Benefactors of the Greek Orthodox community of Xanthi

This route is about 2 km, about 60 minutes and of moderate difficulty. In it, the visitor will be able to tour buildings of architectural or religious interest at the same time, which were either built thanks to the donation of a benefactor from Xanthi, or are related to the residence or shop of the benefactor's family.

The role of benefactors was particularly important for the Greek Orthodox Christian populations during the Ottoman period, since they took care of the construction and decoration of schools, churches and buildings of public character (e.g. clubs) and thus contributed to the preservation of the ethnic and religious identity of the community.

The visitor starts from the chapel of Zoodochos Pigi on Lefkou Pyrgou Street and ends at the chapel of Agia Paraskevi in the heart of the old town. Along the way he will learn about the tobacco benefactors An. Sigalas, P. Stalios, M. Matsinis, the Kougioumtzoglou family, the teacher D. Chasirtzoglou, M. Floris etc. He will also "meet" the metropolitans of Xanthi and Peritheoriou Eugenios, under whose guidance and encouragement the churches of the old town were rebuilt and decorated after the catastrophic earthquake of 1829, and Ioakeim Sgouros, who rebuilt the Metropolitan Mansion and part of the monasteries.

Important were also the donations of professional guilds to the churches, such as the shoemakers' and the cobblers’ unions, which donated to the church of Akathist Hymn the icon of the Holy Trinity, or of Epirotan G. Kagialidis, who dedicated to the Metropolitan Church the icon of St. George of Ioannina, or of the Velios family, who donated several icons to Kavaki.

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53. House of Lefteris Kounis

Brief documentation:

On 17 Ioakeim Sgourou Street, in the Mitropoleos district, there is the house where the Aivaliot painter Lefteris Kounis (1907-2005) lived.
The building is a simple residence with ground floor and first floor that has been restored and operates until today as a residence.
Kounis and his two sisters were orphaned early and their guardianship was taken over by their uncles George and Nikolaos Maltzis, painters too. They first settled in Thessaloniki in 1920, before the catastrophe in Asia Minor. Professional reasons prompted them to settle in Xanthi, where they painted many of its buildings.
Since 1927, Kounis has been moving between the neighborhoods of Xanthi to paint mansions (such as the Christidis Mansion at Orfeos 51, the Daniel Mansion at El.Venizelou) and simple buildings. He lived in this house at 17 Ioakeim Sgourou Street initially as a tenant and later as a son-in-law, as he married Maroula, daughter of the owner. The Municipality of Xanthi, recognizing his contribution to the city, awarded him the city's gold medal in 1999. In 2001 he settled permanently in Thessaloniki, where he died. In honor of the late artist in 2006 PAKETHRA (Cultural Development Center of Thrace) published the book
entitled "Lefteris Kounis and wall painting in Xanthi".

Category of thematic interest: CULTURAL / FOLKLORE INTEREST

History:

On 17 Ioakeim Sgourou Street, in the Mitropoleos district, there is the house where the Aivaliot painter Lefteris Kounis (1907-2005) lived.
Kounis and his two sisters were orphaned early and their guardianship was taken over by their uncles George and Nikolaos Maltzis, painters too. They first settled in Thessaloniki in 1920, before the destruction of Asia Minor. Professional reasons prompted them to settle in Xanthi, where they painted many of its buildings.
Kounis has been moving, since 1927, among the neighborhoods of Xanthi, to paint mansions (such as the Christidis Mansion at Orfeos 51, the Daniel Mansion at El.Venizelou) and its simple buildings. He lived in this house at 17 Ioakeim Sgourou Street initially as a tenant and later as a son-in-law, as he married Maroula, daughter of the owner.

Elements of architecture:

The building is a simple residence with ground floor and first floor that has been restored and operates until today as a residence.

Description of other elements:

The Municipality of Xanthi, recognizing his contribution to the city, awarded him the city's gold medal in 1999. In 2001 he settled permanently in Thessaloniki, where he died. In honor of the late artist in 2006 PAKETHRA (Cultural Development Center of Thrace) published the book entitled "Lefteris Kounis and jewelry in Xanthi".

Purpose - Use: Residence

Characterization: Government Gazette 612B/30-4-1976 and Government Gazette 661/Β/17-5-1976, Government Gazette 1097/14.12-1995

Dating (period): First half of the 20th century

Year of construction: First half of the 20th century

Location of the monument: 41.14354810203807, 24.886855533343045

Bibliographic references:

• E. Kouni, V. Aivaliotis, S. Adamantidou, "Lefteris Kounis and wall painting in Xanthi", Xanthi 2006

Address: Ioakeim Sgourou 17

Visitable: No