I thank the Association of Kardaritsi for the opportunity to present this short study of our Village. The research was indeed difficult because, despite the rich Bibliography of Gortynia (N.W. Arcadia), one does not exist for Kardaritsi. "Gortyniaka", the two-volume publication of the Public Library of Dimitsana, contains 937 studies by well known writers from Gortynia, such as Kandiloros, Gristopulos, Karvelas, Koutsoukos, Floudas, and others, but omits Kardaritsi.

Most studies deal with the traditional Gortynia, but few with villages beyond the River Ladonas, 3-4 deal with Monastiraki and Vidiaki, and none with Kardaritsi. However, there are certain indirect but useful written references on our village. For example: precious small scattered information is found in the Gortyniako Timetable of Kontoes and Iliopoulos, and in the excellent local newspapers, the "Voice of Gortynia", and "Gortynia", former "Ladonas". My research includes inspection of inscriptions on icons of the Church of Saint Nicholas, writings on plaques, and conversations with older villagers.The totality of my efforts I hope presents an interesting and fascinating mosaic of our village.

As we begin with etymology, what does the word Kardaritsi mean? It is a complex word from the noun KARDARI (WOODEN MILK PAIL) and the ending ITSI. According to the dictionary of Modern Greek of N. Andriotis, the Kardari resulted from the Greek word kadarion, small bucket, where kadarion with the development of r became kardarion, kardari. Another possibility is that kardari comes from the medieval word kaldario, from the Latin CALDARIUM that means heating vessel. As for the ending - ITSI, according to linguistics professor D. Giorgakas, it is also Greek, implying the diminutive, that is to say, the small size. It began from the Byzantine years as -IKI, then -ITZI, and finally as -itsi. . E.g. koriki - small girl - became kori-tzi and then koritsi. It appears that our village was initially referred to as Kardari, then as Kardaritzi, and recently as Kardaritsi.

Thus in a silver chalice that is kept in our Church, we read the inscription: "property of the Temple of Saint Nikolaos, Kardariki, 1860". In the first post-revolutionary years and as long as the village belonged to the Municipality of Velimahi, it is referred to as Kardaritzi, but when it became part of the Municipality of Elefsina it is known as Kardaritsi or Kardaritsion. There was an unsuccessful effort to change the name to Kalithea.

Thus Kardaritsi is a Greek word and not Slavic or Turkish, as one can mistakenly assume. It means small-milk pail, befitting the stock-breeding of the area.

When was the village founded: No specific information exists. Most likely, its history is more generally connected with the environment of the Peloponnese. In other words, its likely existence in ancient times, during the Roman and during Byzantine periods, is possible. Likewise, its existence may be found during conquests by Slavs, Franks, Turks, as well as during modern Greek history.

More specifically, in antiquity, it is very likely that Kardaritsi existed only as a locality. The nearest ruins of ancient buildings are those of the small city Kauntos and the Temple of Kausios Aesculapius near Voutsi. Also, north of the village of Paralogi, left of the river Erimanthos, according to Pafsanias, existed the ancient village of Tropea, unrelated to today's village of Tropea.

During Roman and the first Byzantine years, it is also likely that Kardaritsi did not exist. Pafsanias again informs us that most Gortynians (N.W. Arcadians) had migrated to Achaia (Patras area) and Korinthia (Corinth area). "The countryside had been depopulated, covered by forests and is full of wild beasts". Roman ruins do not exist, while the only perhaps Byzantine monument of the wider region is the old icon of the Virgin Mary that is kept in the current Abbey of Klivoka (near Kontobazena) and is attributed to the Evangelist Loukas(Luke).

For the history of Gortynia, however, and perhaps of Kardaritsi, the coming of the Slavs to the Peloponnese, in the 7th century, is of importance. The historian from Dimitsana, Ioannis Koutsoukos in his book, "History of Gortynia" asserts that the Slavs came from the area of present Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, and with their flocks reached Peloponnese in order to settle in the Gortynia and Taygetos area. They did not come as conquerors but as settlers, and, in particular, with the tolerance of the Byzantine state. Their aim was to search for pasture lands in mountainous, barren, deserted regions. They did not have skills other than that of livestock-farming. They gave Slavic names to a lot of small communities such as Dimitsana, Divritsa, Mbokovina, Voutsi, etc., as well as Slavic names to certain pastoral utensils but not to agricultural tools or domestic utensils. In the beginning, these nomads lived in their own small settlements but gradually were absorbed by the local Greek element. It is very likely that, during the Slavs, Kardaritsi existed (since nearby Voutsi and Mbokovina existed with Slavic names), and was subjected to the Slavic presence, but the area of Gortynia did not lose its Greek character.

