Karpenisi

 

Karpenisi is the capital of the Prefecture of Evritania and the Municipality of Karpenisi. It is located in the center of the Prefecture, on the southwest side of Timfristos at an altitude of 970 meters. It is 78 km from Lamia and 111 km from Agrinio, via the Episkopi Bridge.

 

The word Karpenisi comes from the Aromanian word kárpinu (oyster, gabbro) + comprehensive suffix -iş, also from the Latin carpinus, which means gabbro, oyster; it is a phytonym. Therefore, the etymologically correct spelling is Karpenisi. The -η- appears from paretymology with the Greek word island. For the first time the place name is mentioned in a Turkish inventory of 1454/5.

 

History

In the area, since ancient times, there have been various settlements on the outskirts of the current city. In one of them, at the northern foothills of "Paliokastro" (hill of Agios Dimitrios), the famous "Treasure of Karpenisi", a collection of 35 masterpieces of Hellenistic goldsmithing, was found.

In ancient times, Karpenisi was called Oichalia and its king was Eurytos, who was not only an excellent archer but also the inventor of the bow.

Legend has it that he challenged the god Apollo to a contest, which cost him his life. Eurytus' son, Iphitus, gave his father's bow to Odysseus and was the one who killed Penelope's suitors.

The existence of a settlement and ecclesiastical life during the Byzantine Times is evidenced by the traces of a 6th century basilica found on the old site of Karpenisi. At the same time, the whole of Evrytania, while formally belonging to the Byzantine Empire, was not included in its tax lists due to the unruly inhabitants. And while the rest of Greece was accountable to the Byzantines, they enjoyed their autonomy. It was then that the entire area became known as Agrafa.

During the Turkish occupation, the inhabitants took part in the uprising of 1600 and 1611. Evgenios Giannoulas founded his famous school here, with the aim of creating a national identity, and from 1645 to 1661 he made Karpenisi a great intellectual center, even under the unfavorable conditions of the season. In 1684 the charioteer Livini rebelled against the Turks, achieving an important victory near the village of Goliani (the hill on which the battle took place was named after him), while a year later he was killed in a battle in the village of Arachova. The Venetians, for the better organization of the rebel charioteers, installed a central camp in the city with commanders Bosina and Lubozovic. Liberakis Gerakaris also settled in the city, when he decided to campaign against Central Greece. In order to endear himself to the local people, he began to build various churches. Among them, the Holy Trinity in Karpenisi. When he decided to attack the Peloponnese again, the Venetians attacked Karpenissi and sacked it. After the Treaty of Karlović, Karpenisi again passed into the hands of the Ottomans.

Karpenisi took part in the revolution of 1821. Its position was of strategic importance for central Roumeli, which is why the Turks held it firmly. The revolution was proclaimed in Karpenisi by the local chieftains Yoldasaios and Vraskas, but Turkish forces neutralized them. However, the rebels regrouped and drove the Turks out of the city. Near Karpenisi, in the place where the Souliotis fighter Markos Botsaris was killed in a battle with the Turks, on August 9, 1823. Karpenisi and one hundred other villages of Southern Evrytania were set on fire by three German battalions on August 10, 1944 and until August 17 of the same of time.

In recent years, Karpenisi took part in World Wars I & II. The armed National Resistance was born in Karpenissi, in the spring of 1942, by Aris Velouhiotis, who, honoring the place and the proud Velouhi, added the surname: Velouhiotis to his name. On Sunday, June 7, 1942, the first official appearance of the EAAS took place led by leader Aris in Domnista. With continuous struggles and courage, they managed to expel the Germans, so that the entire area of Timphristos and Evrytania lived through the dark days of the Civil War. On January 20, 1949, the attack took place and rebels occupied Karpenisi for 18 days. The end of the Civil War, in 1949, found Karpenissi, like all of Greece, with incalculable disasters.

 

Sights

Karpenissi, like the whole prefecture, is located in a mountainous area of considerable natural beauty, rich in vegetation. The traditional architecture has been preserved to a considerable extent, both in the surrounding villages and in the city, with a number of well-preserved buildings.

Mountain Museum - Evrytania Cultural History Center
The "Mountain Museum" and the "KIPE - Cultural History Center of Evrytania" operate in the city, while in the surrounding villages there are many folklore museums. At a distance of 11 km is the ski center of Velouhi.

Ski Center
Karpenisi is famous for its heavy winter and snow. On the Velouchi plateau, there is one of the largest ski centers in Greece that has been operating since 1974. It extends over 5,500 acres, at an altitude of 1,850 to 2,200 m and has 11 slopes.

 

Climate

The climate of Karpenisi, as well as the entire Prefecture of Evrytania, is Mediterranean with a mountainous relief with very frequent rainfall, mild winters without missing snow and cool summers.

The temperature during the summer months does not exceed 28°C.

 

Personalities

Athanasios Iatridis, painter
Athanasios Karpenisiotis, hero of the Greek Revolution of 1821
Zacharias Papantoniou, writer
Pavlos Bakoyannis, politician
Kostas Bakoyannis, politician
Georgios Kafantaris, politician, Prime Minister of Greece
Dionysios of Fournas, hieromonk, iconographer, writer
Thanasis Bouras, politician, vice president of the Parliament
Vassilis Tsipras, politician
Dimitrios Voulpiotis, politician, minister
Ioannis Voulpiotis, businessman, electrical engineer, collaborator of the Germans in the occupation
Kostas Tsigaridas, lawyer, politician
Chrysostomos Karapiperis, theologian, politician