Itea, Florina Explained

Itea
Name Local:Ιτέα
Type:community
Coordinates:40.835°N 51.8°W
Elevation:615
Periph:West Macedonia
Periphunit:Florina
Municipality:Florina
Municunit:Meliti
Population As Of:2021
Population:423
Area:9.799
Postal Code:531 00
Area Code:+30-2385
Licence:ΡΑ

Itea (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Ιτέα, before 1926: Βύρμπενη – Vyrmpeni;[1] Macedonian: Врбени|translit=Vrbeni; Bulgarian: Върбени or Долно Върбени|translit=Varbeni or), is a village and a community of the Florina municipality. Before the 2011 local government reform it was a part of the municipality of Meliti, of which it was a municipal district.[2] The community of Itea covers an area of 9.799 km2.[3]

History

In 1845 the Russian slavist Victor Grigorovich recorded Verbini as Bulgarian village.[4] Johann Georg von Hahn in his map from 1861 marked the village as Bulgarian, too.[5]

In the book “Ethnographie des Vilayets d'Adrianople, de Monastir et de Salonique”, published in Constantinople in 1878, that reflects the statistics of the male population in 1873, Dolno Vrbeni was noted as a village with 200 households and 615 Bulgarian inhabitants.[6] In 1886 al of its inhabitants were Greek Orthodox. In 1900 there was a Bulgarian school and church.[7] According to Vasil Kanchov’s statistics, in 1900, Varbeni had 690 Bulgarian inhabitants.[8] In 1903 all of its inhabitants were part of the Bulgarian Exarchate.[7] The whole population of the village was under the supremacy of the Bulgarian Exarchate in the early 20th century. According to the evidences of Dimitar Mishev, the secretary of the Exarchate, there were 624 Bulgarians in Varbeni in 1905.[9] In 1910 Vyrbeni had 455 inhabitants.[7] In 1925, 50 inhabitants of the village were arrested by Greek authorities for collaborating with VMRO in the November bombing incident in Florina.

Demographics

In fieldwork done by anthropologist Riki Van Boeschoten in late 1993, Itea was populated by Slavophones. The Macedonian language was spoken by people over 60, mainly in private.[10]

Notable persons

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Institute for Neohellenic Research. Name Changes of Settlements in Greece: Vyrmpeni – Itia. Pandektis. 18 February 2022.
  2. Web site: ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities. el. Government Gazette.
  3. Web site: Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) . National Statistical Service of Greece . el . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf . 2015-09-21 .
  4. http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/Dokumenty/Bulgarien/XIX/1840-1860/Grigorovic/text3.phtml?id=2234 Григорович, В. Очеркъ путешествiя по Европейской Турцiи, Москва, 1877
  5. Croquis der westlischen Zurflüsse des oberen Wardar von J.G. von Hahn. Deukschriften der k Akad. d wissenseh. philos. histor. CIX1Bd, 1861.
  6. „Македония и Одринско. Статистика на населението от 1873 г.“ Македонски научен институт, София, 1995. стр. 82-83.
  7. http://www.lithoksou.net/p/oikismoi-tis-florinas-poy-arxizoyn-apo-b Georgios Lithoxoou, Florina villages
  8. http://www.promacedonia.org/vk/vk_2_38.htm Кънчов, Васил. „Македония. Етнография и статистика“. София, 1900. с.249. (Macedonia — ethnography and statistics, Sofia, 1900, p. 249.)
  9. Brancoff, D.M. "La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne". Paris, 1905, р. 176-177.
  10. Van Boeschoten. Riki. Usage des langues minoritaires dans les départements de Florina et d’Aridea (Macédoine). Use of minority languages in the departments of Florina and Aridea (Macedonia). fr. Strates. 10. 2001. Table 3: Itea, 713; S, M3; S = Slavophones, M = macédonien"