Agios Konstantinos

Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, 17.7 kilometers from Heraklion to Ano Vianno, we meet the village of Peza. Here is the seat of the Municipality of Nikos Kazantzakis.  The people are involved in traditional viticulture and olive growing.  They produce high quality oil with a designation of origin and also the eponymous OPAP wine of the region. These days not a lot of table grapes are exported like in the old days.  But the in the village operate the industrial facilities of the Association of Peza that standardize oil and wine farmers in the region.

POPULATION: 426 (Census 2001)ALTITUDE: 310 m.DISTANCE FROM HERAKLION: 17.7 kmPATH: Proposed routes. A)-Heraklion Knossos-Spilia-Patsides-Kounavoi-Peza. B) Heraklion-Skalani-Peza. (Via the new national road Heraklion-Viannos).PREFECTURE: HeraklionMUNICIPALITY: Nikos Kazantzakis

Place Description- Settlement. The village, because it was and still is a transportation hub for the region and alo is a stopover on the national road from Heraklion to Arkalochori and Viannos you will find small restaurants and shops, banks, a Regional Medical Center etc. A walk in the village will relax you, you will see the church of Aghios Nikolaos and the old church of the Eisodia tis Thotokou (Presentation of Mary). Where the chapel of Aghios Constantinos is built-there have been excavated medieval wine presses.

Name-Historical data.

The earliest mention of the settlement is in 1212 documents as Piscia, while in a 1271 contract as Pesee.  In the Pediada province it’s mentioned by Kastrofilaka, in 1583, named Pesa with 214 residents and by Basilicata in 1630.  The Turkish census of 1671 referred to it as Peze with 39 hikes, while the Egyptian census of 1834 as Peza  with 5 Turkish and 5Christian families.

In the 1881 census it’s reported from the Aghies Paraskies municipality, with 157 Christians and 34 Turk residents. In 1900 it’s in the same municipality with 222 inhabitants in 1920 it established a rural municipality with 341 inhabitants.

According to tradition, it was named in the era of Ottoman rule.  They say that at the time there was nearby a Turk derven agas who whenever he encountered anyone mounted on a horse, he would force him to unmount and whip him. This fact was forcing people to go on foot through this village and so the village was named Peza (on foot/pedestrian).

During the Turkish occupation, the village and almost all villages in the area were inhabited by Turks mostly. Lore has it that then lived in the village a beautiful girl whom a Turk wanted to marry.  But she preferred a man from the village, a Greek.  On her wedding day the Turks killed the groom and then cut out his the liver.  The bride was forced to eat half of it and the other half was thrown into a well, which has since become known “tou Skoti to pigadi” (the Liver’s well).

During the German occupation the village was commandeered by the conquerors, after they erected a flag on the church of Ag. Nikolas, at the center of the village, which was still without a roof.  In the village the Germans built ammunition depots, which exploded in sabotage and as retaliation the Germans arrested several residents of Peza.

Archeology-myth and tradition.

At the Cathedral of the village Saint Nicholas is celebrated on December 6.  Another great festival is on November 21 that celebrates the old church Evangelismos tis Theotokou, who is also patron saint of the village.  Other churches is Ag. Constantinos (Byzantine church), Aghios Dimitrios (Saint Demetrius), Aghios Georgios (Saint George) (in the cemetery), Aghioi Cosmas and Damianos (Saints Cosmas and Damian).

Neighborhoods of the village are Pano Gheitonia, Kato Gheitonia, Pefkaki, Tsachaliarika, Langada and more. At the chapel near the village where Ag. Constantinos is built there have been excavated medieval wine presses.

Text: www.endoxora-irakleiou.gr

 

Peza, Heraklion Peza and Katalagari Between Peza and Arkalochori Peza, Heraklion Peza, Heraklion Peza, Heraklion Peza, Heraklion


Hiking in the area:

Hiking with the Naturalist Club of Heraklion at the Astrakiano and Kounaviano gorge (www.fysi.gr):