Conquest by the Franks follows. The Franks conquered Gortynia in 1206 and remained as occupiers till 1320.

Administratively the area was divided into two baronies: that of Akova and that of Karytena. That of Karytena had 22 knightly fiefs and one of them, obviously, was Kardaritsi. The nearest to our village Frankish residue of that period is the Castle of Monovyza, or Thelpousa, near Voutsi, built in the 13th century. However, for our village, of bigger interest is the period of the VENETIAN DOMINATION of the Peloponnese that began in 1650 with Morozini and ended in 1714. It is the period that for the first time in its history, Kardaritsi, as KARDARIZI, is reported in official documents. More concretely, in the book of V. Panagiotopoulos "Population and Settlements of Peloponnese 13th-18th Century", publication of Commercial Bank, there are details of the census taken by the Venetians in 1700. It includes all the province of Karytena with its 121 villages, among which, under number 87, is Kardaritsi. The village had 22 families with 85 residents -- 43 males and 42 females. Of them 32 were children of 1-16 years old, and 12 over 60 years - nine women and only 3 men. Each family averages 4 members with fewer than 2 children. Certainly more children were born but more than half died.

Consequently in 1700, under the Venetians, Kardaritsi existed with known demographic elements.

The Venetian domination, is but a small break in the OTTOMAN DOMINATION that lasted from 1455 until 1828. During this long period of roughly four centuries, Kardaritsi and the other villages beyond the River Ladonas were not substantially affected by the Turkish presence. Because the area was barren and inaccessible, the Turks remained far, mostly concentrating on the collection of taxes. Historian Takis Kandiloros observes that "Only few Turkish families resided in Vahlia". Also there are no military operations in our region. Only toward the end of Ottoman domination did the fire of war come twice near Kardaritsi. First in 1809 when the Turkish-Albanian Ali Farmakis of Lala with the help of the young Theodore Kolokotronis was involved in a fierce battle with the son of Ali Passa, the Veli of Yiannena, near Monastiraki. The Gortyniako Almanac of 1951 mentions the traditional song:

On Saturday war flares up in Monastiraki
Hold on, ali Farmaki and little Kolokotronaki
Bullets fall like rain, Theodore Kolokotroni
They fight and they fight and the Turks they defeat

The second time Kardaritsi felt the horror of war was in July 1825, when Imbraim invaded Gortynia, plundering and destroying everything. The chieftain Kanellos Deligiannis from Langadia ,in his personal diary notes that the forces of Imbraim on the same day burned Kontovazena, Voutsi and Rahes, spending the night in the area of the villages of Velimahi, Kardaritsi, Paralogi and two-three other neighboring villages. It is not known what role our village played in these two battles. It is however more than certain that, with the outbreak of the Revolution of 1821, Kardaritsi is engaged with the remainder of Gortynia against the Turks. Thus in the General Archives of State, among the 322 Gortynian fighters that took part in the siege of Patra in 1824, are mentioned the following from Kardaritsi: George Tzikas, Demos Christou, Georgakis Hantos and Stathis Ntemiris.

Also in the Historical Archives of the National Library we find that in 1865, 900 surviving fighters of 1821 or their children requested from from the Greek State compensations, pensions and awards. Among them were 4 Kardaritsi fighters, named George Petrompeis or Tzikas, Demetrios Tzikas, Angelos Hristopoulos or Tyris and Anagnostis Hristopoulos or Tyris. Finally, in our village, there is a photocopy of an acclamation that was awarded by the State to a fighter of 1821, to one Panagos Paraskevopoulos.

With the foregoing, we cover the essential history of the Ottoman occupation. Thus we reach the period of the New Greek State from 1828 to today, observing Kardaritsi in its recent history.

