HISTORY OF EVRYTANIA

It is historically proven that Evritania was inhabited since the 5th century BC., although Homer refers to Dolopes, an ancient tribe of the region, as members of the Trojan war at 1100 BC. The name of Evritania traces back to its ancient king's name Evrytos, a man with great skill in bow. The mosaic of St Leonides Some others, though, insist, that it comes from the Greek word "ev" for "well" and the verb "hre'o", for "flow" so that altogether the word "Evritania" means the place where there is plenty of fresh and "well flown" water. The pronuntiation is "Ev-ree-tah-nee-ah" (with accent at "nee").

Ancient Evritanians especially honoured Diana (the goddess of hunting) as well as Ulysses for his ability to be cunning and inventive.

The hero Katsantonis,liberator from the Turks From the era of Roman and Byzantine Empires only a few ruins can be found at Evritania. Such are the ruins of St Leonides Church in the village of Clapsi, where an excellent mosaic is still preserved, and is dated since the 5th century AD.

During the Turkish occupation from 1453 to 1821, Evritania proved to be the safest hiding place for the refugees and those who couldn't bare the Turkish slavery. The whole province is full of the remainings of schools in which famous teachers of a European culture where teaching, preserving the Greek language and legacyt, along with the Christian religion, during those unmemorable days. Monasteries, sanctuaries, chancels, temples, all hidden in distant rocks and caves, were real shelters for those who were working out the difficult attempt of the National renovation.

There had been great Evritanian contribution during the Second World War, as well, when H First women vote in Greece,1944 itler's Nazis and Mussolini's fascists were occupying the whole country. The first "mountain Government" was established In the village of Viniani during the Spring of 1944 and it proclaimed elections for a National Committee.

This Committee was convoked at Korischades, in the school building, and made substantial decisions about the Resistance war.The school building is now a museum, a memorial of what Greeks can achieve if they are united.At these elections it was the first time in Modern Greek History that women had the right to vote.

Karpenissi, burned by Nazis, April 1944 Unfortunatly however, after the end of World War II, Greeks got into a very severe confilict among themselves. As a result of that bloody civil war, came a lost decade (1950-1960) while the rest of Europe was recovering. The echo of those dark days, was depressing the country until recently.

At the second picture below, we can see Karpenissi, at about 1955, a whole ten years after the libaration from German occupation. As you see not many things had changed since the last fire set up by Nazis (1944). It was still un-reconstructed.

Karpenissi burned, just after Greek Civil War(1945-1949)

Today, the people of Evritania, with the feeling of hospitality that they inherited from their ancestors, are working on their rough land, waiting for the traveller who 'll want to meet them and know all about their motherland, just to offer him some fruit and a glass of cold water.

Karpenissi,Greece,1935

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