Epirotes in Xanthi
This route is about 1 km long, lasts about 50 minutes and is of low difficulty. Through the route, the visitor will be able to get a taste of Epirus in Xanthi and admire the architectural mastery of the famous stone masons of Epirus.

The contribution of these builders to the reconstruction of old Xanthi was significant after the catastrophic earthquake of 1829 and is also associated with the settlement of other families from Epirus in Xanthi in the 19th century (e.g. notary and insurer Stefanos Blatsios, pediatrician Konstantinos Karabetsis, doctor Georgios Maletsidis etc.).

The craftsmen of Epirus built churches, houses, fountains and bridges in the city and the region, as well as carved stone reliefs found in temples and houses (e.g. crosses, figures of saints, etc.). Finally, the people of Epirus are associated with commissions and dedications of icons and other relics in the temples of old Xanthi. For example, the Epirote Georgios Kagialidis dedicated to the Metropolitan Church the icon of St. George in Ioannina.

52. Katina Veikou-Serameti House

Brief documentation:

The date of construction of the building is unknown, but it was probably built sometime in the second half of the 19th century. It was designed from the beginning to function as a residence and after the war this house was inhabited by the educator, poet and folklorist Katina Veikou-Serameti.
Veikou-Serameti was born in Epivates of Eastern Thrace in 1912, came to Xanthi in 1922 as a refugee, a city in which she lived until her death in 1989. In 1931 she graduated from the Teaching School of Thessaloniki (taught by the legendary pedagogue Miltos Kountouras) and was immediately appointed as the first teacher of the village of Myki in the Pomakohoria of Xanthi. In 1952 he was awarded the first prize of the "Linguistic Society at Athens". He had published many poetry collections, while he wrote systematically in the Xanthi folklore magazine
"Thracian Chronicles" articles concerning the folklore of Xanthi and the village Epivates of Eastern Thrace.
The building is a two-storey tiled residence with two wings in the shape of a "Π", built according to the standards of the folk Macedonian architecture of the 19th century. The decoration on the exterior of the building is quite simple. On the first floor there are several windows, which are framed by simple, wooden frames with a decorative cornice on the upper side.
On the first floor of the building there is also the characteristic protrusion, the sachnisi, which apart from the decorative role it fulfills, it also satisfies basic functional needs of the building, as it adds additional space to the first floor.
In front of the building there is a small courtyard, surrounded by an iron rail, which is decorated with propellers and spears.


Category of thematic interest:  CULTURAL / FOLKLORE INTEREST


History:

The date of construction of the building is unknown, but it was probably built sometime in the second half of the 19th century. It was designed from the beginning to function as a residence and does not seem to have changed use since its foundation. After the war, the teacher, poet and folklorist Katina Veikou-Serameti lived in this house.
Veikou-Serameti was born in Epivates of Eastern Thrace in 1912, came to Xanthi in 1922 as a refugee, a city in which she lived until her death in 1989. In 1931 she graduated from the Teaching School of Thessaloniki (taught by the legendary pedagogue Miltos Kountouras) and was immediately appointed as the first teacher of the village of Myki in the Pomakohoria of Xanthi. From an early age he was involved in collecting folklore material of Eastern Thrace, especially Epivates, and later she was also involved in recording folklore material of Xanthi. In 1952 he was awarded the first prize of the "Linguistic Society at Athens". He had published many poetry collections, while he wrote systematically in the Xanthi folklore magazine
"Thracian Chronicles" articles concerning the folklore of Xanthi and the village Epivates of Eastern Thrace.


Elements of architecture:

The building is a two-storey tiled residence with two wings in the shape of a "Π", which is built according to the standards of the folk Macedonian architecture of the 19th century. The decoration on the exterior of the building is quite simple. On the first floor there are several windows, which are framed by simple, wooden frames with a decorative cornice on the upper side. On the first floor of the building there is also the characteristic protrusion, the sachnisi, which apart from the decorative role it fulfills, it also satisfies basic functional needs of the building, as it adds additional space to the first floor.


Description of other elements:

In front of the building there is a small courtyard, surrounded by an iron rail, which is decorated with propellers and spears.


Purpose - Use: Residence


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


Dating (period): Second half of the 19th century


Year of construction: Second half of the 19th century


Location of the monument: 41.144296437132, 24.886265182359963


Bibliographic references:

•    Xanthi. The city with a thousand colors, Municipality of Xanthi – P.A.KE.THRA., Xanthi 2008


 Address: Pygmalionos Christidi 41


Visitable: No

 

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