Listed 10 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "THERISSOS Municipality CHANIA" .
AGIA (Village) THERISSOS
The village of Agia is 9km from Chania on the Chania - Alikianos road.
In the area there is Agia Lake and the remains of the Byzantine bishopric of Kydonia.
THERISSO (Village) CHANIA
This important and historical village is 15km south of Chania on the
road Chania - Pervolia - Therisos which goes through the 6km Therisos Gorge. The
village is famous for cheese-making and another important occupation is animal
husbandry. From Therisos you can climb Pahnes (2,452m), the highest peak of the
Lefka Ori. It is, however, easier to do it from Agios Ioannis in Sfakia. Many
significant battles in the revolution against the Turks took place in Therisos.
The Halides brothers, well-known fighters against the Turks, were from Therisos.
The Eleftherios Venizelos Centre for Independence is in Therisos.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains image.
Due to its location Therisso played a significant role at the history of the island. A mill stone at the entrance of the village reminds the death of a young woman (grinded alive), when she denied to withdraw to Moustafa Pasha. Here were born the great Cretan revolutionists (Hainis), Vassilis, Giannis and Stefanos Halis. Vassilis Halis, became a hainis very young, and participated to the most great battles against the Turks in Crete and Peloponnissos.
But Therisso is mostly known for its relation with the Venizelos movement in March 1905. Venizelos, who dissented with prince George' policy and declared the Union of Crete with Greece, had his headquarters at Therisso.
2,5 km north of Therisso, at the left bank of Kladissos river, there is a cave where signs of neolithic and Minoan habitation were discovered.
THERISSOS (Municipality) CHANIA
AGIA (Village) THERISSOS
A little further from Agia Community is the Agia prison which was
built in about 1930 by Eleftherios Venizelos. It was there that took place horrid
crimes against innocent people and macabre sacrifice of Greek heroes. The prison
deserves well the name "The Calvary of Crete" and without doubt they represent
a notorious and barbaric act of Hitler's Nazi Germany. German parachutists occupied
them the first hours of their landing at the Battle of Crete. Their leader was
colonel Haindrich. The prison was converted into a Greek Dachaou. It was there
that in 16-9-1944 the Germans, in retaliation to the kidnapping of general Krappe
by the Cretan resistance, beheaded 60 prisoners with an axe.
This text is cited Dec 2001 from a WebPage of the Municipality of Therissos.
PERIVOLIA (Village) THERISSOS
The name Perivolia originates from the big flower gardens and the extended kitchen gardens that used to exist for many years in this village. Apart from the natural beauty of the scenery there are also sightseeing in the area such as the cave of "Charodia" that has great archaeological and tourist interest, an ancient grave yard, that has been discovered near the St, Kiriaki site and has a large number of graves. There are also the ruins of Moustafa Pasha Villa, the Conqueror of Arkadi. The villa is called "Sersebillia", that is "Fountain of Heaven", because the large number of the water springs that exist near there.
Moreover, in Boutsounaria ( a word which originates from Koutsounaria=water pipes ), there are few traces of a building as well as an arch from the Venetian Villa of the Family Viaro. This is what wrote the traveler Richard Pococke who visited this location in 1745. Boutsounaria also have a historical importance because on the hill which is in this area there were the first battles of the large-scale Cretan revolution in 1866-69 and the place where the first Revolution Committee was met. Several Cretan historians mention these events ( Psilakis, Kriaris, Mourelos, and others ). At Perivolia there are a lot of monasteries and Byzantine churches. The most important monasteries are that of the small Holly Trinity that belongs to Sinai and that of St. Kiriaki which is related to the Great Revolution in '66.
This text is cited Dec 2001 from a WebPage of the Municipality of Therissos.
THERISSO (Village) CHANIA
According to the historian Psilakis the central committee of the revolution, for his excellent intellectual and military abilities, honored Basil Halis. He was awarded the office of a Marshal. Stefanos was one of the finest men born in Crete. He was an excellent singer and he used to play the Cretan lyra ( local music instrument ). He was educated and very kind at heart. He fought like a lion and never stopped singing, even at the time of the fight. He was killed in August 1821 during the battle that took place in Aliakes, a beautiful location south of Therisos, with a lot of plane trees, water and quietness. But Therisos was mostly known for the events in 1905. After successive efforts by Cretan people to get rid of the Turkish tyrant yoke and especially after the slaughtering of the Cretan people in Chania, 700 Christians in Heraklion and 17 English soldiers between 1897 and 1898, the Great Powers (England, France, Italy and Russia) had to take it upon themselves to protect Crete.
Therefore, after the agreement, they asked Prince George to rule Crete. He was the son of the King of Greece George the 1st. In 1898 he was triumphantly received in Souda port by crowds of people and the head of the four admirals of the protecting countries that is by the French Potie, the English Noel, the Italian Betolo and the Russian Skrithlof. The Constitution, which was passed at that time, gave great power and authority to Prince George so that the newly founded state was more easily governed. This Constitution was valid for three years. Venizelos, who was at the time a young lawyer in Chania, co-operated with the Prince and was his major counselor for justice issues. It was then that the independent Cretan County developed an authoritarian personality and some arbitrary decisions of his in national affairs rose a conflict between him and Venizelos Consequently there was a rupture of their friendly relations.
