and young people also drive motorcycle
s, locally called gourounes in reference to their girlfriends. Electricity
and radio
were introduced in the middle of the 20th century (1960s), television
in the late 20th century (1980s) and computer
and internet
at the turn of the millennium (2000 onwards). In the late 1990s, as part of the administrative restructuring named Kapodistrias, Voutsaras was redesignated as a municipal district in the newly formed municipality of Mollossoi.
There are plans to construct centralised plumbing
facilities for the disposal of sewage
in the near future, so as to replace the current practice of using septic tank
s which drain in the nearby river of Thyamis. A detailed plan has been drafted by the Mayor's office in Mollossoi, and has been sent to Athens (Ministry of Public Works, Zoning and the Environment) for approval, technical feedback and funding. Because of the recent dissolution of the Ministry into two separate ministries (Ministry of Public Works and Ministry of the Environment), both of which need to be consulted and approve the plans, and also because of the current financial state of Greece, these plans are likely to start being implemented in 2015 or possibly later.
In an attempt to reverse this situation, the Hellenic Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs designated Voutsaras as an Area of Educational Priority in 2005. This led to the upgrading of the local primary school and high school, and financial incentives for the teaching staff who are employed there (these bonuses were revoked in the 2010 government deficit crisis). Also, a new vocationally-focussed syllabus was created for High School, with standards that were better suited to the academic potential of the Voutsaras youth. By 2010, 7 children from Voutsaras had graduated from High School, and it is hoped that four more will graduate in next academic year (2011). The Voutsaras High School also operates a successful adult education programme, in which local residents attend classes on literacy
, arithmetic
and hygiene
. The programme, which is partly funded by the EU
, and is also generously supported by the School of Education of the University of the Aegean
has received praise from the Molossoi mayor and local press. Despite promising beginnings, the funding of the program was withdrawn in 2011 due to austerity measures associated with the Greek deficit crisis. The deputy minister for education, Evangelia Christofilopoulou, who took the decision to discontinue the program was quoted as saying that it is time for bold measures to stop the bleeding of the government budget.
Also of interest is the exhibition in the Cultural Centre, where visitors can find on display items of everyday life and agriculture, such as kypria (bells used for livestock), tsanakia (eating utensils), vitses (rods used by teachers) and glitses (walking sticks). Entry to the exhibition can be arranged by consultation with the Town Hall of Molossi.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and the municipal unit of Molossoi
Molossoi
Molossoi is a former municipality in the Ioannina peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Zitsa, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 3,139...
in the area of Douskara. Its 2001 population was 150. The old GR-6
Greek National Road 6
Greek National Road 6 is a highway in north-central Greece. It begins at the port of Igoumenitsa and ends at Larissa. Part of the new road is run under the name Egnatia Odos from Igoumenitsa to east of the tunnel at Metsovo. It has junctions of GR-19GR-5/20/E55, GR-15, GR-30 and finally at...
(Volos - Larissa - Ioannina - Igoumenitsa) runs through Voutsaras while the Via Egnatia
Via Egnatia
The Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed the Roman provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey.Starting at Dyrrachium on the...
, the new highway, runs further south without any interchange.
Nearest places
- Kalochori, east
- Koutsara, east
- PolydoroPolydoroPolydoro is a village in the municipal unit of Molossoi, Ioannina peripheral unit in Greece. It is in the area of Douskara. Its 2001 population was 147...
, southwest - Gkribovo or Gribovo, west
- Vyrssoula, west
- Eklissochori, north
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 205 |
| 1991 | 160 |
| 2001 | 150 |
Location
Voutsaras is located 35 km west of IoanninaIoannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
, northwest of Arta
Arta, Greece
Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
, north of Preveza
Preveza
Preveza is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. An immersed tunnel, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium, connects the town...
and east of Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa , is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit Thesprotia. Its original ancient name used to be Titani....
.
Geography and information
Much of the area around Voutsaras is mountainous and forested. The forests around the city are populated by a wide range of wildlife, such as bearBear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, wolves, hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s, higher primates
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
. The population of wild boar and squirrels has been in decline for a number of years, as a result of extensive hunt
Hunt
Hunt may refer to:* Hunting* Hunt * Hunt * Hunt, Idaho* Hunt, Texas* Hunt, California, former name of McFarland, California*Hunt v. Cromartie, 1999 U.S...
ing. Wildlife conservation groups have been putting pressure on local and regional government to protect the dwindling populations of these species, but these pressures are being resisted, as hunting forms a substantial part of the local diet, along with roots and locally grown food such as kopria. The Thyamis River flows three kilometers to the north. There is a small lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
(xhavouza) near the village, through which the river flows. The xhavouza is used as a dumping site for septic tanks from houses in Voutsaras and other cities in the Molossoi municipality, as the untreated water can then be washed away by the river. According to local legend, the xhavouza is the place where water nymphs used to wash their hair, and onlookers were turned to stone.
