Katafygio (, meaning refuge, shelter, lodge) is a village in
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania (, ''Aitoloakarnanía'', ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the geographic regions of Greece, geographic region of Central Greece (geographic region), Central Greece and the administrative regions of Greece, ...
in
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
at an altitude of 620 metres in the eastern foothills of
Makrynoros. It borders the villages of Anavriti to the north, Kentriki and Aspria to the northeast, Chrysovo to the southeast, Gavros to the northwest and Anthofyto to the southwest. It is about 33 kilometres from
Nafpaktos
Nafpaktos () or Naupactus, is a town and a former municipality in Nafpaktia, Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, situated on a bay on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, west of the mouth of the river Mornos.
It is named for Naupaktos (, Latini ...
on a tarmac road.
The village is surrounded by 2 hills on the summits of which are the small churches of St Konstantinos and St Athanasios. The land is prone to subsidence and landslip. In 1878, 25 buildings disappeared because of subsidence. The houses and the fields are strengthened with low walls (demata) in order to stabilise the ground.
In the centre of village is the square and the church of Koimiseos of Theotokou.
History
The old name of the village was Amorani. In 1928, it was renamed Katafygio because under Ottoman occupation the village was a refuge, with many caverns, and rocky and steep terrain making it hard to reach.
It was in existence by 1550–1575, at which time we find it registered in Turkish tax documents in the region of
Kravara.
Under
Ottoman domination it was one of the main villages of the region. Around 1700 families of cattle-breeders moved to the western side of the Makrynoro mountain and created a small settlement, named Golemi. This historical relationship renders Golemi an integral part of Katafygio. Administratively, Katafygio from 1836 until 1912 belonged to the municipality of Apodotia. With the royal decree on 31 August 1912 (261/Α/1912) it was recognized as the community of Amorani. It was renamed Katafygio by the decree of 9 September 1927 (206/A/1927). Golemi is part of the community.
With the application of the
Kapodistrias reform
Kapodistrias reform (, "Kapodistrias Plan") is the common name of law 2539 of Greece, which reorganised the country's administrative divisions. The law, named after 19th-century Greek statesman (Ioannis Kapodistrias), passed the Hellenic Parliamen ...
it became the Municipal District of Katafygio, in the Municipality of
Apodotia in
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania (, ''Aitoloakarnanía'', ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the geographic regions of Greece, geographic region of Central Greece (geographic region), Central Greece and the administrative regions of Greece, ...
, which became part of the municipality
Nafpaktia
Nafpaktia (), Latinized Naupactia, is the historical name for the region around the port town of Nafpaktos (Naupactus) in Central Greece.
It is also the name of a municipality in the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, West Greece region, Greece. ...
in 2011. It occupies . Historically the residents lived by livestock farming, which is still practiced.
Historical population of Katafygio community
References
External links
Katafigio NafpaktiasKatafigio - Amorani
{{Nafpaktia div
Populated places in Aetolia-Acarnania
Nafpaktia
Kravara