On March 10th1905 Eleftherios Venizelos and other Cretan leaders (there were 1500 people half of them armed) went up to Therisos and declared the Cretan Revolution with the goal of not spilling their brothers' blood. During the nine months of conflict the three leaders of the rebels (El. Venizelos, Kon. Foumis, Kon. Manos) set up their headquarters in Therisos. Their goal was to create a liberal government and the Union of Crete with Mother Greece.
DECREE:
"The Cretan people in a rally in Therisos in Kydonia where all people took part today on March 10th 1905, declare before God and People their political Union to the Kingdom of Greece and the development of one unbreakable, liberal and constitutional state". Prince George asks the Great Powers to help him repress the mutiny and ordered a lot of arrests. But nothing could stop the people. There were massive desertions of the government policemen and finally, after long and exhaustive negotiations, they reached the following agreement : 1) The rebels had to hand over their weapons. 2) All the deserter-policemen could flee to Greece without running any danger. 3) All the forces, which supported Prince George, would break up immediately. George was forced to resign and left at night as if he was persecuted. That was the historical event, which led the way to the long-wanted Union of Crete to Greece.
This text is cited Dec 2001 from a WebPage of the Municipality of Therissos.
VAMVAKOPOULO (Village) THERISSOS
The community of Vamvakopoulo was formed in 1966 from the integration of the Kalithea community and Vamvakopoulo community. Today includes all the communities, which are on both sides of the highway going from the Kladissos River to the 5th kilometer towards the orange orchards of Kydonia. 80% of the inhabitants are immigrants from Asia Minor who immigrated here in 1922 during the population exchange between Turkey and Greece. After the Turks had left the island they acquired by lot the Turks' property. There are many legends about some of the names of certain locations of Vamvakopoulo. Marina's estate was named after Marina, a lady from Prousa, Asia Minor, who was notorious for her strange ironic personality and strong accent. The Yetim-Aga location is named after a Turkish-Cretan of Italian nationality who stayed in Crete even after 1922. His descendants sold his estate-house and all the rest of his property in 1965 and settled in Constantinople.
Platanos was named after the long-aged plane tree, which still stands in the square. According to historic evidence and some legends Turks hanged dozens of Christians from this tree during the Turkish occupation. Psiloritis was once named Karali Estate (which means the estate of the Black Ali) from some person of Turkish origin. Kalithea was called so, because of its beautiful view of both the sea and valley below. Allover Vamvakopoulo, one can see distinct evidence of the Turkish occupation, especially through the ruins of old houses. The strange thing is that there is no sign of any Turkish domes, minarets or Christian churches. The only existing church is that of Saint George. It should be noted that excavations have brought to light archaeological findings of the Roman age.
This text is cited Dec 2001 from a WebPage of the Municipality of Therissos.
VARYPETRO (Village) THERISSOS
The whole community of Varipetro used to be a feud belonging to the well-known feudal lord Mario Petros. So, as they say, it was got its name after him. Throughout the years the name Mario Petros was changed into Vari Petros and turned into Varipetro. Today it consists of 5 more communities, namely Marmaras, Ligides, Potistiria, Miloniana and Oasi. In the 1881 census Varipetro had 128 citizens. Later it was detached from Perivolia and added to Municipality of Chania. In the 1938 census 358 people were recorder to be members of this particular community.
In 1968 doctor Vardinoyannis, who believed that had discovered ancient Kidonia, started excavations at the northeast rocks of the villa in Kastela where there is a Venetian fortress. In the excavations that took place in Dembla the ruins of a prehistoric community were discovered which proved that people have lived in that area since pre-historic years. The historian Trivan mentions the way the area surrounding Varipetro was populated in a chronicle in 1645. It had then the same name as today and it belongs to St. Lazarus area. Because of its proximity to Chania and the configuration of its ground, Varipetro became the center of severe battles ever since the Venetian occupation and, until recently, during those invasions people of Varipetro sought safety to the mountains of Therisos until the danger was over. Ever since the two villages have exchanged populations, have protected each other and have formed common bonds.
In 1867, the year that the Turks used Towers to repulse the rebellious Cretans, the citizens of Varipetro build the Anibalis Tower southeast from the village. The rebellious activity of the locals was heroic and full of valiant actions. Many of them fought in Macedonia - at the liberating wars - and became distinguished captains. In the Second World War they helped organize the most unpleasant surprise that had awaited the German parachutists since the beginning of the war. They fought bravely from 1941 until Crete was liberated from its enemies. In retaliation to their resistance during the war, Germans turned the whole area of Varipetro into a Calvary of acts of brutality and constant executions of Greek patriots. However, the rebels did not stop their fight and very often collisions and mortal battles took place. In the most well known battle villagers from Varipetro managed to destroy a tank with some old riffles only ever since that area is called "Tank".
This text is cited Dec 2001 from a WebPage of the Municipality of Therissos.
Receive our daily Newsletter with all the latest updates on the Greek Travel industry.
Subscribe now!
