Αμπελάκια Ν. Λάρισας

[ Architecture ]

THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF AMBELAKIA

In the late 18th century, Ambelakia in Thessaly gotfamous because of its good social organization and function and its "Common Company" a developed industry on processing of cotton and dying of special red yarns, whose trading was important in national and international range. Ambelakia got also famous for its great mansions, churches with remarkable woodcut icon screens and religious paintings, libraries and other state buildings.

The oldest building of Ambelakia is the Bishop's residence (the See of Platamon and Lykostomio) since 1767.

The mansions of Ambelakia were built between 1787 and 1810. The ones, which were built in the late years of that period, are constructions of decline.

The oldest mansion is the one of George Schwartz, Director of the "Common Company" (1787-1798). It is the richest monument of decorating architecture in our country and it has been functioned as a Museum since 1972.

The mansions of Ambelakia, built randomly in the settlement, are two-storeyed or three-storeyed. The exterior of them looks like a castle, with loopholes and a few openings in the stonework of the ground floor. There are a lot of openings on the anoy, the upper part of the building, where characteristic architectural projections stick out (they are called "sachnissia"), of fine wood construction and skylights of stained glass. The roof is wooden and covered with tiles

The Western side of bishopric of Ampelakia

Internal (bed) the a of floor of mansion Euthimiadi

The ground plan of the mansions has got the shape of the Greek letters Γ or Π. On the anoy, all the ground plans have got the shape of Π, with the projection of "sachnissi" (a kiosk with a polygonal ground plan) on the facade of the building.

The arrangement of the rooms served needs of the life of the residents there. In the floors of stay exists central space (the bed), with rooms of stay and sleep (ontades) around him.

The bed is extended with possessed spaces (sofades), that have usually yperybwme'no flooring and are fixed with colonnade.

In the internal decoration of mansions has been used abundant timber (roofs or even koympedes, doors, scales and floorings of floors of stay).

Important element of decor constitute the painting, abundant in frιza the walls and in the roofs , with subjects from the plant world and landscapes, in elaborate compositions rich imagination and intense the popular character.

Anastasia Diamandopoulou
Dr Architect