Page 30 - Fikardou_ebook

Village Layout House of Katsinioros House of Achillea Dimitri Petrou kai Pavlou Church Yiannakos Tavern Old School The old Wine Press

Architecture

Despite the fact that the name of the village suggests a connection with a mediaeval family, as seen today, the houses of Fikar-
dou are genuine specimens of 19th century folk architecture with modifications and additions belonging to the first dec-

ades of the 20th century. Most houses are two-storied, built of rough local stone known as “ironstone” (sieropetra), peb-
bles and limestone slabs supporting mudbrick superstructures, covered with slanted tiled roofs. The ground floor rooms have
a flat roof (doma) accessible from the verandah on the upper floor: the flat roofs serve domestic functions such as the drying
of grapes. Several houses have a small courtyard surrounded by a stone-built wall with a doorway opening onto the street. In
the courtyard stands an oven, as well as other auxiliary buildings. The upper floor is always used for habitation. The rooms
on the ground floor usually serve as storerooms and stables and are provided with built benches or mangers (pachnes). In

many houses a corner of a ground floor room is occupied by a small wine-press. Viticulture and wine production tradition-
ally formed the basis of the village economy. Huge wine jars inscribed with 19th century dates are still kept in the storerooms.

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