Etymology
From medieval times till well into the 19th century, Metsovo was known, in various sources, as ''Metzovo''. From the end of the 18th century on, the literary form of ''Messovon'' makes its appearance. The town is known as ''Aminciu'' in Aromanian (Vlach), and as ''Miçova'' in Ottoman Turkish.Ottoman census records
In the Ottoman census records we see the word ''Mcwh'' (مجوه), which is usually pronounced "Miçova". In Aromanian, Metsovo is called ''Aminʤu'',Phonetic rendering of the Aromanian words according to the international phonetic alphabet. a word combining the preposition "a"— meaning "to, into"—and the word "Minʤu".Various names
From "Minʤu" derive terms signifying ethnic origin ''Miʤanu'' and ''Miʤanə''—meaning, respectively, "man from Metsovo", "woman from Metsovo"—as well as the adjectives ''miʤənescu'' and ''miʤəneascə''—meaning "Metsovite", "of Metsovo"—which are used today by the residents of Metsovo. The Aromanian part of the population, that part which does not use the term ''Aminʤu'', uses the name "Meʤova". SomeModern form
The derivation of the name ''Metsovo''—from the words ''Mitsous'' and ''Mesovounon'' or from the unattested Slav word ''*Mẹčovo'', meaning bear-place—which has been proposed by academics and historians, is not confirmed by linguistic research. On the contrary, there appears to be an etymological relation between the Aromanian ''Minʤu'' and the Greek ''Metsovo'', the latter being a combination of the stem ''Mets'' and the Slavic-ending ''ovo''.History
Social stratification
Socially, the residents of Metsovo, up until the beginning of the 20th century, were divided into three classes: the "arhontzi" (arxondzɨ), the "vinitsi" (vinitsɨ) and the "algi" (alɟi) or, mockingly, "gizari" (ɟizari). This socioeconomic stratification developed during the Ottoman occupation.Árhontzi
The arhontzi were the wealthiest part of society. Their revenues derived from wholesale and retail commercial activities. Although locally very powerful, they were not a closed group in terms of social mobility. Wealth gave anyone the right to climb up the social ladder to the next higher level, although such ascent often gave rise to serious conflicts.Vínitsi
The vinitsi comprised the middle and lower classes of the settlement that were not occupied in livestock breeding. It mostly included farmers, small business owners, technicians, mule drivers, and small-scale merchants. Despite the economic and professional diversification among the vinitsi, they saw themselves as a unified social class, which was evident in their social relations. For example, they would marry among themselves but never with members of the algi.Álgi
The algi were the class of traveling sheepherders, whose occupation was large-scale sheepherding, livestock breeding, as well as woodcarving. They had set rules regarding the social roles of their members, and a strict patriarchal structure that governed their class.Distinctions between vinitsi and algi
The social differences between the two lower classes were not based on income criteria but on the fact that their members came from very different economic structures. In the past, the distinction between sheepherders and non-sheepherders existed in all developed Aromanian settlements of Pindos, and could possibly be concealing, in a latent form, the socioeconomic reality of past times. This was not a class distinction based on wealth, since in most cases the members of both groups belonged to the poorer segments of the population, but a differentiation related to the establishment of the settlements during the Ottoman period, which produced the co-existence of populations with the same linguistic base but with clearly different economic and social structures.Ottoman tax district
The privileges of Metsovo
Starting in the mid-17th century, the residents in the region of Metsovo were relieved from the obligation to pay the regular and ad hoc taxes that were usually paid by Christian residents in other Ottoman regions, on the condition that they would pay a lump sum per year. The Ottoman administration often made such arrangements for groups of its subjects that offered a special service to the state.The case of Metsovo
The special service provided by the Metsovo residents was the guarding of the local mountain passes and the servicing of travelers. The special tax regime did not mean self-government in theory. The notion of autonomy was unknown to the Ottoman understanding of polity. In practice, however, the granting of tax exemptions was equivalent to self-governance of the area. Since the 18th century, the management of ''lasa'', or bequests left to a community, constituted one of the most important municipal functions. The love for their birthplace and the social altruism of the Metsovites living abroad resulted in the amassing of significant benefactor funds in Metsovo. As early as the beginning of the 19th century, there was a special logbook where the wills and testaments of the benefactors were recorded. The logbook was destroyed in 1854; it was then redrafted by the patriarchal exarchate of Metsovo but destroyed again in 1941.Management of state property
In theory, the sultan was the undisputed owner of all land in Metsovo and had the right to dispose of it as he wished. That is whyReduced taxes
