Spatharei village

Fast facts

Population 2021: 228 inhabitants
Older Censuses 2011: 351, 2001: 438, 1991: 600, 1981: 596, 1961: 933, & 1940: 1.296,  1869: 645 inhabitants
Population density per Km² 15 inhabitants
Village altitude  580 m, mountainous
Region averege altitude 391 m, mountainous
Village land area  0,04 km²
Area per person  179 m² per person.
Parish church 1 orthodox, agios Taxiarchis (Saint Taxiarchis). It was built in the 18th century, on the ruins of an older Byzantine church.
Economy relies mainly on agriculture (olives trees).

Description

Spatharei village  (Greek: Σπαθαραίοι) is located at the south part of the island, and at the southwest foothills of “Ambelos” mountain (or Karvounis) at “Bournias” area. The distances are: 21 km from Pythagorio town, 35 Km from Samos town, 25 Km from Karlovasi town and 20 Km from Marathokampos village.

Administratively consists the local communities of Spatharei, which belongs to Pythagoreion municipal unit, of East Samos Municipality, with Samos city capital.

Built at 580 m, it’s the second highest village of Samos,, with excellent view where you can see from west to south at Dodecanese, Fourni and Iκaria islands, Kerkis Mountain and all the coastline of Marathokanpos.

History & name

As reported by the author E.Stamatiadis, the name is deriving from one of its first settler, named “Spathas” who was α priest and father of 18 children.

According to Em. Kritikidis at his book Topography of Samos (1869), the first settler of the village was somone named Spatharis, at the beginning of the 18th century, exiled from Constantinople, from which the village took the name.

The author Nik.Dimitriou in his book “Folklore of Samos” (1983-1997), claiming that the name derives from the first settlers that came from village “Spathari”, in Evia island.

From Spatharei village, came from, and the first victim of the Samian revolution against the Ottomans conquerors in 1821. It was Theodoros Vardikis, who in July 1821 sailing with his boat near the island of Samiopoula, and captured by an Ottoman flagship and hung from the mast of the ship, in retaliation for the disobedience of the Samians.

The villagers had the reputation of being perennial, there’re many of them who surpassed 100 years of life. The most typical, two cases of two women, Grammatiki and Maria, for which rumors say that in 1829 they lived in the village and the first was 130 years old and the other one was 160 years old. Then again, the registry records were not very exact these days!.

Settlements

Eight settlements belong to Spatharei village,  Avanti settlement at the seaside, 6,5 Km south-west from Spatharei with 16 inhabitants,  Apostolos Pavlos 6,8 Km south from Spatharei , with 11 inhabitants, Vergi settlement at the seaside, 7,5 Km south-west from Spatharei with 14 inhabitants, Kalogeriko settlement at the seaside, 8 Km west from Spatharei with 9 inhabitants, Kirgianni settlement at the seaside, 8 Km south-west from Spatharei with 25 inhabitants, Limnionaki settlement at the seaside, 7,5 Km south-west from Spatharei with 14 inhabitants, Metochi settlement, 3 Km south-west from Spatharei without any inhabitants and Samiopoula island  south from Spatharei with 4 inhabitants,

Tips

• Stroll through the streets and its beautiful church of the village.
• Following the dirt road (with 4X4) that starts from the village and after 5 Km you will reach Skoureika village.
  
• Follow the beautiful route with stunning views, southeast to Pagondas village.
  
• Follow the picturesque route northwest, to Pyrgos village.

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