With the departure of the Turks our poor village begins paying taxes to the free Greek State that has big needs. From the General Files of State of the year 1832, reported in the Journal of Gortynia, we're informed that in that year, that is to say in 1832, the taxes that were paid jointly by Velimahi - Kardaritsi - Paralogi were 3,000 okades (8460 pounds -3837 kilos) wheat, 960 okades (2704 pounds - 1228 kilos) barley and 1,680 okades (4737 pounds - 2144 kilos) corn. The right to collect the taxes had been bought at auction in Stemnitsa by the above-mentioned Kanellos Deliyiannis from Langadia. At that time Kardaritsi belonged administratively to the County of Velimahi as that area did not belong to the Prefecture of Arcadia, but to the Prefecture of Achaia and Ilia. In 1836 the County was renamed County of Pania and assigned to the Prefecture of Arcadia. In 1841 the County of Pania was combined with the County of Elefsina. In 1914, under the system of local self-government, Kardaritsi, as well as all the villages of Greece constituted independent communities. First Mayor of the County of Velimahi (including Kardaritsi), in 1834, was (Revolution) chieftain Argyris Aposkitis. In the first Registry of Men of Kardaritsi in 1840 is registerd the name of Haralambos Papagiannopoulos of Nikolaos.

The Kardaritsi Registry lists names such as Aggelopoulos, Giannakopoulos, Iliopoulos, Lambropoulos, etc., that reflect Greek roots and not roots of Turks, Slavs, or Franks. This means that Kardaritsi, in its long history, was not influenced by the presence of conquerors. Even the name Douridas is Greek. According to my deceased grandfather Gero-Nikolaki, the name has relation with some ancestor whose art was constructing portholes or niches in walls. Thus he was named Thuridas, which became Nturidas to his descendants, and then Douridas.

But also the names of localities of Kardaritsi, that according to researcher Floudas, are calculated as 9 square kilometers (5.6 miles) are also Greek. An extremely interesting study made in 1922 by philologist Haral. Sakellariadis titled: "Collection of Locality Names of 18 Villages of Gortynia" contains explicit reference to Kardaritsi. The original handwritten version of this study I found (and photostated) in the Library of the Academy of Athens. There the writer mentions 127 localities of Kardaritsi as told to him by Theodoros Tsikas, a 30-year old teacher. From the 127 localities only 4: Ntesina, Zarvenitsa Zarakovina and Satzena are perhaps Slavic; the remainder123 are Greek. From the study of the 127 locality names we also note that the names Fragkolakka and Fragkovouni may be connected with Franks, and places such as Vlahohorafa and Arvanitoskala with Vlachs and Albanians, respectively, who lived there for a time. The names Threshing Floors of Ntusi, the Cave of Vlami, Rangkava, Rokani, the Spring of Galou, and Rivlou are places named after Kardaritsi residents who lived in that area. The name Pera Horio implies very probably that the earlier Kardaritsi was there and later was moved to the current place near the Big Spring. The locality named Floka was the place of an old small village mentioned by the Venetians in their 1700 Census, that later, curiously, disappeared. Finally the place named Fort, the hill above Strivounitsi whose ruins - a big pile of stones - exist now, has no known history. It is not mentioned in the book of I. Sfikopoulos "Medieval Forts of Moria". It could be Venetian or Turkish outpost in the mountainous Gortynia, or could have been built by the Turkish Albanians, of Lala or Monastiraki, or even been a Greek fortress that was built for the protection of the locals.

Let's return, however, to the newer history of Kardaritsi that coincides with the formation of the Greek State in 1828.

What do we know about the church, the cemetery and the school of our village? It is not known when the Church of Saint Nikolaos was founded. Perhaps this happened before 1850. In any case, in 1850, it is undeniable that it existed and functioned. Apart from the silver chalice that I mentioned before with year of manufacture 1860, in the interior of the church there are two icons on the left side of the Royal Gate: that of the Virgin Mary with date 1851, and one of Saint Nikolaos of year 1856. In this icon we see the following moving dedication: "This holy icon is donated by the servants of God Dimitrios Tzikas and Anagnostis Tyros in eternal memory: Amen, Amen, Amen, 24 November 1856".

