Pissouri
Encyclopedia
Pissouri is a village
located in Limassol’s district
, Cyprus
(thirty kilometres westwards of Limassol’s centre), between Limassol and Paphos. Pissouri’s administrative area is the third biggest in Limassol District. The main settlement of Pissouri is situated about three kilometres away from the bay named Cape Aspro, and is built on the side of a green hill. The settlement, strangely, is placed in the middle of Pissouri’s territory.
Now they are two distinct communities, Pissouri Village Area and Pissouri Bay Area. The total permanent population is said to reach around 1100 people, about half of whom are Cypriots, the rest foreigners, mainly British
, residents and visitors.
In Pissouri there are several shops, and many tavernas, restaurants and bars serving food and drink of exceptional quality. There are also three banks' branches in Pissouri village's central square.
A legendary reports that the 300 Alamanoi (German) saints who came to Cyprus from Palestine
in order to practice in various parts of the island, arrived on the Pissouri’s coast during such a pitch-dark night. Another legendary reports that ‘the Saint Fathers’ pursued during the post-Christian era, were met in Pissouri’s region during a really black-night. However, it seems that the name of the village does not eventually stem from those legendaries but from the fact that in the region there was an extensive extraction of skin-sap from pine trees (called ‘pissa’ in Greek
). The skin-sap production begun during the Byzantine Empire
(Eastern Roman Empire), continued during the Middle-Ages
(5th – 15th century) and the Frankish era in Cyprus
.
During the last decade, and in particular the last 6 years, the residents have shifted to alternative financial resources with a better interest profit. Most of them have extensively dealt with buildings' construction and specifically with the erection of numerous residential places and new neighbourhoods. It is a matter of time before the village becomes literally autonomous in terms of services and facilities found locally. Pissouri seems to evolve rapidly, following the trends of the globalisation and global investments'.
The Stone that the church is built originates from the regions of villages Anogyra and Prasteio villages and was transferred in the village with carts which were dragged by Cypriot donkeys.
The church is built in Gothic
style.
The place that it is built was used as the village cemetery up to 1912.
The church is famous for its wooden-carved Icon Stand, which is a real work of art and was manufactured in 1890.The manufacture lasted 10 entire years because of the means of that time.
Other chapels are: Saint George, Prophet Elias, Saint Alexandros, Saint Mauritius, Saint Spyridonas.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
located in Limassol’s district
Limassol District
Limassol District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is Limassol. Part of the British overseas territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia forms an enclave on the Akrotiri peninsula, under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom....
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
(thirty kilometres westwards of Limassol’s centre), between Limassol and Paphos. Pissouri’s administrative area is the third biggest in Limassol District. The main settlement of Pissouri is situated about three kilometres away from the bay named Cape Aspro, and is built on the side of a green hill. The settlement, strangely, is placed in the middle of Pissouri’s territory.
Now they are two distinct communities, Pissouri Village Area and Pissouri Bay Area. The total permanent population is said to reach around 1100 people, about half of whom are Cypriots, the rest foreigners, mainly British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, residents and visitors.
In Pissouri there are several shops, and many tavernas, restaurants and bars serving food and drink of exceptional quality. There are also three banks' branches in Pissouri village's central square.
Names
According to some official sources, the name Pissouri derives from the ancient city ‘Voousoura’, as reported by Stravonas, a 1st century BCE - 1st century CE philosopher, mathematician and geographer. Some other sources connect the name of the village with pitched-dark nights.A legendary reports that the 300 Alamanoi (German) saints who came to Cyprus from Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in order to practice in various parts of the island, arrived on the Pissouri’s coast during such a pitch-dark night. Another legendary reports that ‘the Saint Fathers’ pursued during the post-Christian era, were met in Pissouri’s region during a really black-night. However, it seems that the name of the village does not eventually stem from those legendaries but from the fact that in the region there was an extensive extraction of skin-sap from pine trees (called ‘pissa’ in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
). The skin-sap production begun during the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
(Eastern Roman Empire), continued during the Middle-Ages
Cyprus in the Middle Ages
The Medieval history of Cyprus starts with the division of the Roman Empire into an Eastern and Western half.-Byzantine period:After the division of the Roman Empire into an eastern half and a western half, Cyprus came under the rule of Byzantium...
(5th – 15th century) and the Frankish era in Cyprus
Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus was a Crusader kingdom on the island of Cyprus in the high and late Middle Ages, between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan.-History:...
.
Development and occupation
Pissouri has an annual rainfall in the order of 447 millimetres. Local products nowadays are tabled grapes, wine, potatoes and other citrus fruits in smaller quantities planted across the valley spanning from the gulf to the hill, where the settlement is. There are also many olive, carob and almond trees. Unfortunately, during the last years, farmers had to eradicate big part of their vineyards, as they became profitless.During the last decade, and in particular the last 6 years, the residents have shifted to alternative financial resources with a better interest profit. Most of them have extensively dealt with buildings' construction and specifically with the erection of numerous residential places and new neighbourhoods. It is a matter of time before the village becomes literally autonomous in terms of services and facilities found locally. Pissouri seems to evolve rapidly, following the trends of the globalisation and global investments'.
Churches
The Church of Apostle Andrea was built with voluntary work by the good-willing residents of the community in 1883. The work for the construction of the church lasted for about twelve years.The Stone that the church is built originates from the regions of villages Anogyra and Prasteio villages and was transferred in the village with carts which were dragged by Cypriot donkeys.
The church is built in Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style.
The place that it is built was used as the village cemetery up to 1912.
The church is famous for its wooden-carved Icon Stand, which is a real work of art and was manufactured in 1890.The manufacture lasted 10 entire years because of the means of that time.
Other chapels are: Saint George, Prophet Elias, Saint Alexandros, Saint Mauritius, Saint Spyridonas.