Built at an altitude of between 280 and 360 meters, the village of Plaisio, or Plesio, in extreme northwest Thesprotia prefecture, is a characteristic example of a traditional settlement in this specific part of mountainous Epirus province.
Located within the municipal boundary of Thesprotia’s Filiates township, Plesio – which in Greek means ‘framework’ or ‘basis’ – covers the side of a hill, with an Orthodox Church occupying the summit. It is widely accepted that the contemporary settlement is located atop the ruins of a Byzantine-era fortress, and possibly a Late Roman fortification.
Its former name was Plisivitsa, and remained Paravrysos in 1928 for only a year.
Totaling 672 residents in 1928, the 2001 census recorded 137 permanent residents.
Local monuments include the fortress of Kasnetsiou, atop a nearby conical-shaped hill as well as the disused Kotsikas mosque. The village is located close to the border with Albania.
Beginning in 1935, the village’s residents engaged in traditional carpet-making and weaving, something that continues, on a much smaller scale, up until today.
Ιnformation by epirustravel.eu, wikipedia
Images: Lazaros Tsatsos
