Project Description
According to Dimitrios Sarros, the name of the village comes from “a colossal tree (fir) rising above the Monastery of Saint Minas, striken by lightning and survived until 1840”.
Monodendri was united in the beginning with Vitsa, and the community’s name was Vezitsa, a name preserved until the end of the 17th century. The community was divided into three neighboorhoods: Monodendri-that was called Saint Georgios, Ano Vitsa- that was called Saint Nikolaos and Kato Vitsa-that was called Kato Panagia. In 1820, the neighboorhood of Monodendri was divided into Monodendri and Vitsa.
From Monodendri come the national benefactors Manthos and Georgios Rizaris, who founded the “Joint School of Greek Courses” in Monodendri and nine years later, in 1944, the inauguration of the Rizarion Church School in Athens was held. Today, the Rizarios School of Crafts, the Exhibition Center of the Rizarion School hoss exhibitions of Greek and foreign artists, as well as the open-air theater, where performances and concerts take place every summer.
The village is built on the southwest side of the Vikos Gorge, at an altitude of 1060 meters, and there is access to a stunning view of the Gorge. Here are two of the four natural observatories of the Vikos Gorge: one at Oxya and the other at Monastery of Saint Paraskevi. The other two are at the western end of the gorge in the settlement of Vikos and the other near the village of Vradeto in Beloi site.
On July 27, 1943 the conquerors burned down a house in the village.
Important monuments are the Church of Saint Athanasios 1804 and the Temple of Saint Minas 1620.