The reduction of taxes meant keeping a larger share of the local surplus crop production. In consequence, regardless of the theoretical framework that governed the land ownership and political regime of the Ottoman Empire, the lands of Metsovo were gradually falling under the absolute possession, ownership, and management of its residents, which corresponded to political self-governance. This development had a cost. Every year, the corresponding taxes and other contributions had to be pre-paid to the Ottoman landlord of the area, otherwise the Chora orThe phenomenon of beneficence
Beneficence by Metsovites is a powerful phenomenon, the dimensions of which were formed through the processes relating to the socioeconomic growth of Metsovo during the Ottoman period. It is mainly the expression of the cultural notions that governed the ruling class of Metsovo at the time. Despite the long absence of the men of the community from Metsovo, due to their business and commercial activities, their hometown remains in their hearts as their financial and family seat. Consequently, a large part of their revenue is channeled into the local economy by themselves or their families, as charity or investment capital to be used for the conservation of the social and political superiority of their class. Beneficence as a notion is directly connected with the special political regime granted by the Ottoman state to the Chora Metsovou. The demonstration of altruism, signaling and confirming their social distinction and status, provides Metsovites with the option to have social and economic control of their homeland. At first, their social solidarity is expressed as a church-sponsoring funding activity according to the standards of a cultural notion that derives from the medieval past of the Orthodox church.The Exarchate of Metsovo
After 1659, the area of Metsovo, thus far under the bishopric of Stagoi, was formed into its ownThe scholars and clergy of Metsovo
The merchants of Metsovo
Socioeconomic growth of Metsovo
The impressive socioeconomic growth of Metsovo during the Ottoman occupation is mainly due to the involvement of a large part of its population in the commercial activities of both the Ottoman Empire and of Europe. Taking into account the fact that the residents of Metsovo had been migrating for a long time, it is difficult to determine the beginning of its commercial growth.Testimonies – sources
Substantial information about the commercial development of Metsovo are found from the mid-17th century onward, when we see testimonies of the presence of peddlers from Metsovo in Constantinople and Venice, which indicates an early phase of their involvement in commercial trade in the eastern Mediterranean. During the 18th century we see testimonies of the presence of Metsovite merchants in Constantinople, Bucharest, and Vienna. By the end of the 18th century there is an established community of merchants in Metsovo, which, through a collaborative or overlapping trade network, spread its operations over a rather extensive geographic area.19th century
The first decade of the 19th century signaled the beginning of the most dynamic phase of commercial activity by the Metsovites. Now the geographic and economic reach of their activity exceeds its initial range. Their activity extends as far as Moscow, Cairo, Malta, Livorno, and Trieste.Cities of activity
Records show that Metsovite merchants had a permanent presence in the following cities and towns: Corfu, Serres, Filippoupoli, Odessa, Brody, Moscow, Petersburg, Sevastopol, Nizna, Thessaloniki, in the Romanian cities of Orsova, Chisinau, Iasi, Ismail (Bessarabia), Craiova, Focsani, Galatsi, and Odessa, and a presence in the trade fairs and open-air markets of Perlepe, Sistov, Uzungiova, Rostov, Smyrna, Cyprus, and Damascus. Naturally, the old trade strongholds of Constantinople, Bucharest, and Vienna continued to present the largest concentrations of Metsovite merchants.Alexandria
Another significant overseas hub of commercial activity for Metsovites is the port of Alexandria, in Egypt. The latest records show that the nature of their trading has changed dramatically from the times of their traditional land transport and trade fairs in the Balkans. Although the traditional method of commerce still occupies the merchants that are based in Metsovo or Ioannina, a large number of Metsovite merchants has established trading companies and agencies in distant places where they are occupied with all types of import and export trade.Province
The province of Metsovo ( el, Επαρχία Μετσόβου) was one of theMunicipality
The present municipality of Metsovo was created by the 2011 local government reform, by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities that became municipal units: *Metsovo * Egnatia * Milea The municipality of Metsovo has an area of , the municipal unit of Metsovo has an area of , and the community of Metsovo has an area of .Demographics
Climate
Metsovo has a temperate climate with snowy winters and pleasant summers. Precipitation is high all year with a drying trend in summer.Transportation
In the 1980s, a nearby tunnel was constructed that was the longest in Greece, alleviating traffic that would otherwise clog Metsovo's twisting roads. In 2006, the junction between the Egnatia Odos motorway and a section of Greek National RoadCulture/attractions
Cuisine
The town is famous for its local cheeses ( Metsovone and Metsovela, among others) and for its winemaking industries, including the ''Katógi'' vineyard of the Averoff family.Other
A museum namedNotable people
Gallery
See also
* Metsovo lung, endemicReferences
Sources
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Aravantinos, ''Chronographia tis Epirou'' hronography of Epirus vol. B', publ. Koultoura, Athens, p. 109External links
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