Pyrgos, Archanes – Asterousia

Pyrgos Monofatsiou is a small town and the seat of the municipality of Archanes-Asterousia in the Heraklion regional unit, on the island of Crete, Greece. It is the historical seat of the municipality and was once the capital of the Monofatsi Province. As of the 2011 census, it has a population of 951. The town is situated at an altitude of 290 meters and is approximately 49.5 kilometers from Heraklion.

Economy

The primary occupation of the residents is agriculture, with the main products being olive oil, table grapes, and a variety of vegetables. The town also has various public services and amenities including a Citizen Service Center (KEP), a primary school, a kindergarten, a high school, a regional medical center, banks, a municipal refreshment bar, a notary public office, a police station, a post office, and more.

History

The name of the village is derived from a tower that was located at the fortified position of Apano Pyrgos. There’s even an inscription dating back to the 1st century that mentions this tower.

Pyrgos was a fief of the Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople and was leased with all its belongings and inhabitants in 1271 to Iakovos Moudatsos. In the Venetian census of 1583, it is mentioned as “Pirgo” with 169 inhabitants. The same census also records Mournia (Murnea) with 102 inhabitants and the two settlements of Prinias: Prinea Apano (59 inhabitants) and Prinea Catto (48 inhabitants). In the Egyptian census of 1834, it had 2 Christian and 30 Turkish families, and in the 1881 census, it had 298 Turkish and 51 Christian inhabitants. In 1920, it became the seat of the province. The village is mentioned as the seat of the Monofatsi province, which took its name from the Venetian feudal lord Bonifacio. The western district of the village is called Kalogeriko because in this area there was the monastery of Prophet Elias, whose ruins were recently found.

Population Over Time

The population of Pyrgos Monofatsiou has fluctuated over the years, as shown in the table below:

Churches

Sacred temples in Pyrgos include those of Agia Eirini, the two-aisled church of Agios Georgios and Agios Konstantinos (with frescoes and inscriptions from the 7th century and 1314), the Transfiguration of the Savior, Agios Raphael, Agia Paraskevi, and Prophet Elias. The village celebrates its feast day on August 5-6. According to tradition, in the place of the patronal church of the Transfiguration, there was a monastery with nuns.

Administrative Information

As a settlement, it was officially mentioned in 1925 in the Government Gazette 27A – 31/01/1925 to be designated as the seat of the homonymous community. In 1997 with Government Gazette 244A – 04/12/1997 it was designated as the seat of the municipality of Asterousia and in 2010 with Government Gazette 87A – 07/06/2010 the historical seat of the municipality of Archanes-Asterousia. According to the Kallikratis plan and its amendment Kleisthenes I, together with the settlements Mournia and Prinias, they constitute the community of Pyrgos which belongs to the municipal unit of Asterousia of the Municipality of Archanes-Asterousia and according to the 2011 census has a population of 951 inhabitants.

Community of Pyrgos Monofatsiou

The Community of Pyrgos is a community of the municipality of Archanes-Asterousia in the regional unit of Heraklion, Crete. It was established in 1925 with Government Gazette 27A – 31/01/1925 according to which the settlement of Pyrgos was designated as the seat of the community. In addition to its seat, the community also includes the settlements of Mournia and Prinias. The 2011 census reports:

• Mournia (23)
• Prinias (10)
• Pyrgos (951)

In total, the community has 984 inhabitants.