Infrastructure
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
, its buildings were rebuilt. An architectural pattern typical for the village consists of a two-floor house: the top floor is fully walled and serves as the residential area for one or more families, whereas the ground floor is used for housing livestock (goats, sheep, swine). Less wealthy families, who cannot afford a two-floor house share living quarters with the livestock.
The village of Chinka
Chinka
Chinka is a village in the Ioannina Prefecture in Greece and the municipal unit of Molossoi, it is in the area of Douskara. Its 2001 population was 147 for the village of which only 80 people live there all year long...
was connected to Voutsaras with a paved road in the 1970s. A few years later, automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s were introduced in the village. Typically, these were half-trucks (local dialect: Datshunia), used to transport livestock, although nowadays some residents can be seen driving modern automobiles and young people also drive motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s, locally called gourounes in reference to their girlfriends. Electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
were introduced in the middle of the 20th century (1960s), television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the late 20th century (1980s) and computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
at the turn of the millennium (2000 onwards). In the late 1990s, as part of the administrative restructuring named Kapodistrias, Voutsaras was redesignated as a municipal district in the newly formed municipality of Mollossoi.
There are plans to construct centralised plumbing
Plumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
facilities for the disposal of sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
in the near future, so as to replace the current practice of using septic tank
Septic tank
A septic tank is a key component of the septic system, a small-scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations...
s which drain in the nearby river of Thyamis. A detailed plan has been drafted by the Mayor's office in Mollossoi, and has been sent to Athens (Ministry of Public Works, Zoning and the Environment) for approval, technical feedback and funding. Because of the recent dissolution of the Ministry into two separate ministries (Ministry of Public Works and Ministry of the Environment), both of which need to be consulted and approve the plans, and also because of the current financial state of Greece, these plans are likely to start being implemented in 2015 or possibly later.
Population Changes and Education
Emigration occurred at a higher rate until 1991, as residents of Voutsaras sought a better life in nearby urban areas in Greece, or less frequently, abroad. These efforts were not always successful, because of the low academic and professional skills of the population, who were reduced to manual labour (for males), and less reputable employment (for women and girls). The population of the village declined slowly between 1991 and 2001, due to the deaths of the older generation and the emigration of the younger generations.In an attempt to reverse this situation, the Hellenic Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs designated Voutsaras as an Area of Educational Priority in 2005. This led to the upgrading of the local primary school and high school, and financial incentives for the teaching staff who are employed there (these bonuses were revoked in the 2010 government deficit crisis). Also, a new vocationally-focussed syllabus was created for High School, with standards that were better suited to the academic potential of the Voutsaras youth. By 2010, 7 children from Voutsaras had graduated from High School, and it is hoped that four more will graduate in next academic year (2011). The Voutsaras High School also operates a successful adult education programme, in which local residents attend classes on literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
, arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
and hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
. The programme, which is partly funded by the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, and is also generously supported by the School of Education of the University of the Aegean
University of the Aegean
The University of the Aegean is a state, multi-campus university located in Mytilene, Greece. The university was officially founded in 1984, although its historical roots date back to the early 1920s...
has received praise from the Molossoi mayor and local press. Despite promising beginnings, the funding of the program was withdrawn in 2011 due to austerity measures associated with the Greek deficit crisis. The deputy minister for education, Evangelia Christofilopoulou, who took the decision to discontinue the program was quoted as saying that it is time for bold measures to stop the bleeding of the government budget.
Sights
One of the most noteworthy sights in the village is the Church of Ai Nikolas (St. Nicolas) which was erected by the alms donated by the sailors of Voutsaras, because in the Greek Orthodox tradition St Nicolas is regarded as the patron saint of sailors. The church, a basilica with three wings, dates back to 1534, and is one of the oldest churches in the region.Also of interest is the exhibition in the Cultural Centre, where visitors can find on display items of everyday life and agriculture, such as kypria (bells used for livestock), tsanakia (eating utensils), vitses (rods used by teachers) and glitses (walking sticks). Entry to the exhibition can be arranged by consultation with the Town Hall of Molossi.