Chandria is the second highest village in Cyprus
after Prodromos. It perches on the southern slope of Madari mountain
in a rugged area of Pitsilia, 1,275 metres above sea-level.
Tributaries of the River Limnatis traverse the
village area forming narrow troughs. Very little land around Chandria
is suitable for farming, and this has been painstakingly terraced.
Villagers work in small orchards in the surrounding valleys, tending
walnut trees, apple, pear, peach and other fruit-bearing trees.
Vines and almond trees are cultivated on the slopes of the mountain.
The Chandria climate is refreshingly cool in summer and very cold
in winter, with a fair amount of rain and snow. The village stands
at the junction linking the villages of Pitsilia that belongs to
the Limassol District with those of the Nicosia district. It is
two kilometres from Kyperounda, six kilometres from Agros and four
kilometres from Polystypos. There is a Byzantine church in the village
which is dedicated to Archangel Michael (St. Michael), and a statue
of Stylianos
Lenas who died for his country. The visitor can relax and enjoy
the cool climate in the village having a drink which can be accompanied
by some local sweet 'loukmades' in the two lovely cafes of the village.
According to local legend, during the Venetian period there was
a large villa in the part of the village known as Grammata which
belonged to Cardinal Marcus Cornaro, nephew of Queen Catherine of
Cornaro. Other locations of the area like Vassiliko, Vassilitzi
and Netikos indicate that the whole region was his feudal area.
According to leronymos Peristianis, and to the testimonies of older
members of the village, a communal school operated in a room of
the church during the Turkish occupation of Cyprus. The teacher
was a monk from Chandria who left the monastery of Mesa Potamos
after it closed down.
Groups of EOKA guerillas operated within the village area during
1955-59. During the historic ambush of Chandria which took place
in March 1956, Christos Chartas from Polystypos was killed in action
.
The inhabitants of the village are known for their dedication to
national and religious traditions. In 1870 the religious Chandria
inhabitants made a donation to Trooditissa Monastery of a silver-bound
bible, one of the holy heirlooms of the Chandria Cyprus.
|