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Local Archaeology
Visitors to Thessaly most often cross the region in one day, just to see Meteora. According to current travel literature, this is certainly understandable given that “the site of Meteora is a must-see in mainland Greece. These monasteries are known to be built on rocky peaks, in a truly enchanting landscape”.
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Sites of memory
In the eyes of historians, “sites of memory” are everywhere, proof, if any were needed, that the memory of places is often more solid than the places themselves. This is what we verified during our trip to Central Thessaly, a region completely ignored by tourists, and sometimes even… forgotten by its own people.
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The Evzones
Who among the visitors to Athens has not sent an illustrated postcard of an Evzone, literally ’the one who wears his belt well’, or has not directly photographed this legendary Hellenic Presidential Guard, traditionally dressed in its short-flared petticoat, fustanelle and its pompom shoes. Emblematic figures of Greek national folklore and at the same time a historical elite body, the Evzones are the appointed epigones of the klephtes, literally the thieves, these bandits – supporters of the Greek War of Independence from 1821 to 1830, liberating the country from the yoke of the Ottoman Empire.
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In the mountain of Pindos
For those in the know, Agrafa remains a mountainous territory—one that, until just a few years ago, was virtually “inaccessible” and, by all accounts, shrouded in mystery. This vast region is brimming with gems perched along its slopes, overlooking rushing waters, narrow valleys, and lakes; their very stones embody the rich regional heritage. Nestled between lakes and mountains, these villages define the unique character of mainland Greece—a blend that is, ideally, a harmonious mix of culture, history, and culinary delights, all set against an extraordinary natural backdrop.
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Pinerolo, the… divided armed division!
It is in the nature of man to oppress those who yield and to respect those who resist – wrote Thucydides in his time—the era of his – History of the Peloponnesian War. This work chronicles the great conflict between Athens and Sparta that unfolded between 431 and 404 BC, and has since become, as they say, a classic of historical literature. This holds true—or, at the very least, is largely applicable—regarding those who are oppressed or those who resist; a case in point is the grim fate that befell Italian soldiers in Greece between 1941 and 1944, an account of which—detailing their experiences—we have presented here in its initial, factual form.
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The occupants… occupied!
One might consider that our “little stories”—recalled during family gatherings—often illustrate only the anecdotal side of events, the sort of historical details too hastily dismissed as secondary. In our family, our late uncle Chrístos loved to share his anecdotes from the 1940s: the Greco-Italian War, the Occupation, the Resistance, and—subsequently—the utter, profound illogic of the Greek Civil War (1944-1949). He would recount these events down to the finest detail—details that were, first and foremost, his own personal history. He would also readily share his accounts regarding the presence of Italian soldiers in Greece—a subject whose historical reality, winding through the twists and turns of time, remains to this day caught somewhere between memory and oblivion.