These must be by the two 1821 fighters from Kardaritsi (mentioned before) that still lived in 1856. From then, for at least a century, the Church of Saint Nikolaos is maintained with subscriptions and personal work of residents of our village. From 1950, however, and afterwards begins a big effort of renovation that is encouraged by the Ecclesiastical Council and is realized with aid of many anonymous and named compatriots from here and abroad.

From inscriptions inside and outside the church, we learn that the electric installation is a donation of Nikolaos G. Iliopoulos"residing in America", while the new ceiling "was donated by Ioannis Th. Lampropoulos who died in America July 30,1953". The bishop's throne is a donation of Lampros Mihalakopoulos, and finally the paving of the church grounds is by the benefactor of the community George. K Aggelopoulos. Grateful mention is due to the compatriots that built new churches. Such are lawyer Vasilios Th.Tsikas and the brothers Theodoros and Christos (sons of Nikolaos) Tsikas that built Saint Paraskevi, and the Greek-American Costas Lampropoulos and his wife Eleni that erected the church Saints Constantine and Helen. In the publication of "Ladonas" in 1972 it is reported that this church is a replica of Saint Nektarios of the village of Vahlia and was built by the skilled contractors Alexandros Tsoumpris, and K. G. Kanellopoulos at a cost (then) of 300,000 drachmas, and was inaugurated on May 14, 1972, with the Metropolitan of Gortynos and Megalopoleos, Theofilos, officiating. And a few words about the cemetery.

In the beginning it was on the grounds of the Church of Saint Nikolaos, but in 1912 it was moved to its current place. It was built with contributions and the personal labor of villagers. For a more solid and more tasteful work they used stone masons from Langadia. As for church matters, we can complete our report with the names of the priests of the village that kept unquenchable the religious faith.

Known to us are priests Dimitris Tsikas, priest Antonis Papagiannopoulos, and, of course, priest Vasilis Mouroutis who has for over half a century ministerd to entire generations of Kardaritsi.

After the church, the school is the other institution that kept alive the intellectual life of the village. Almost all the children of Kardaritsi learned here not only reading and writing but the essential values of their nation. The number of illiterates was always small. School teachers of Kardaritsi are Theodoros Aggelopoulos , Georgios Aggelopoulos, who later became superintendent, Theodoros Tsikas, Theodoros Anastopoulos, and his son Takis Anastopoulos, who for a lot of years taught in Kardaritsi. Initially the School was accomodated in the house of Ioannis V. Giannakopoulos. Later, per the commemorative plate that is in its wall, in 1878, the ground floor of the current School was built, followed by the above floor. The school functioned continuously till two years ago when the dramatic shrinkage of residents, caused the 4-5 of its students to be transported to the grade school of Velimahi. I must report that I had the honor of attending the School of Kardaritsi for a year during the World War II occupation.

This history would be incomplete without mentioning the effects of immigration. From the middle of the previous century, the big poverty sent many of its residents abroad to Smyrna, Istanbul, many to America, and later to Athens. Thus around 1860, the first bold immigrants left for Smyrna. From them well-known is Konstantinos Sehas who later built the walls around the church, the Big Spring, and Saint George. Reminder of his donations are plates with the sign: "Built by K. SEHAS, 1890". Later immigrants to Istanbul were Georgios, Panagiotis, and Dimitrios Lampropoulos.

Worthy of note is the large icon of Saint Nikolaos that is found in the northern wall of our church with the sign: "Dedicated by George Lampropoulos of Anagnostis, work by K. Dimarhopoulos - Istanbul April 23, 1913". In the icon stand of Saint Nikolaos there is the portable icon with the following: "Dedicated by the brothers P. and D. Lampropoulos, Istanbul July 20, 1911". From this family descends the popular actress Keti Lampropoulos.

