Out and About in Ioannina!

Woooah! After 10 action-packed days in Ioannina there is still so much to write about so I’m going to whistle through a couple of things I haven’t yet included in previous posts. I think this may be my penultimate post about Ioannina and I may have to resign myself to the fact that I won’t be able to write about every aspect of my trip!

I paid another visit to the Island, timed so I could visit one of the monasteries. Third time lucky! The Monastery of Panagia Eleousa is located next to the perimeter path that circles the island’s shoreline and is easily accessible. When I arrived, the doors were wide open, inviting me in.

I stepped into a stone courtyard filled with potted plants – obviously well tended by someone but there wasn’t another soul about. Looking back over towards Ioannina’s old town the minarets of Aslan and Fethiye mosques poked out above the castle walls. You get a sense of the message the Ottoman rulers wanted to send to the Christians, especially after the attempted rebellion led by Dionysios the Philosopher.

The monastery was originally dedicated to St Nikolaos. At the end of the 16th century, the icon of Panagia Eleousa was transferred here from the Byzantine monastery of Agios Paraskevi. Subsequently, the monastery adopted the icon’s name. The monastery is thought to have been founded in the early 16th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, major renovations and additions to the monastery gave it its present form.

Surrounding the courtyard are the monk’s cells and the Abbot’s quarters but I head straight through an ancient wooden door to the Katholikon or main church.

The austere entrance didn’t give any indication of what to expect once inside. The Katholikon is covered in lavish wall paintings richly endowed with colour. The frescoes in the sanctuary and eastern part of the nave were created in the 16th century and are attributed to Theban painters Frangos and Georgios Kontaris. They belonged to the notable Epirot School of Painting (mentioned in a previous post). The wall paintings in the western part of the nave date to the 18th century. The founder’s inscription mentions that the frescoes in the narthex were created in 1759 and are attributed to artist Anastasios who hailed from the village of Kapesovo in Zagori. It’s truly beautiful.

Whilst on the Island, I also visited the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary located just off the main square. A church had existed on the site since the early 1600s.  The sanctuary was restored in the early 19th century and in 1868 saw the construction of the belfry.

One day whilst wandering the streets of Ioannina City, I found myself in a place that may pass many visitors by. Located on Asopiou Street is the Misios Mansion, the former home of the notable family of the same name. A door from the street led me into the courtyard of the mansion and straight ahead was the entrance to the exhibition space. Entry was free of charge and the lady on reception directed me to the starting point.

The Misios family was one of the oldest and most important families of Epirus, and it was also a wealthy benefactor who funded many charitable projects. The mansion (archontiko) was built in 1844 by architect Nikolaos Pantazis also known as Liolis. During WW2, the house was damaged but was restored soon after. In the post-war years, it served as the office of the local municipality. In 1988 it was bought by the Ministry of Culture where it has since been restored.

The mansion is built in a “π” shape with two parallel wings. The exhibition space is located on the ground floor and was originally used as a storage and utility area. The kitchen was formerly located in the northwest part of the house so the living quarters weren’t affected by smoke. It was next to the storeroom so the cooks had easy access to a supply of firewood. The cookhouse has been recreated in another part of the ground floor for exhibition purposes.

The original floor of the ground floor was made from rough and uneven stone and sections have been left as it was originally.

The last descendants of the Misios family left a rich archive of photographs documenting the lives of their predecessors. In the 20th century, the Misios mansion was the social centre of the city of Ioannina. The photographs show events when they hosted royalty and worked on their charitable projects. They also show everyday life in the home, particularly the position of women within the family. This whetted my interest to see more.

The living quarters of the mansion house were on the first floor but now serve as the offices for the Ministry of Culture. I love this type of architecture – anything with a sachnisi is right up my street. I’m also always curious to see how ‘the other half’ lived. As I was the only person visiting, I asked the lady at reception if it would be possible to see the first floor. She made a phone call and a few minutes later one of the officers from the MoC came down. She kindly obliged and took me upstairs to see more – and boy was it worth it! The officers working busily at their computers were very welcoming as I wandered into their offices. What a place to work!

At the top of the staircase is a magnificent oblong hallway known as a krevatta with a beautifully carved ceiling and chandeliers. The lady explained to me that guests visiting the family would access this part of the house via the set of symmetrical steps that lead from the courtyard outside. (see exterior image above). Well, you wouldn’t want any notables arriving via the servant’s quarters!

The daily lives of the family revolved around the seasons. During the winter they lived in the warmer rooms on the western side of the house. Here there was a large open fireplace surrounded by long low sofas known as basia. The windows were smaller to help retain the heat. Now modern radiators heat the space. Storage of household items was in a mesantra – a large cupboard in a loft space accessed by wooden steps or ladders.

The summer rooms on the eastern side have larger windows and a gallery of arched windows and a loggia overlooking the courtyard. A band of musicians would often play from the loggia to visiting guests.

During the 19th and early 20th century women of the middle and upper classes had to adhere to strict social codes. They spent most of their time in the home. When male guests visited, teenage girls and unmarried women were not permitted to be present. They could, however, observe the visitors by viewing them through a trellised panel from the loft space above or adjoining the room.

This is a beautiful mansion house and it was a privilege to be able to see it.

*********

Food. Unusually I haven’t spoken much about the food during my stay in Ioannina but what I can say is that the choice available is phenomenal. Whatever type of cuisine you desire, you will find it here and being a university town the prices of eating out are very reasonable.

I have simple tastes and never get tired of Greek fast food such as souvlaki, sausages, lots of Greek salad or Dakos so Anthrax Grill just around the corner from the apartment had served me well. The service was great and I was always made to feel welcome. Next door to Anthrax, is cafe Patisserie Diethnes, where I called regularly for bougatsa for breakfast or an ice cream treat – again lovely and welcoming staff. Speaking of bougatsa, a friend recommended that the ‘only’ place to go was Select on the main street almost opposite the Clock Tower. This is one of the few places that makes their bougatsa fresh every day instead of baking it from frozen. I like to call myself a ‘bougatsa aficionado’ so of course I had to try it. Select is small and with heaps of old-fashioned charm and I can vouch that here the bougatsa really is a cut above the rest! This part of Greece is famous for its pies and there is an abundance of bakeries and cafes where you can sample a whole range of different pies – and of course I did!

OK – sometimes when you’ve been travelling in Greece for nearly 2 months you do get a hankering for something slightly different. It wasn’t hard to find something within a stone’s throw of the apartment. I dined twice at Restaurant Presveia with completely different experiences on both occasions. Although the staff were friendly and welcoming, they (along with many other restaurants in Greece) come from the school of ‘solo diner = worst table’ – even though the restaurant was empty. I won’t dwell on this too much because I loved the food so much that I went back a few nights later. I was given a lovely table by the window overlooking the castle without even asking. It’s just one of those annoying things that crops up now and again as a solo (female) traveller.

I can quite safely say that I had a positive experience everywhere I chose to dine. Next time I visit Ioannina I’ll attempt to test the culinary experiences further!