Agios Demetrios

Pilalimata is an old small village south of Pefkoi, a continuance of Analypsi, which is on the way to Sitia and about 1000m far from the seacoast, the beaches of Diaskari and Lagkadas.According to tradition its legacy started prior to the sovereignty of the Turks; yet it is not known for a fact who founded the village. In line again with tradition it is widely believed that the Byzantines have seized large territories of land that was occupied by Saracens and built northeast of Pilalimata the great monastery of Kera Panagia (Virgin Mary). Following native population built a metochi (Monastery Dependency) 350m away from the Abbey, where they produced livestock and cultivated land for living. During the Venetian rule it is said that a large number of the region’s properties and part of the monastery was granted to Venetian settlers; others say that Pillalimata was built by the Venetians, but after the destruction of the monastery by the Turks in 1941.

The landscape of the village is flat, and the land known for its fruitfulness; that is mainly the reason that this particular estate was always a property of high ranking officials of the conquerors, Byzantines, Venetians and Turks. The greater region of the village is also referred to the Byzantine Loukas Litinas or Lithinas, whose descendants are believed to be the residents of the nearby village "Lithines". Pilalimata was his tsifliki (private estate), and he was left in history as one of the most dreadful tyrants that the region has seen.

It is alleged that the name Pillalimata comes from the word ‘lima’ which means profit or taken from somewhere. It is also said that the village’s name comes from the word ‘limata or pola pila’ (muddy); a product of geological phenomena caused by a nearby river. Others say that the village was named after a Turkish ‘Aga’ (Ruler), whose name was Pilalis. During the Greek Independence war on 1897 the village was destroyed by fire, and four Turks were killed. Residents of Pefkoi collected the debris of three cypresses, and built onto it the temple of the Orthodox church of the Three Hierarchs.

Πηγή:

«Πεύκοι “Τόπος και Ιστορία”», Γεωργίου Θ. Καναβάκη (Καναβογιώργη), Έκδοση Κοινότητας Πεύκων, Ιούλιος – Αύγουστος 1994

Diaskari is another settlement of Pefkoi, located on the east side of Analypsis settlement, built next to the homonym seacoast, and is connected with a secondary road from a junction, located on midway of the main road of Analypsis to Pilalimata.

On the hill called Bigla, 300m on the east of Diaskari, there is the remains of an old town which history goes back to the past Minoan era. Tradition wants the residents of that town to be sailors and they believed to be protected by the sons of Zeus, who were called Dioskourioi. It is also said that the residents of that town had built a temple to honor their protectors, and the town was reported as the town of Dioskourioi. By the transformation of the language through the years, the name of the town took its current form, but the real name of that town is not yet confirmed and remains unknown.

Next to the remains of the town there is a cave facing the sea called ‘Karavospilios’ (Ship-cave). It is said that the surrounding area in front of the cave was used as a shipyard, but despite the extensive archaeological research in the area, nothing confirms the life and the history of the town.

Πηγή:

«Πεύκοι “Τόπος και Ιστορία”», Γεωργίου Θ. Καναβάκη (Καναβογιώργη), Έκδοση Κοινότητας Πεύκων, Ιούλιος – Αύγουστος 1994

Prospilia is a relatively new settlement in the area. It is built 500 m north of the seacoast on the road from Analypsis to Pefkoi. The development started in 1970 and is still growing.

The name Prospilia is given to that area as there are many tiny caves of white stones. Prospilia, ASprospilia, Aspra Spilea (White Caves) is the conversion of the words describing the characteristics of the area.

Πηγή:

«Πεύκοι “Τόπος και Ιστορία”», Γεωργίου Θ. Καναβάκη (Καναβογιώργη), Έκδοση Κοινότητας Πεύκων, Ιούλιος – Αύγουστος 1994

On the hill called Bigla, 300m on the east of Diaskari, there is the remains of an old town which history goes back to the past Minoan era. Tradition wants the residents of that town to be sailors and they believed to be protected by the sons of Zeus, who were called Dioskourioi. It is also said that the residents of that town had built a temple to honor their protectors, and the town was reported as the town of Dioskourioi. By the transformation of the language through the years, the name of the town took its current form, but the real name of that town is not yet confirmed and remains unknown.

Next to the remains of the town there is a cave facing the sea called ‘Karavospilios’ (Ship-cave). It is said that the surrounding area in front of the cave was used as a shipyard, but despite the extensive archaeological research in the area, nothing confirms the life and the history of the town.

Πηγή:

«Πεύκοι “Τόπος και Ιστορία”», Γεωργίου Θ. Καναβάκη (Καναβογιώργη), Έκδοση Κοινότητας Πεύκων, Ιούλιος – Αύγουστος 1994