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Valtetsi (village)
Encyclopedia
The village named Valtetsi (Greek
: Βαλτέτσι) is located in the Central Peloponessus (in what is called ορεινή Αρκαδία ("Mountainous Arcadia
")) at a distance of 12 km. west of Tripolis and an altitude of 1.050 mts. It is a small plain terrain surrounded by four hills: Homatovouni, Mylo, Katsikeika and Dovrouleika.
from Himara in Northern Epirus
who escaping from the Turkish attacks, settled at first in the North Western parts of the Peloponessus to continue their final destination to the Arcadian hilltops.
It was later improved by a migration of Tsakonians
on their way to Attica
due to their shepherd's life and also some Souliotes
chased by the Ottomans
resettled in the village.
Valtetsi used to be an isolated place, connected to other villages with three narrow paths only, each one guiding to the major mounts in the region: one to the Taygetus
, other to the Menalus and the third to the Parnon
. This is possibly the reason why it was one of the most famous dens chosen by klephtes and brigands.
It soon became characterized by a strong common ethic code which was strictly guarded by the Valtetsiotes, who were renowned as warlike highlanders with an austere way of life and love for Greek tradition and Christian faith.
Every day life was extremely hard since cattle keeping (mostly sheep and also some goats) was the local profession for ordinary villagers. The typical family lived in a constant move. When it was not the Ottoman occupant's menace it was the strong winter which obliged shepherds to take their herds to milder weathers and pastures in the Argolid returning to Valtetsi in April. When September arrived, they started the herd's move again, this time to the summer camps in Tegea
and Dimitsana
. The existence of nearby marshes, worsened the living conditions up to a level that a strong dengue epidemy struck the village even at the beginning of the Twentieth century.
The pastoral way of living was kept for nearly 400 years until the early 50's. The negative impacts of the Second World War and the Greek Civil War
, which impoverished the region to an extent of very difficult subsistence, and the advent of modernization with the boom of urban life made younger generations to flee for new experiences at first towards nearby cities in the Argolid, second to Athens
, Greece's capital city (notably in some of Piraeus
neighbourhoods like Kastela
or Palaio Faliro
) and in the end overseas abroad to America being the United States, Canada and Argentina
the three main places chosen as destinations.
The disaster that both wars caused in the region, slowly overcame as the rest of Greece
with the help of the Marshall Plan
and the doctrine of rebuilding Europe. With the accession of the country to the European Union
, progress arrived to the villages, mainly in terms of communication. New roads and tunnels were built with European funds and telephone netting plus TV provision finished with centuries of isolation.
Today's Valtetsi is a touristic attraction, showing the typical highland mountain village with a number of nearly 300 semi-stable people living. When the month of the Anniversary of the Greek War of Independence arrives, a new revolution, takes place with historical re-enactments and special celebrations which are attended by national and regional political celebrities.
broke out, Valtetsi became the key headquarters of the revolutionary army. The short distance within the village and Tripolis -which being the capital of the Ottoman
vilayet of Morea
became the main objective of the rebels- and the topographic characteristics of the place made Theodoros Kolokotronis
to choose it as his stronghold prior to the final assault.
The Maniots
, under the leadership of Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis
and with the help of the local villagers succeeded in fortifying the four hilltops by building small housetowers and installing defensive batteries. During the Battle of Valtetsi
, the combined action of the Maniot warriors and the local brigands helped the Greek side to win the battle and to take effective control nearly half of the Peloponessus.
Prior to the Siege of Tripolitsa
, Petros Mavromichalis
, the commander-in-chief and bey of Mani
arrived to the village with a strong army and camped at Valtetsi, establishing the Maniot seat of campaign and headquarters for the first time since the medieval period outside the limits of Laconia
. During the siege itself, the Valtetsiotes fought under the command of Petrobey and took part in the capture of the city.
In the following years, with the liberation of Greece, Valtetsi remained very close to Kolokotronis' affections. All the villages in the mountainous Arcadia and Valtetsi in particular were extremely loyal to the military party and their leaders such as the proper Kolokotronis, Nikitaras
or the Mavromichaleoi
against the civil party of Alexandros Mavrokordatos and the Aromanian
blooded Kolettis
, what made them to staunchly oppose the Bavarian regency as well as the Capodistrian government which they saw as undermining the local regional interests in behalf of centralization of power following Adamantios Korais
' principles of a national, western, unitarian and homogenous state.
Resistance
was also heavy in the zone, where many British
and New Zelader soldiers were hidden or sheltered by villagers. A nationalist branch of the resistance movement
, led by a former Troezenian officer in the Hellenic Army
named Apostolos Kouvelakis was very supported by the local population. After each operation German razzias were common due to the evil work of collaborationist informants and they generally finished with brutal reprisals such as shootings and house burnings.
