Vrysi, Evoia

Greece Greece

Administrative Region : Central Greece
Regional unit : Evoia

Vrysi is a village in the municipality of Kymi-Aliveri, in the Regional Unit of Evoia. According to the 2011 census, it has 225 inhabitants. It is built at an altitude of 60 meters[2] on a flat area near the foothills of Mount Mavrovouni.[3]

Historical information

At the location of Dragonara are the ruins of an ancient city which has been identified with the city of "Vryches". It was one of the municipalities of ancient Eretria. Today, two of the gates and carved staircases are preserved. At the site where the temple of Evangelistria is located, there was an ancient temple dedicated to Artemis.[3] In the castle of Koupa there are traces of cyclopean walls.[3]

The area of the village has been inhabited since Byzantine times.[3] Near Dragonara Hill there are traces of habitation and fortifications from medieval times, known as Saracen Castle.[4] Mehmed II the Conqueror besieged the castle, where about 3,000 people were fortified, in 1470. When the ammunition and food ran out, the besieged surrendered, but Mehmed broke the agreement and killed them in the plain to the south.[3] The Ottoman tax register of 1474 mentions the settlement of Kupa (Κουπα), which is today located in the vicinity of the village of Vrissi. According to the register, it had 56 houses.[5]

In 1836 Vrysi was annexed to the municipality of Konistria, in 1848 to the municipality of Kotyla, and with the abolition of municipalities in 1912 it was designated as the seat of a community which also included the villages of Episkopi, Gaia and Neochori. With the Kapodistrias plan it was annexed to the municipality of Konistria, and with the Kallikratis plan it was annexed to the municipality of Kymi-Aliveri.[3]

Population censuses

Population trends according to censuses:
Census 1928 1940 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
Population 605[2] 620[2] 570[2] 469[2] 324[2] 300[2] 271[2] 350 225
Points of interest

Near the village is an old watermill which is still in operation today. The watermill has grinding mills where heavy winter clothes were washed. At a distance of about 300 meters, there is the spring of Kolethra, from which the village is watered.[3]

References

(Greek) Database of the Hellenic Statistical Authority.
Stamatelatos, Michael; Vamva-Stamatelatou, Fotini (2006). Geographical Dictionary of Greece. Athens: Ermes. p. 150. ISBN 9603201332.
«Vrysi». Municipality of Kymi - Aliveri. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
«YA 103950/4889/24-2-1956 - ΦΕΚ 56/Β/14-3-1956». listedmonuments.culture.gr. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
Balta, Evangelia (1989). L' Eubee at the end of the 15th century: economy and population: the registers of the year 1474. Athens: Society of Euboean Studies. pp. 123, 328.