As of the mid-17th century when the
Ottomans applied a special tax-administrative regime in the area, the
Metsovo
Metsovo ( el, Μέτσοβο; rup, Aminciu) is a town in Epirus, in the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the west and Meteora to the east.
The largest centre of Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece, Metsovo is a large r ...
region comprises a federation of five mountainous settlements in northern
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
. In various administrative documents surviving from the 18th century onwards, this federation is referred to as Chora Metzovou or Chora Metsovou with its mahalades (meaning including its neighboring settlements).
The word Chora defines the settlement of Metsovo that was the largest one in the area, while the word mahalades means the surrounding settlements of
Malakasi, Koutsoufleani (now Platanistos), Milia and
Anilio. The borders of the Chora Metzovou initially also included the municipal lands of the settlement Derventista (now
Anthohori) which was later on excluded. According to historical signs the establishment of the Chora Metzovou was based on a pre-existing geographical and administrative regime which goes back to at least the early Ottoman period.
Although Metsovo had the economic, land and demographic dominance in the area, decisions were made by the joint assembly of Chora and the Mahalades, which had their own community land and, initially at least, their own municipal authorities. As of the mid-18th century, however, the governance of Chora takes on a more
oligarchic
Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...
form, where the powers were concentrated in the hands of the
aristocrats
Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'.
At the time of the word' ...
of Metsovo and the political role of the mahalades was limited.
The geographical area that comprised the Chora Metsovou was for many centuries a unified geographical, administrative and religious region, regardless of the changes in its taxation and political regime, especially during the 19th century. The fact that it belonged to a common church authority was a major unifying factor for its residents.
Sources
*G. Plataris, Kodikas Choras Metsovou ton eton 1708-1907
hora Metsovou Log of the years 1708-1907 Athens 1982,
* Th. Dasoulas, Agrotikes koinonies tou oreinou chorou kata tin othomaniki periodo: o georgikos kosmos tis “Choras Metzovou” (18os -19os ai.)
grarian society in highland areas during the Ottoman period: farmer's population of the land of Metzovo (18th c. - 19th c.) publ. EADD (National Archive of PhD Theses
, 2009, pp. 127–148
*M. Tritos, “Ta sozomena firmania ton pronomion tou Metsovou”
he surviving firmans about the privileges granted to Metsovo Minutes of the 1st Conference of Metsovite Studies, Athens 1993, pp. 411
*V. Skafidas, “Istoria tou Metsovou”
istory of Metsovo Epirotiki Estia 11/117 (1962), p. 318.
*I. Lampridis, “Malakasiaka”, Epirotika Meletimata
pirote Studies5 (1888), publ. 2. Society for Epirote Studies. (EHM), Ioannina 1993, pp. 36, 37
*Source: Th. Dasoulas, Agrotikes koinonies tou oreinou chorou kata tin othomaniki periodo: o georgikos kosmos tis “Choras Metzovou” (18os -19os ai.)
grarian society in highland areas during the Ottoman period: farmer's population of the land of Metzovo (18th c. - 19th c.) publ. EADD (National Archive of PhD Theses, http://hdl.handle.net/10442/hedi/17726), 2009, pp. 476
Geography of the Ottoman Empire
Metsovo