Metaxohori

The village of artists. The place we always miss and always return to

The most beautiful traditional settlement of the Municipality on the outskirts of Kissavos suitable for excursions all year round. The picturesque square with the huge plane trees, the Amyros River that crosses it, the picturesque bridge in the heart of the village and the houses carved into the mountain, true architectural ornaments, will remain in our hearts and in our memories.

Metaxochori, with its beautiful climate, its history and its hospitable inhabitants, has become a magnet for many artists, so it gradually became a small artistic center with the first ‘settler’ Mentis Bostantzoglou, known to everyone as Bost. The actress Georgouli, Loukianos Kilaidonis with Anna Vagena, the journalist Rena Aggouridou and in recent years the songwriter Thanasis Papakonstantinou followed.

The oldest name of the village that we record is Retsiani. It is a Slavic name that means river village and according to the archaeologist Mr. G. Toufexis this indicates that groups of farmers and livestock breeders from today’s Serbia and Croatia settled here and in the surrounding area. During the Turkish occupation it remained with this name and only in 1923 was it renamed Melissi. However, in five years In 1928 it was renamed again with the final name Metaxochori. We assume that this name was given due to the developed sericulture in the previous century. The mansions and stone houses show the great development it had from the silk trade.

We can tour the village to enjoy nature and visit unique monuments such as the Aqueduct with the eight arches:

The Church of Prophet Elias of the 17th century, the Post-Byzantine Church of St. George of the 17th century, the Post-Byzantine Monastery of St. Eustathius, the Post-Byzantine Church of St. Paraskevi with frescoes of 1843-1853. The catholicon of the Post-Byzantine Church of the Theotokos of the 18th century with hagiographies of the monk Constantine of 1797, The open rock with the large tree in the middle ‘Gavtzia” at the place Keramidi where in 1765 Kosmas the Aetolian spoke to the residents, The 19th century Hadjimichalis candlestick house, The path to the East for hikers, The General State Archives in the old school and the old Girls’ School donated by the monk Hierotheos in the village of the 19th century which has been restored and houses in a part of it the folk art of the place, samples of sericulture, photographic material of the area and exhibits from the house of Madame Favre.

A joyful and festive atmosphere the cherry festival in the first ten days of June and the 15th of August and us walkers among courtyards with blooming jasmines and streams of Kissavos.