The immigration to America began in 1890 and continued rapidly until 1920. It is the period of "mother don't send me to America for there I will die of grief!". Almost each home sends one or more of its men to the New World. There the immigrants are occupied with hard work, save their earnings, and two - three years later they return to the village in order to provide dowry to the unmarried sisters or to replace the floor of the family home. Some, however, remain there, thrive, create families children and grandchildren, achieving social and political success.. Characteristic is the example of Vasilis Mouroutis, as it is written in "Ladonas", in August 1972, who arrived in America at the age of 16, worked as contractor of buildings, built the Orthodox Church Holy Trinity of New Orleans, and served as vice-president of AHEPA in Louisiana. Later, his son Panagiotis Mouroutis is elected for a number of years as a senator of Louisiana.

Interesting is the story of George Douridas who migrated to America about 75 years ago opened a restaurant, married an American and had 3 children, 21 grandchildren, and 54 great grandchildren. The children are scattered all over the United States and Canada. One of the great grandchildren, the 25-year old CHRIS DOURIDAS - Christos Douridas - lives in TEXAS and is a TV and movie actor having acted in "North and South" , and in the "Jesse Owens Story", "DALLAS", etc.

The migration current to Athens began in the decade of 1920, increased after the War, and reached its peak in the decade 1960-70. This is confirmed from the census tables of residents of Kardaritsi where that number was constant for 100 years, but, for the last 25 years shows a sharp decline.

YEAR 1700 1861 1889 1907 1920 1928 1940 1951 1961 1971 1988

RESIDENTS 85 344 445 489 468 455 410 354 336 191 100

Kardaritsi therefore moved to the capital with the result that the Athens telephone directory lists the name Douridas over 35 times. Most of the Kardaritsi immigrants to Athens worked in the beginning as small retailers, then founded credit cooperatives, and then started their own shops.

They succeeded and took pride seeing their children as businessmen, Government officials and scientists. Practically all began with the support of the merchant of Vlahava Street Nikolaos Iliopoulos. In his obituary in the "Ladonas" of June 6, 1971, writes characteristically the current chairman of our Association Theodoros Demiris: "The Athens store of Nikolaos Iliopoulos was the shelter of those from Kardaritsi but also the start of small retailers who went on to become their own store owners in Athens and elsewhere" From them, but also from the newer immigrants after 1970 begins a period of advance and progress for Kardaritsi. With their own continuous pressures and with the help of the government and other institutions the village is connected by road with Tripotama and 111, and by bus with Kontovazena - Tripoli. Also, it is supplied with electric power, running water, and connected by telephone with the rest of Greece and the world. Still the village changes because many tend to the restoration and the modernization of their family home. Basic levers behind this historical effort are two local institutions, the Community Councils, and the Association of Those from Kardaritsi, that from its 1927 founding to today has carried on its Herculean effort. The efforts of the Association were supported by all. In its accomplishments during the last years, it lists: the paving of the central streets, the beautification of the central square with the placement of the statute of Kolokotronis, the extension of the water supply to the region of the cemetery and the half financing of the road from Kardaritsi to Vidiaki. Chairman of the Association then was George N. Iliopoulos. The current Administrative Council chaired by Theodoros Demiris continues with the same enthusiasm and the creative traditions of the Association.

Dear Compatriots:

"KARDARITSI is a village of the County of Elefsina of Gortynia on the right bank of Arsenos River, has a grade school and 445 residents, farmers and shepherds". These are reported in the Encyclopaedic Dictionary of BART.

In 1893, 100 years ago and in the "Village Registry" of the Greek Army in 1901, it is added: "Kardaritsi, altitude 900 meters, distance on foot from Kontovazena, 2 hours, and from Tripoli 20 hours".

How times have changed! Today our village is the home of only 100, is deprived of School and has a parking problem for cars in its center. Will the village survive these problems? Personally I believe that it is a subject of love, and, that as Kardaritsi existed in the past, it will exist for many centuries to come. Because Kardaritsi is our homeland, the Stones and the earth is where we have our roots, the place of our ancestors of "grandfather to grandfather".

Our life is marked by the morals and the customs, the sensitivities and the convictions of our parents. We carry with us an irreconcilable, I would say intellectual heritage, as it was shaped by that steep and barren region. Its main traits are dedication to the traditional values and faith in honesty and hard work. I believe that I do not exaggerate by saying that we are proud of this heritage.

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Doctor Nicolas P. Douridas