By 1944, the majority of the 1500 people of the village had relocated in nearby places such as Ermioni
and Troezen
. Those who stayed had to face another major problem that was already growing inside the whole Greece: The Civil War
. Besides the non-marxist resistance fronts, communist partisans were also active, notably the EAM-ELAS. With the Nazi occupation over, after the liberation a vacuum of power was created in most rural areas. Communist chieftains started to campaign village by village so as to obtain adherents of their so-called liberation army and fight the British-backed governmental troops.
The communist partisans
"liberated" Valtetsi in May 1944 under the command of kapetan Fotis Gatsopoulos. Immediately he gave orders to confiscate the church and the main houses to make their own headquarters. For the EAM members, Valtetsi was considered a royalist stronghold because only a few people accepted to be named as Village Guardians. Immediately they started to chase down those persons who were known for having relatives abroad, mainly the ones in the United States
that were labelled as reactionaries or monarcho-fascists. When an order of massive execution was given the whole population rebelled against the partisans and expelled them from the village.
In the morning of July 15, 1944, a strong battle between the communist andartes and the Valtetsiotes took place. The villagers, peasants and shepherds fought against the communist forces but outnumbered and badly equipped were defeated. The communists recaptured the village and burned nearly a half of the houses. They gathered most of the population taken prisoners in the church's yard and started shooting with no distinction of men, women and children. Most of the population was decimated. By the time the Hellenic Army freed the village a couple of months later, Valtetsi was about to become a ghost place.
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;...
: Βαλτέτσι) is located in the Central Peloponessus (in what is called ορεινή Αρκαδία ("Mountainous Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
")) at a distance of 12 km. west of Tripolis and an altitude of 1.050 mts. It is a small plain terrain surrounded by four hills: Homatovouni, Mylo, Katsikeika and Dovrouleika.
History
It was built around 1600 AD by Ethnic GreeksGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
from Himara in Northern Epirus
Northern Epirus
Northern Epirus is a term used to refer to those parts of the historical region of Epirus, in the western Balkans, that are part of the modern Albania. The term is used mostly by Greeks and is associated with the existence of a substantial ethnic Greek population in the region...
who escaping from the Turkish attacks, settled at first in the North Western parts of the Peloponessus to continue their final destination to the Arcadian hilltops.
It was later improved by a migration of Tsakonians
Tsakonians
Tsakonians ; are a native Greek population group, speakers of the Tsakonian dialect, or more broadly, inhabitants of Tsakonia in the eastern Peloponnese and followers of certain Tsakonian cultural traditions, such as the Tsakonian dance....
on their way to Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
due to their shepherd's life and also some Souliotes
Souliotes
Souliotes were a warlike community from the area of Souli, in Greece, who became famous across Greece for their resistance against the local Ottoman Pashalik of Yanina ruled by the Muslim Albanian Ali Pasha...
chased by the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
resettled in the village.
Valtetsi used to be an isolated place, connected to other villages with three narrow paths only, each one guiding to the major mounts in the region: one to the Taygetus
Taygetus
Mount Taygetus, Taugetus, or Taigetus is a mountain range in the Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece. The name is one of the oldest recorded in Europe, appearing in the Odyssey. In classical mythology, it was associated with the nymph Taygete...
, other to the Menalus and the third to the Parnon
Parnon
Parnon or Parnonas or Malevo is a mountain range, or massif, on the east of the Laconian plain and the Evrotas valley. It is visible from Athens above the top of the Argive mountains. The western part is in the Laconia prefecture and the northeastern part is in the Arcadia prefecture. The Parnon...
. This is possibly the reason why it was one of the most famous dens chosen by klephtes and brigands.
It soon became characterized by a strong common ethic code which was strictly guarded by the Valtetsiotes, who were renowned as warlike highlanders with an austere way of life and love for Greek tradition and Christian faith.
Every day life was extremely hard since cattle keeping (mostly sheep and also some goats) was the local profession for ordinary villagers. The typical family lived in a constant move. When it was not the Ottoman occupant's menace it was the strong winter which obliged shepherds to take their herds to milder weathers and pastures in the Argolid returning to Valtetsi in April. When September arrived, they started the herd's move again, this time to the summer camps in Tegea
Tegea
Tegea was a settlement in ancient Greece, and it is also a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Tripoli, of which it is a municipal unit. Its seat was the village Stadio....
and Dimitsana
Dimitsana
Dimitsana is a village and a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Gortynia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is built on the ruins of the ancient town Teuthis...
. The existence of nearby marshes, worsened the living conditions up to a level that a strong dengue epidemy struck the village even at the beginning of the Twentieth century.
The pastoral way of living was kept for nearly 400 years until the early 50's. The negative impacts of the Second World War 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...
