GET TO KNOW THE MUNICIPALITY > DESI The landscape is of unexpected beauty and holds a great surprise in store for the visitor, as we move on to the next station, Desi, 1,070m above the sea level, It has few inhabitants in winter, mainly old men who welcome visitors with a warm smile and the traditional shepherd’s crook, whereas in winter children’s laughter and loud voices are heard since Desi is crowded with natives and visitors. Desi is embellished with stone-built houses of unique architecture and construction, like those of Diakos, Koutouzas and Patrikeiko, which is said to have been built in 1620. The traditional ensemble is filled with the stone-built fountains and the traditional watermill. The numerous fountains, the quick-flowing streams and the waterfalls that cross the beautiful landscape, with their foamy flow, end the complete silence in winter and cool the environment in summer, to end their journey in the nearby Acheloos river. Up there, the mountain lines Avgo, Chameno, Xirovouni and Mesovouni are combined with the dense forests and create an Alps like landscape that resembles similar European ones. In this natural landscape visitors meet wild goats, roe deer, bears, wolves, all part of the wild fauna of the area. The name of the village is mentioned in an Andronikos C. Palaiologos script in 1336 whereas in the local synod that took place in Zavlandia of Trikala (Palaiopyrgos nowadays), properties of Porta Panagia or Megales Pyles Monastery in this area where seized by Desi. It is also mentioned as Apostolos Chatzis’s, priest warrior in 1821, hometown. Desi is one of the original Vlach villages and this makes local fairs, a chance for people’s reunion and joy, an integral element of its culture. CHURCHES – MONASTERIES - Saint Triad (1798). It was built on the ruins of the old church. Nowadays, the catholic, part of the north cell wing and part of the surroundings in the east and north side are preserved. The catholic is cruciform, with a dome, a narthex in the west side, an undercroft in the north-east corner and a niche with five conges in the east side. Inside the church, wall paintings are preserved on the east side, the narthex and the sanctum. The church carries some of the rare signed iconographic work by the Chionadites painters Michail and Georgios in 1798. - Saint Paraskevi, country church, “Paschaliori forest”. Recently repaired. - Saint Nikolaos, country church. In the place where today’s church is built, the Sarakatsanaioi nomad cattle breeders used to set up huts when moving from winter quarters to the villages. - Prophet Elias, three-aisle basilica (1965), it is built in the main square at the place where the old church was destroyed and rebuilt in 1950 or 1953. Monuments of Folklore Culture Old Settlements: - In “Pascaliori” forest there was an older settlement. There mainly lived Tsiolis family, who even nowadays has sheepcotes and some huts there. Fountains: - Horostasi, in the village square, stone built and reconditioned in 1940. There is a Priest Kosmas’s monument. - Botsia, stone built, on the way to the river. - Bandisourin(ou), it is used for animal watering, south east of the village. - Tsamari, used for animal watering, north east of the village. - Nani (small), close to Saint Paraskevi, on the way to Mesovouni. This main feature of the fountain is the extremely cold water. - Fantinamaria, a big fountain with an old plane-tree of almost 15m circumference. It is situated in the small village square. - Mouma (mother), near the far-away houses of the village. - Gigor, (Gregory’s), close to Apostolos Tsiolis’s house. Architecture: - Diakos mansion on the village’s upper edge. Most of it has collapsed. - Kotouzas mansion, as we almost exit the village - The mansion is almost untouched - Patrikeiko, built in 1620 - The school village, preserved even nowadays. Watermills: - A stone-built watermill, near the river, under the settlement. Nowadays it is abandoned. Bridges: - A ruined stone-built bridge on the east, before we enter the settlement. Only the left pedestal is preserved nowadays. EDUCATIONAL AND FOLKLORE SOCIETIES - Desi Educational – Cultural Society (located in Desi, not active) CULTURAL – FOLKLORE FESTIVALS - July 20th, Prophet’s Elias Day (in the homonymous church), 3-day festival:  (in the old days) on the eve of this feast-day, shows were taking place in the village’s square: two-line dancing in traditional outfits accompanied by the musicians Karakostas and Gouziotis. On the festival day, a doxology in Prophet’s Elias Monastery was taking place. After the end of the doxology, the attendants were exchanging wishes in the courtyard. The festival was taking place in the village’s square. In the afternoon, as the joy peaked, people started visiting the houses of the celebrants with music bands accompanying them, where they had fun by singing and dancing till the early morning hours. The festival continued in the cafes with those who had the courage to keep up till the end. - On July 21st the dance ended with men and women competing in the best dancing figures and the attendants eating roast meat, local feta cheese and good wine in the taverns and renewing their appointment for the next year. (Nowadays): The festival takes place on July 20th and lasts only one day: the Mass takes place in the homonymous village church, blessing of the holy bread and in the afternoon and night hours the locals celebrate in the two cafes with local bands accompanying them. - Seprember 15th, Saint Vissarionas Day: In the old days the festival started on September 14th, with the litany of Saint Vissarionas icon and the Holy Cross in all the houses around the village. Each house offered whatever available for the preparation of next day’s meal that would be served to the congregation. All the food was gathered in the church, where the preparation of the meal would take place from those who were in charge of this. First thing they had to do was to decide whether the food was enough for the “diaklisis” especially when the celebration was in the weekend, since visitors would be many more. On the festival day, the Mass took place in Prophet Elias church and at the same time, at 3:00 a.m, the preparation of “blots” started (traditional meal based on lamb and goat meat and which is prepared in summer from kibbled wheat boiled with milk, dried and pestled in a special cooker) in the square. “Horostasi”. After the end of the Mass, the attendants chanted around the village, holding an icon in their hands and ended in the square where the meal was blessed and served to the people, locals and visitors, who enjoyed it under the plane tree shade. By the end of the meal, dancing started while a traditional band played music. Older men led the dance and it all kept up till late in the afternoon. Women offered to clean the area and the dishes after the festival came to an end as a small sample of respect to the Saint. Nowadays the celebration is almost the same. The only difference is that the food for the preparation of the traditional “blots” is bought by the church council, since there are only a few families left in the village. ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES Hiking Excursions: - Desi – Bandenika – Bandamaria – Katarraktes (waterfalls), (also by car) - Desi – Paschaliori (also by car, through Agios Nikolaos) - Desi – Katarraktes (waterfalls) in “Kremasi” (forest road) - Desi – “Lego” Cave (forest road) - Desi – Halikovouno (2,135m), (quite easily accessible in a path without signs) - Desi – Cap Grass (1,930m) Places of exceptional natural beauty: - Waterfalls in “Kremasi” (4Km away from the settlement) - “Lego” Cave (underground river with stalactites of exceptional beauty) - Camping in Paschaliori (Desi forest where there are fir trees, beech trees, oak trees, plane trees, a shelter for wild goats, wolves, bears and roe deer). Climbing: - Avgo (2,148m) and Hameno tops (2,135m) Hunting: - In Desi communal forest (part of Koziakas reserve) the following games are available: hares, partridges, foxes and occasionally roe deer, wolves and bears. Swimming – Fishing: - “Pascharioritis” stream - Desi stream - Kamnaitikos river BUY: - Local meat, dairy products, oregano, tea, honey, local wine and tsipouro (in selling points, stores, taverns, cafes and from local producers). TRY: Kembap, calf-head (“moscharokefali”), patsas, calf hamburger and glykadia.