There are villages in Cyprus -even though very few -that, when first
being acquainted with them, you persistently seek to learn and be
informed about how they managed to survive upon the rough and arid
landscape they stand on, as well as how they managed to increase their
populations to levels that surpass the economic potentials of the
village.
One such village is Pelendri, which can be found in the western
end of Pitsylia, in the east of the "Karvouna - Saitta"
valley, surrounded by hills at an altitude of 880 meters. It stands
at a distance of about 40 kilometres from Limassol while in the
north-west it connects with the village Kato Amiantos, in the east
with Potamitissa and Agros, and in the west with Trimiklini.
For many years, a large number of Pelendri's inhabitants was employed
in the nearby mine of Amiantos. The employment offered by the mine
was one of the main reasons for the development of the village.
The village has gone through large fluctuations of its population.
In 1881 the inhabitants numbered 444, which increased to 798 in
1921, and to 1504 in 1946. The population increased to 2094 in 1960
and to 2253 in 1973. Then on then village -like many other villages
-was struck by the urban pull and the inhabitants were reduced to
2218 in 1976 and to 1739 in 1982. In the 2001 census the inhabitants
numbered 1350.
Pelendri existed as a settlement since the Mediaeval times. De
Masse Latri mentions it as Pelendres or Pelondres that in 1353 was
a feud of John de Lusignan, who was a member of the royal family
of Cyprus. The mediaeval annalist Georgios Voustronios mentions
the village twice in his chronicle. In one instance he reports that
around 1461 a wealthy persons -most probably a merchant -under the
name Satenis lived in the settlement. In the second instance he
mentions two farms/ranches of Pelendri that belonged to Ridgo di
Marino and that were confiscated in 1474 by Catherine Cornaro. These
two ranches, which are the Kardama and the Filagra, were dissolved
during the Turkish domination era. The Filagra however was re-established
under the same name in the middle of the 20th century with very
few houses and entertainment centres for the tourists along the
main road of Karvounas - Saittas. In old maps the Filagra is found
marked as Filoga.
According to some recounts it is said that -apart from these two
settlements -there were further 14 small villages, whose inhabitants
were compelled to abandon and join the inhabitants of Pelendri so
as to feel more safe. The following villages are mentioned as such:
Poulos, in which important archaeological articles from the era
of Alexander the Great were found, Fournia, in which there are traces
of a very old copper-pyrites (fool's gold) mine, Gerames, which
was totally destroyed after a landslide, Rontia, Konnara, Matokambos,
Chalazin, Argirou, Daesis, Agios Giannes Potamoulion, Pontikia,
and Kountourides.
There are several versions regarding the origin of the village's
name:
A.
The name Pelendri and Pelendria, which was used
in older times, came from a plant that grew in abundance in
the region and was named Felandrio (Oenanthe, of the Umbelliferae
genus). Theofrastos mentions that out of the leafs of this plant,
which were very odorous, a fragrant/unction was made.
B.
In the area a type of mushroom grows in abundance, which the
inhabitants call Pelendro. It is a poisonous mushroom with a
bitter and pungent taste and with its appearance as a distinctive
mark since it is much larger than the known types of mushrooms.
N. Clerides however reports that the mushroom took its name
from the village.
C.
In a French magazine it is mentioned that the village took
its name from an aromatic herb that grew in the village and
that it is named Pedendri and so it was named Pelendri.
D.
Another interpretation supports that the village took its
name from the surname of a medieval family that onetime possessed
it as a feud (before 1353). Leontios Machairas mentions a Pelentri
family.
E.
Finally, according to more recent version, Pelendri used to
be called Polydendri because there were many trees in the region
(dendro=tree). Later the name was changed to Pelendri for short.
Pelendri receives an average annual rainfall of about 750 millimetres;
fruit-trees (apple, pear, peach, and plum trees), olive, almond,
and walnut trees, winemaking grapevine varieties, as well as vegetables
(potatoes, fresh beans, tomatoes, etc.) are cultivated in the area.
The village is included in the plan for a uniform agrarian development
for Pitsylia and has benefited by the construction of the earthen
reservoir for the irrigation of land, by the creation of a sanitary
centre, by the improvement of the rural streets, and by the re-allotment
of land project that was done in the region. Part of the state forests
of Troodos and of Moni, as well as the whole of the small state
forest Kakogyros, are within the administrative limits of the village.
Pelendri is on of the most picturesque villages of Cyprus and it
preserves -to a quite large degree -elements of traditional folkloric
architecture. Several modern buildings have been constructed in
the village, however, in the centre of the original nucleus many
traditional houses are still preserved, built with local rock gabbrou.
The wooden lintels, the balks, the wooden doors, and the yards of
the houses, all of the have their own unique history and beauty.
Pelendri, as a feud and an administrative centre during the medieval
years, has preserved a rich cultural heritage, mainly the monuments
of Byzantine art. From a statistical point of view, Pelendri ranks
first in the entire district of Limassol in volume of Byzantine
heritage and especially in the percentage of icons. Also, it is
known for its unique churches and chapels.
The church of the Holy Cross with frescos from 1178 is a part of
the global cultural heritage of UNESCO, the church of Panagia Catholiki
with its 16th century icons was placed under the protection of the
Department of Antiquities, the church of Ioannis Lambadistis leaves
an impression with its large dome that makes it stand out from a
large distance, and the church of Archangel Michael.