, which impoverished the region to an extent of very difficult subsistence, and the advent of modernization with the boom of urban life made younger generations to flee for new experiences at first towards nearby cities in the Argolid, second to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece's capital city (notably in some of Piraeus
Piraeus Prefecture
Piraeus Prefecture was one of the prefectures of Greece. It was part of the Attica region and the Athens-Piraeus super-prefecture. The capital of the prefecture was the city of Piraeus...
neighbourhoods like Kastela
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
or Palaio Faliro
Palaio Faliro
Palaio Faliro is a suburb in the southern part of Athens, Greece. The area is famous for its beaches , forming Athens' nearest beach and Piraeus' only beach...
) and in the end overseas abroad to America being the United States, Canada and Argentina
Greeks in Argentina
The Greek community in Argentina numbers between 35,000 and 60,000 people. The first immigrants arrived at the end of the 18th century, while the bulk of immigration occurred during the first half of the 20th century.-History:...
the three main places chosen as destinations.
The disaster that both wars caused in the region, slowly overcame as the rest of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
with the help of the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
and the doctrine of rebuilding Europe. With the accession of the country to the European Union
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...
, progress arrived to the villages, mainly in terms of communication. New roads and tunnels were built with European funds and telephone netting plus TV provision finished with centuries of isolation.
Today's Valtetsi is a touristic attraction, showing the typical highland mountain village with a number of nearly 300 semi-stable people living. When the month of the Anniversary of the Greek War of Independence arrives, a new revolution, takes place with historical re-enactments and special celebrations which are attended by national and regional political celebrities.
Valtetsi during the Greek War of Independence
In 1821, when the Greek War of IndependenceGreek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
broke out, Valtetsi became the key headquarters of the revolutionary army. The short distance within the village and Tripolis -which being the capital of the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
vilayet of Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
became the main objective of the rebels- and the topographic characteristics of the place made Theodoros Kolokotronis
Theodoros Kolokotronis
Theodoros Kolokotronis was a Greek Field Marshal and one of the leaders of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire....
to choose it as his stronghold prior to the final assault.
Maniots
The Maniots or Maniates are the Greek inhabitants of the Mani Peninsula located in the southern Peloponnese in the Greek prefecture of Laconia and prefecture of Messinia. They were also formerly known as Mainotes and the peninsula as Maina. The Maniots are the direct descendants of the Spartans...
, under the leadership of Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis
Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis (military commander)
Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis He was born in Limeni in the Mani Peninsula, the son of Pierros Pierrakos with Katerina Koutsogrigorakos and was the baby brother of Petrobey. He died fighting in Splantza in 1822....
and with the help of the local villagers succeeded in fortifying the four hilltops by building small housetowers and installing defensive batteries. During the Battle of Valtetsi
Battle of Valtetsi
The Battle of Valtetsi was fought on May 12, 1821 in Valtetsi between the Ottoman army and Greek revolutionaries.-Background:The Greek War of Independence officially broke out on March 25, 1821. The city of Tripoli in Arcadia, central Peloponnesus, became a prime objective of the Greek...
, the combined action of the Maniot warriors and the local brigands helped the Greek side to win the battle and to take effective control nearly half of the Peloponessus.
Prior to the Siege of Tripolitsa
Siege of Tripolitsa
The Siege of Tripolitsa or the Fall of Tripolitsa to Greek rebels in the summer of 1821 marked an early victory in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, which had begun earlier in that year....
, Petros Mavromichalis
Petros Mavromichalis
Petros Mavromichalis , also known as Petrobey , was the leader of the Maniot people during the first half of the 19th century. His family had a long history of revolts against the Ottoman Empire, which ruled most of what is now Greece...
, the commander-in-chief and bey of Mani
Mani Peninsula
The Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
arrived to the village with a strong army and camped at Valtetsi, establishing the Maniot seat of campaign and headquarters for the first time since the medieval period outside the limits of Laconia
Laconia
Laconia , also known as Lacedaemonia, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti...
. During the siege itself, the Valtetsiotes fought under the command of Petrobey and took part in the capture of the city.
In the following years, with the liberation of Greece, Valtetsi remained very close to Kolokotronis' affections. All the villages in the mountainous Arcadia and Valtetsi in particular were extremely loyal to the military party and their leaders such as the proper Kolokotronis, Nikitaras
Nikitaras
Nikitaras was the nom de guerre of Nikitas Stamatelopoulos , a Greek revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence. Due to his fighting prowess, he was known as the "Τουρκοφάγος" , literally "Turk-Eater"....
or the Mavromichaleoi
Mavromichalis
Mavromichalis is maybe the main clan family name related to war events of Modern Greece. According to early twentieth century's sources forty nine members of this clan offered their lives in the various conflicts the Greeks were involved since the Orlof uprising to the Balkan Wars.- Origin...
against the civil party of Alexandros Mavrokordatos and the Aromanian
Aromanians
Aromanians are a Latin people native throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Serbia and Romania . An older term is Macedo-Romanians...
blooded Kolettis
Ioannis Kolettis
Ioannis Kolettis was a Greek politician who played a significant role in Greek affairs from the Greek War of Independence through the early years of the Greek Kingdom, including as Minister to France and serving twice as Prime Minister....
