Zoopigi

Zoopigi Ζωοπηγή (Greek)
Village
The church from above
Zoopigi Location in Cyprus
Coordinates: 34°51′47″N 33°0′54″E / 34.86306°N 33.01500°E / 34.86306; 33.01500
Country	Cyprus
District	Limassol District
Population  (2001)[1]
• Total	160
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

Zoopigi written as Zopÿ in 1690(Map: Atlas Van der Hagen)

Zoopigi (Greek: Ζωοπηγή) is a village one kilometre north of Kalo Chorio in the Limassol District of Cyprus. The village has three churches: Saint Nektarios church, Saint Marina church and church of St. Mary of the Spring (Zoodohos pigi), hence the name Zoopigi. The church of St. Mary of the Spring is the oldest of the three, being built in the 13th century and has a rich ecclesiastical history such as having frescoes from both the 13th and the 15th century. It is single-aisled wooden church covered with a large gabled roof as with the church of Saint Marina. The church of Saint Marina was built in 1733 and was previously used as the school building of the village. The church of Saint Nektarios church is new, built in the 20th century. The village also has a Commandaria Museum.

Location

Zoopigi is located 24 kilometres north of Limassol, in the agricultural region of Pitsilia.^[2][3] It is built at an altitude of 850 metres above sea level.^[4] It borders Kalo Chorio to the south, Agios Mamas to the south-west, Pelendri to the north-west, Agios Ioannis to the north, and Agios Theodoros to the north-east.

Natural Environment

The village's cultivated land includes vineyards, olive groves, almond trees, vegetable plots and fruit trees. A significant product of the area is Commandaria wine.^[2]

History

According to Nearchos Clerides, Zoopigi was founded during the period of Venetian rule, making it one of the newer villages of Cyprus.^[2][5] Written sources attest to the existence of the village in the second half of the 16th century. Earlier, a settlement known as Orogou was established at a short distance from Zoopigi. Its inhabitants later moved further north and founded Zoopigi, most likely due to the availability of water and fertile land in the area. Orogou continued to exist until the mid-19th century, when it was abandoned by its last inhabitants, who relocated to Zoopigi and the neighbouring village of Kalo Chorio.^[2][5]

References

1. Census 2001
2. "Ιστορία". www.zoopiyi.org. Archived from the original on 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
3. "Επαρχιακό Γεωργικό Γραφείο Πιτσιλιάς". Επαρχιακό Γεωργικό Γραφείο Πιτσιλιάς. Archived from the original on 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
4. "Κατάλογος κοινοτήτων επιλέξιμων μειονεκτικών περιοχών" (PDF). Κυπριακός Οργανισμός Αγροτικών Πληρωμών. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-04. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
5. Καρούζης 2001, p. 161-163

Sourcing

• Καρούζης, Γιώργος (2001). Περιδιαβάζοντας την Κύπρο: Λεμεσός (πόλη και επαρχία) [Wandering Around Cyprus: Limassol (City and District)] (πρώτη ed.). Λευκωσία: ΣΕΛΑΣ Κεντρο Μελετων Ερευνων & Εκδοσεων. p. 161-163. ISBN 9963-566-67-7.