Families of Old Xanthi
This route is about 2 km, lasting about 60 minutes and of moderate difficulty. In it you will meet the families of old Xanthi, who in various ways contributed to the history of Xanthi, but also to the form that the old town has today. Touring the residences of old families of Xanthi, rather unknown aspects of their family stories will unfold and important personalities of the city will be pulled out of oblivion.

Some of the most important families of the Greek Orthodox community are: Chasirtzoglou, Stalios, Sigalas, Valixoglou, Michaloglou, Metaxas, Leontaridis, Blatsios, Angelos, Alexiou, Kalevras, Kougioumtzoglou, Kaloudis, Adamides, Christidis, Karadimoglou, Alatas. Also important were the families of Ottoman commanders, such as Hamdi Bey, Muzaffer Bey, Hilmi Pasha and Memet Pasha, as well as the Jewish families of Aaron Moses and the Cohens.

Through this route, the population composition of the city will be revealed, the religions combination that existed and exists until today, the economic and social stratification in direct correlation with the type and form of residence and the type of professions developed. Many names, marking streets in old Xanthi, will come alive and will be understood through this route.

80. Chadjipetrou Mansion - Building of the Municipality of Xanthi

Brief documentation:

The building was built in the early 1840s in the district of Akathist Hymn by the tobacco merchant Chadjipetrou. Around 1890 it was bought by the Ladas family, who built their mansion next to it, while they ceded the existing building until 1897 to the Diocese of Xanthi and Neapolis. During the above period, the building was the seat of the Diocese and was used as the residence of the Metropolitan
Ioakeim Sgouros and as a meeting place of the Council of the Greek Community. Then the building became the property of the Hartzidis family and then of the Karapanagiotidis family. For a certain period of time until the early 1950s a grocery store operated on the ground floor. The heirs of the Karapanagiotidis family sold the building in 2003 to the upgrading company of Old Xanthi, while the following year its ownership was transferred to the Municipality of Xanthi, where it remains until today.
It is a two-storey building of folk architecture of the 19th century, which is built in a "Π" shape with stonework on the ground floor and baghdati (wattle and daub) on the first floor. It is developed on three levels, that of the semi-basement, the ground floor and the first floor. The exterior of the building is constructed with symmetry, while its east and north sides follow the altitude difference of Pygmalionos Christidi and Vyronos streets. On the first floor of the building there are the characteristic sachnisi, which, apart from the decorative role they perform, also satisfy basic functional needs of the building, as they add additional space to the first floor. The level of the floor is emphasized by the perimeter wooden beam of the sachnisi, which are supported by wooden corbels, while the wooden pilasters at the corners of the floor decorate the exterior of the building.


Category of thematic interest:  ARCHITECTURAL / HISTORICAL INTEREST


History:

The building was built in the early 1840s by the tobacco merchant Chadjipetrou in the district of Akathist Hymn. The building was designed from the beginning to function as a residence. Around 1890 it was bought by the Ladas family, who built their mansion in the southern part of the plot, while they ceded the existing building until 1897 to the Diocese of Xanthi and Neapolis. During the above period, the building was the seat of the Diocese and was used as the residence of Metropolitan Joachim Sgouros and as a meeting place of the body of the Council of the Greek Community. Then the building passed into the ownership of Pericles Hartzides, who was the son-in-law of the Ladas family. 
Hartzidis gave the house as a dowry to his daughter Olga, when she married George Pandremenos. The Pandremenos-Hartzidou family lived in the building until 1948. In 1965 the descendants of the family sold the house to Despina Batzakidis-Karapanagiotidis, who had lived there with her husband Polykarpos Karapanagiotidis since 1948. For a certain period of time until the early 1950s a grocery store operated on the ground floor. In 2003 the heirs of the Karapanagiotidis family sold the building to the upgrade company of Old Xanthi, while the following year its ownership was transferred to the Municipality of Xanthi, where it remains until today.


Elements of architecture:

 as a dowry to his daughter Olga, when she married George Pandremenos. The Pandremenos-Hartzidou family lived in the building until 1948. In 1965 the descendants of the family sold the house to Despina Batzakidis-Karapanagiotidis, who had lived there with her husband Polykarpos Karapanagiotidis since 1948. For a certain period of time until the early 1950s a grocery store operated on the ground floor. In 2003 the heirs of the Karapanagiotidis family sold the building to the upgrade company of Old Xanthi, while the following year its ownership was transferred to the Municipality of Xanthi, where it remains until today.
6. Elements of architecture    It is a two-storey building of folk Macedonian architecture dating back to the mid-19th century. It is built in a "Π" shape with stonework on the ground floor and baghdati (wattle and daub) on the first floor. It is developed on three levels, that of the semi-basement, the ground floor and the first floor. The entrance to the building is made by a semicircular stone staircase located in the courtyard. A secondary entrance is located on the east side of the building, which seems to have been opened at a later stage. 
Inside there is a central wooden staircase with ornate railing and bollards, which directs movement to the two levels of the building. Through a second, smaller wooden staircase, the transition is made to the semi-basement of the building, which was used as auxiliary and storage space. On the ground floor there is the kitchen, a central hall and two rooms. From the main hall of the ground floor, on the west wall, the wooden staircase leads to a mezzanine that today is divided into two rooms and includes a vestibule and a WC area, and then ends on the first floor, where there is a central hall, on either side of which four rooms are developed in two, four rooms.
The exterior of the building is constructed with symmetry. The east and north sides of the building follow the altitude difference of Pygmalionos, Christidi and Vyronos streets. The windows on both levels on the façade of the building are developed symmetrically, are wooden and include arched lintels. On the other sides of the building are also wooden and rectangular. On the first floor of the building there are the characteristic sachnisi, which, apart from the decorative role they perform, also satisfy basic functional needs of the building, as they add additional space to the floor.


Description of other elements:

The level of the floor is emphasized by the perimeter wooden beam of the sachnisi, which are supported by wooden corbels, while the wooden pilasters at the corners of the floor decorate the exterior of the building.


Purpose - Use: Residence, Church building, Commercial space


Characterization: Ministry of Culture / DILAP / C / 2934 / 46357 / 06-03-1987, Government Gazette 165 / B / 02-04-1987


Dating (period): Mid-19th century


Year of construction: Early 1840s


Location of the monument: 41.144777128254134, 24.88614116365767


Bibliographic references:

•    Evangelia Brazioti, The Karapanagiotidis house in Xanthi. Study of restoration and reuse, unpublished diploma thesis, MSc in Protection, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Monuments, School of Engineering, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki 2016


 Address:  Pygmalionos Christidi 47


Visitable: No

 

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