A Work In Progress
The Kamucheys
Family:
In the early 1800s, my grand-father's family lived in a coastal town
called Messolongi,
situated on the Gulf
of Patra
in
Greece.
In
1820s, during the war of Greek
Independence against the Turkish Empire, my
great-grandfather fled
during the Battle
of Messolongi into the Mount Parnassus region looking for a safer
a place to settle. He came to a village situated on the
northern eastern slopes of Mount Parnassus, overlooking the
Kifissos river valley, called Amfiklia
(ΑΜΦΙΚΛΕΙΑΣ),
meaning Almond Tree. He opened a business and eventually was able to
buy several homes and shops in the village. In the early 1900s, two
of his grand-children – my grand-father (John) and his brother
(Peter) emigrated to the USA. We have photos of the Kamuchey
family here,
including a wedding photo of my Grandfather and Grandmother (John and
Erna) and a photo of my Uncle Peter.
The
Kamuchey name is an American construct. In Greece the name is spelled
KAMOYTEHE and it is pronounced Kamoutsis.
Village:
The village is characterized by its beautiful stone mansions, the
nice doorways, stone walls, narrow roads, the view to the lowlands,
which is why the community is considered to still be very
"traditional". During WW2 it was occupied by the
Germans due to its strategic valley overlook. More historical
information about the town can be found here
and here
with some background on the role the region played during the Greek
War of Independence and the Greek Resistance during WW2 here.
Sample traditional costumes from Central Greece can be found here.
Current demographical information about Amfiklia is here. The population is about 5,000, but ski tourism brings in more people during the winter and hang-gliding and hiking in the summer.
For an amusing cross-reference, find the mention of Amfiklia in the TV show "Xena The Warrior Princess" by looking here. (Hint: Footnote 35 & Map 5)
And if you still want more history on the town, here is the town's blog with current events (in Greek and it has been run through Google's automatic translator so the grammar is rough).
ΑΜΦΙΚΛΕΙΑΣ from space
4/19/2011