, what made them to staunchly oppose the Bavarian regency as well as the Capodistrian government which they saw as undermining the local regional interests in behalf of centralization of power following Adamantios Korais
Adamantios Korais
Adamantios Korais or Coraïs was a humanist scholar credited with laying the foundations of Modern Greek literature and a major figure in the Greek Enlightenment. His activities paved the way for the Greek War of Independence and emergence of a purified form of the Greek language, known as...
' principles of a national, western, unitarian and homogenous state.
Valtetsi during World War II and the Greek Civil War
The Second World War and the subsequent Axis occupation brought a desperate situation to Valtetsi due to the village economic dependence from the trading markets in the City of Tripolis. Since most of the sheep and goats were confiscated by the Nazi occupants, the lack of food and the inflation made everyday life very difficult for the villagers because they could not manufacture the goods and products derived from these animals like milk, butter, cheese and furs. This way they were unable to buy other essential goods such as bread, farine or oil and medicine.Resistance
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
was also heavy in the zone, where many British
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
and New Zelader soldiers were hidden or sheltered by villagers. A nationalist branch of the resistance movement
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
, led by a former Troezenian officer in the Hellenic Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
named Apostolos Kouvelakis was very supported by the local population. After each operation German razzias were common due to the evil work of collaborationist informants and they generally finished with brutal reprisals such as shootings and house burnings.
By 1944, the majority of the 1500 people of the village had relocated in nearby places such as Ermioni
Ermioni
Ermioni is a small town and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ermionida, of which it is a municipal unit. It is a popular tourist resort. It is on a very small out-cropping of the land facing the island of...
and Troezen
Troezen
Troezen is a small town and a former municipality in the northeastern Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Troizinia, of which it is a municipal unit....
. Those who stayed had to face another major problem that was already growing inside the whole Greece: The 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...
. Besides the non-marxist resistance fronts, communist partisans were also active, notably the EAM-ELAS. With the Nazi occupation over, after the liberation a vacuum of power was created in most rural areas. Communist chieftains started to campaign village by village so as to obtain adherents of their so-called liberation army and fight the British-backed governmental troops.
The communist partisans
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
"liberated" Valtetsi in May 1944 under the command of kapetan Fotis Gatsopoulos. Immediately he gave orders to confiscate the church and the main houses to make their own headquarters. For the EAM members, Valtetsi was considered a royalist stronghold because only a few people accepted to be named as Village Guardians. Immediately they started to chase down those persons who were known for having relatives abroad, mainly the ones in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that were labelled as reactionaries or monarcho-fascists. When an order of massive execution was given the whole population rebelled against the partisans and expelled them from the village.
In the morning of July 15, 1944, a strong battle between the communist andartes and the Valtetsiotes took place. The villagers, peasants and shepherds fought against the communist forces but outnumbered and badly equipped were defeated. The communists recaptured the village and burned nearly a half of the houses. They gathered most of the population taken prisoners in the church's yard and started shooting with no distinction of men, women and children. Most of the population was decimated. By the time the Hellenic Army freed the village a couple of months later, Valtetsi was about to become a ghost place.
Places of interest
- The Church of the Dormition of the TheotokosDormition of the TheotokosThe Dormition of the Theotokos is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which commemorates the "falling asleep" or death of the Theotokos , and her bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. It is celebrated on August 15 The Dormition...
(Εκκλησία Κοίμησης Θεοτόκου) was built in 1837 under the command of Theodoros Kolokotronis and was dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary, for Her guidance throughout the whole War of Independence. In the same place where it is located today, there was a small chapel that the revolutionaries used for praying for the Divine assistance prior to the Battle of Valtetsi. In the construction, people form the nearby villages participated. Marble and stones were taken from the nearby mountains Kalogeriko and Reziniko.
- The Folklorical and Ethnological Museum whose building was the house of the local chieftain Stavros Tzavaras, shows a wide variety of instruments, typical dresses and valuable objects such as ancient pictures where the visitor may glance at the way of living of the villagers throughout the different years. A special section is dedicated to the 1821 Revolution and their heroes.
- The Historical Tree of Kolokotronis is an old platanusPlatanusPlatanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae....
located in the central square of the village where according to the legend, the archistratigos sat under the shadow and planned the whole operation of the Siege of Tripolitsa. It is said that he gave to each of his kapetaneoi the special commands under this historical tree. The myth tells that under the shade of the old platanus the future of the whole modern Greece was decided.