Achladia, Siteia

Achladia is a village and the seat of the homonymous community in the municipality of Siteia in the Lasithi regional unit, Crete, Greece. It is located at an altitude of 250 meters and is 9 kilometers from Siteia.

History

Achladia is a fertile and historic village on the Siteia-Stavrochori road. In 1939, Nikolaos Platon excavated a significant late Minoan tomb at the “Platyskino” site. It has a circular chamber and a unique feature: a door at the back “for the dead to communicate with the upper world.” Inside, three sarcophagi and vessels were found. In 1959, the same archaeologist excavated a large and complex rural mansion of the Middle Minoan period at the Riza site. This mansion had 12 apartments, a “reception hall,” and many finds indicating it belonged to a wealthy owner.

Small old mansions are preserved in the village. Achladia was a place of lime production using the traditional method of lime kilns, many of which are preserved. At “Platyvola” in Achladia, one of the largest wind farms in Europe was recently built and operates with 60 wind turbines. This wind farm is visited by many tourists every year.

The village is quite old, mentioned by Barozzi as Agladea in 1577, Kastrofylakas as Aghladia in 1583 with 258 inhabitants, and Francesco Basilicata as Achladia. In June 1821, the Turks gathered 300 Christians from the surrounding areas in the settlement and slaughtered them all. During the Turkish occupation, the village had a mixed population of Christians and Muslims. In 1834, 10 Christian and 50 Ottoman families are mentioned, while in the 1881 census, there were 50 Christian families with a total of 221 people and 33 Ottoman families with 137 people.

Achladia contributed significantly to the struggles for liberation from the Turks and was the seat of the Theriso revolution committee in 1905. There was a mosque and an Ottoman cemetery in the village, but these were destroyed after the departure of the Muslims from the island.

The name of the village, according to Papadakis (Siteia, p.22), is undoubtedly due to the homonymous fruit tree, although the rarity of this tree in the area may negatively explain the name, perhaps from a single tree in the area of the first settlement. The residents of the village believe that the name may also be due to the expression “Ach! Ladi!” (Oh! Oils!) due to the many olive trees in the area.

In recent years, a cultural association has been active in the village, organizing a festival every year in early August.

Neighborhoods of the village

• School: This is the central neighborhood of Achladia, developed around the old school and the village square. In this neighborhood, there are picturesque small streets with old buildings and a beautiful passage. The church of the neighborhood is Agios Ioannis the Theologian.
• Plaka: This is the most beautiful neighborhood of Achladia with small streets and houses with courtyards. It is located in the northwestern part of the village. At the edge of the neighborhood is the parish church of Agios Charalambos and an old factory.
• Vaga: This is a picturesque neighborhood of Achladia in the northeastern part of the village. Vaga was the Turkish neighborhood of the village. The mosque and the Ottoman cemetery must have been located there. At the edge of Vaga, there is the Kato Vrysi location with an Ottoman fountain and a fountain from the early 20th century.
• Gerontampela: This is a nice neighborhood of Achladia in the southeastern part of the village. At its edge is the village cemetery with the Holy Church of the Anastasis and an old olive mill.
• Ano Geitonia: This is a beautiful neighborhood of Achladia in the southwestern part of the village. At its edge is an old house with a cross above the entrance door.
• Erimi Synoikia: East of the old school, below the Holy Church of Agios Ioannis the Theologian at the edge of the village, extends a beautiful small neighborhood with several beautiful old ruined buildings. In this neighborhood is the Pasha’s house.

Archaeological sites

• Achladia Tomb

  At the “Platyskino” site, an underground vaulted tomb with a corridor has been excavated, unique in Eastern Crete for the Bronze Age and extremely rare throughout the island. It dates to the period 1400-1220 BC and was used for more than a century.

• Achladia Mansion

  At the “Riza” site, in 1952, N. Platon attempted a small trial excavation where a strong ancient wall was already visible. During the excavation, the external walls of a house appeared, which were made of large hewn stones.

  In 1959, he continued the excavation and fully revealed the building, which, as it turned out, was a very important rural mansion of the Minoan era. It dates to 1600-1550 BC, had a life of about half a century, and was probably destroyed by an earthquake.

Holy Temples

• IN Agios Charalambos and Agios Georgios

  Parish church dedicated to Agios Charalambos and Agios Georgios.

• IN Agios Ioannis

  The Holy Church of Agios Ioannis the Theologian is located in the center of Achladia next to the old school building.

• IN Anastasis

  One of the most modern churches in the village, Anastasis, is the cemetery church. It is located next to the Gerontampela neighborhood of the village and the old olive mill.

• IN Panagia (Evangelismos)

  One of the old churches of the village is Panagia (Evangelismos) at the exit of the village on the road to Paraspori. Below the church, there is an old fountain.

• IN Agios Vlasios in Platyskino

  In the Platyskino area near the borders of the Achladia Community, there is a picturesque chapel dedicated to Agios Vlasios. Very close to the church, there is the archaeological site of Platyskino with the vaulted tomb.

• IN Agios Ioannis the Prodromos

  In a rural area of the Achladia Community, there is the beautiful chapel of Agios Ioannis the Prodromos. It is accessible via a rural road that starts from the road leading to Kimouriotis.

• IN Agios Antonios

  The Holy Church of Agios Antonios is one of the oldest and most beautiful churches of the Community and the parish of Achladia. It is accessible via a rural road that starts shortly before Paraspori on the provincial road that connects it with Achladia. Behind the church, a small gorge begins.

Fountains of the village

• Old Fountain

  In a neighborhood of the village, Vaga, where residents report that Muslims lived, the old fountain of the village, probably from the 19th century, is preserved.

• Newer Fountain

  Next to the Old Fountain, there is a newer one with the inscription COMMUNITY OF ACHLADIA 1932 in capitals.

• Panagia Fountain

  Below the church of Panagia (Evangelismos) at the exit of the village, an old 19th-century fountain is preserved, considered one of the oldest in the village.

Other attractions

In the center of the village is the old School, now the center of the cultural association, next to the church of Agios Ioannis the Theologian. Opposite, there is a picturesque modern fountain, and next door, a modern oven. Below, in a deserted neighborhood of the village, there are ruins of a building known as “Pasha’s House.” Opposite the church of Agios Charalambos is the small old beautiful Fabrica (Olive Mill). An old olive mill is also found next to the village cemetery. In the village area, old lime kilns are also preserved.

Wind farm

At the Platysvolo site in the wider area of the village, there is one of the largest wind farms in Europe with 60 wind turbines.

Settlement: Key Points

• Location: Lasithi, Crete, Greece
• Historical Significance: Minoan archaeological sites, traditional lime kilns, mixed population during Ottoman rule.
• Historical References: First mentioned in 1577.
• Population: