Sellia, Agios Vassilios

Sellia (Greek: Σελλιά) is a village and the seat of the namesake community in the municipality of Agios Vasileios, in the Rethymno regional unit of Crete, Greece. It is located 35 kilometers south of Rethymno at an altitude of 280 meters on the southern slopes of Mount Xyli, offering panoramic views of the Plakias Bay and the Libyan Sea. The village got its name from its location on a narrow ridge (seli) between two natural bulwarks.

Geographical Features

Sellia is situated 35 kilometers south of Rethymno, along the road that goes through the Kotsifou gorge. It is built on the southern slopes of Mount Xyli at an altitude of 280 meters, with a panoramic view of Plakias Bay and the Libyan Sea. The village got its name from the fact that it is built on the neck (seli) between two natural barriers.

Historical Information

Early History

Evidence suggests the area has been inhabited since Neolithic or early Minoan times, as indicated by an excavated settlement at Kastellos, south of the village. Remnants of settlements from ancient Greek and Roman times have been found at the location of the abandoned settlement of Finikas, about one kilometer north of Souda Bay. Ancient remains have been found in Souda and tentatively identified as the ancient city of Apollonia. Remains of Roman installations and pottery shards from the Roman era have been found at the sites of Agia Marina, Voukelari, and Kambos.

Venetian and Ottoman Eras

The village is mentioned by Francesco Barozzi in 1577 as Seglia in the province of Agios Vasileios. In the Venetian census of 1583 by Castrofylakas, it is referred to as Seglia with 209 inhabitants. During the Venetian years, the Papadopouloi, a family of Sfakians, lived in Sellia, who, together with the Pateroi, carried out raids in other areas of Crete, such as Messara, and the entire prefectures of Chania and Rethymno. The attacks were so fierce that the general administrator of Crete, Marino Cavalli, reported the matter to the Venetian senate.

In the Ottoman census of 1659, which was carried out immediately after the Ottoman conquest of Crete, 55 houses are recorded in the village. No Turks settled in the village. During the revolution of 1866, Resit Pasha attempted to burn the village but was repulsed and defeated at the site of Charoupidi on July 17, 1867, where he died in battle. In 1868, Sellia was the seat of the Revolutionary Assembly. Another battle took place at Kambos in 1896, which also ended with the defeat of the Turks and the execution of the prisoners by throwing them off the cliff.

Modern History

In the 1881 census, Sellia belonged to the municipality of Finikas, of which it had been designated as the seat, and had an entirely Christian population of 500 inhabitants. In the 1900 census, it had 499 inhabitants and belonged to the same municipality. In the 1920 census, it is reported as the seat of the rural municipality of the same name. From 1940 onwards it is referred to in the censuses as Sellia. In 1925, Sellia was designated as the seat of the community of the same name until the Kapodistrian administrative division when the village was annexed to the Municipality of Finikas.

Points of Interest

Sellia boasts a large number of old churches, approximately 15.

• The church of Agios Fotis dates back to the 2nd Byzantine period and its interior preserves, in poor condition, murals.
• The church of Agios Ioannis also has murals, with the depictions of the damned standing out. It is tentatively dated to the Byzantine era.
• The main church of the parish is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and was built in 1880.
• At Kastellos, the church of Agios Georgios was built in 1977.

Settlement: Key Points

• Historical References: Francesco Barozzi (1577), Venetian censuses, Ottoman censuses
• Location: 35 kilometers south of Rethymno, on the southern slopes of Mount Xyli.
• Historical Significance: Site of battles during the Cretan revolts against the Ottomans. Served as the seat of the Revolutionary Assembly in 1868.
• Population Data:

References

• Wikipedia