Common history of Palaichoria

Palaichori is a village that consists of two separate communities, Palaichori Oreinis and Palaichori Morphou, and two separate community councils. Both villages belong to the district of Pitsilia and are only 43 kilometres away from the capital. It is worth mentioning that topographical charts of the island never mention that the village is divided in two parts. This often leads to the conclusion that Palaichori is “the biggest village of Pitsilia”. Preceding charts indicate this region with the name “Palicori”.

The administrative division of Palaichori, which is in actual fact the two separate community councils, was decided based on a natural boundary, namely the “Palaichori creek” or “affluent of river Serrachis”, that divides Palaichori in two parts.

Palaichoria is considered as one of the best-irrigated regions in Cyprus due to the high levels of annual rainfall. Most of the area, excluding its rocky and abrupt parts, has been used for agricultural purposes. People from both villages cultivate the vineyards, suitable for the production of wine and different kinds of trees such as apple trees, pear trees, cherry trees, pomegranates. What is more, they grow a variety of pulses such as beans that are only produced there and broad beans. Palaichori is also famous for its potatoes and tomatoes, which are known as “pomilorka”. All these are irrigated with water from the Palaichori-Kampi dam.

The population of the two villages, as shown in the following table, has followed a decreasing course. The 1891-1982 census indicates that Palaichori Morphou had more inhabitants. The common census for the years between 1901 and 1921 does not specify any details regarding the population of the two villages, although the overall population seems to have increased. It must be noted that during the war, a lot of people from Palaichori worked at the Amiantos mine. This meant that they only went to Palaichori for the weekend. Since 1960, when Cyprus gained its independence, Palaichori suffered from the wave of rural depopulation since most of its inhabitants moved to the cities, and especially in Strovolos in Lefkosia (Nicosia). Those who remained in the village found a job in the city.        

Education in this area goes back to 1850, when the priest and teacher Papakyriacos taught the children of the village for free either at his house or in the fields while cultivating his land. In 1865 the deacon Aristedes Georghiou took over, who had almost 40 students going to his house. He instructed ecclesiastical music, mathematics and writing. From there on, the two primary schools functioned until 1980, when one of the two schools had to be shut down due to rural exodus.

Before mentioning the historical occurrences of Palaichori, it must be mentioned, that these are referred to in the article by Gilles Grivaud in the book “Palaichoria, Heritage of centuries”. The writer indicates that it is difficult to reach scientific historical conclusions as far as the area in question is concerned. Information regarding the French occupation is mostly derived from privileges given to local noblemen by the Louzinians. When the Venetians ruled the area, the only information available is the records of the “names of lords”, whilst during Ottoman rule, only censuses. Nearchos Klerides is an important source of information, whose work flourished at the end of the 1940’s.  

What is extremely significant is the fact that the division of Palaichoria is mot mentioned in the majority of the ancient scripts. That is the reason why Palaichori is often presented as a unified dorp.

The most ancient report regarding Palaichori considers the bestowal of the area by Henry the second, the king of Cyprus in the 12th century. At the beginning of the 14th century Palaichori was passed on to knights. Others consider Palaichori as the private feud of a wealthy family (Ivelini).

According to Grivaud, in the 14th century, but most likely even earlier, Palaichori’s administration was divided, again according to the river of Peristerona. The dorp on the right side of the river was named “district of Ipokomitia” and the one on the left side “kontrada of Pentageia”. This division is most likely the initial division of what is today considered to be Palaichori of Oreini and Morphou.

The division of Palaichori is also ecclesiastically evident. Until 1974 Palaichori Oreinis and Palaichori Morphou did not belong to the same ecclesiastical eparchy. This has changed after the war. 

Nearchos Klerides in his book “Villages and Cities” mentions that the area of Palaichori was initially created by the unification of dorps that moved because of a natural disaster, such as drought. Some of these dorps that moved to Palaichori are, according to Nearchos Klerides, Mylouri, Maroulena, Kato Aplikin, Agios Nicolaos, Agia Koroni and Antonies or Spithkia tous Papaes.

The above-mentioned dorps seem to have moved towards the village, but they are not the initial dorp of Palaichori, since the village was created long before. The population of these villages added to the already existing population of the village of Palaichori.

In modern history, and especially during the English occupation, Palaichori was the base for a lot of services, for instance for the court and the police station. 

All people from Palaichori contributed in the liberation fight against the English (1955-1959). Kyriacos Matsis, Michalakis Karaolis, Nikos Georghiou, heroes and Polykarpos Giorkatzis, a politician all came from Palaichori.  Kyriacos Matsis, Michalakis Karaolis, Nikos Georghiou are now honoured with monuments, whilst Polykarpos Giorkatzis’s house is now a museum.

Furthermore, Palaichori had the honour of helping one of the heroes of the liberation fight, Greogoris Auxentiou, to escape arrest. His hiding place in Palaichori belongs to the Museum of the Liberation Fight. The village presents the statue of the Cypriot mother. The statue praises the patience and patriotism of the Cypriot mother that has to sacrifice and lose her children in the fight against the English.

The history of Palaichori Oreinis and Morphou  is common, and this is proven by the contribution of all the people in the 1955-59 fight as far as material  and immaterial aspects are concerned. Palaichoria have exquisite paradigms of popular as well as ecclesiastical architecture and of art, especially in regards to iconography. Palaichoria are of great importance because of their history and their culture, in particular the churches of Saint Loucas, Saint Georghios, Panagia Chrysopantanassa and Saint Sotira.

Sources:
Sophocleous Sophoclis, Palaichoria, Heritage of Centuries, 2002, p. 23-29
The great Cypriot Encyclopaedia, v.11, p.39-41