Vrysses, Amari

Vrysses is a village and the seat of its namesake community in the Amari Municipality, located in the Rethymno regional unit of Crete, Greece. It is situated at an altitude of 600 meters in a fertile valley on the northern foothills of Mount Kedros (also known as Kentros). The village is 45 kilometers away from Rethymno.

Historical Context

The nearby, now-abandoned village of Smiles is mentioned in a 1254 document, where it, along with Monastiraki and its surrounding area, were recognized as fiefs of Michael Varouchas Petrocheilos. It is possible that Vrysses was founded by inhabitants of Smiles during the early Venetian period. Francesco Barozzi mentions the village as “Vrisses” in 1577. The 1583 Venetian census by Kastrofylakas lists it as “Vrisses” with 515 owed corvée labor days, and the 1630 census by Basilicata also refers to it as “Vrisses.” The 1834 Egyptian census recorded a Christian population in the village, with 25 families.

In the 1881 census, Vrysses belonged to the Monastiraki municipality and had 219 inhabitants, all Christian. The 1900 census recorded 262 inhabitants, and the village remained within the same municipality, which had been renamed the Panakraion municipality. In the 1920 census, it was listed as attached to the Smili community. In 1925, Vrysses became the seat of its own community within the Amari province, a status it held until the Kapodistrias administrative reform, when it was incorporated into the Sybritos Municipality. Since 2011, it has been part of the Amari Municipality.

In 1823, the freedom fighter Emmanouil Tombazis and his 16-member administration used the village as their headquarters. The revolutionary assembly of 1866 was also held in Vrysses. The village is the birthplace of the scholar and freedom fighter Manolis Vivylakis.

In 1944, the Germans destroyed Vrysses in retaliation for the abduction of Lieutenant General Kreipe and his brief stay in the Kedros mountain area. On the morning of August 22, 1944, the Germans surrounded Vrysses and other villages, arrested the men, and transported them to the school. The elderly, women, and children were taken to Rethymno. After executing 30 men from the village, they burned down the village. In the neighboring village of Kardaki, they executed 18 men and then set it on fire, as they did with the village of Smiles.

Points of Interest

• The main church of the parish is dedicated to Saint George. Its construction began before 1944 but was interrupted by the German destruction. It was rebuilt after the war. Fragments of frescoes remain, and Stergios Spanakis suggests it might be the same church where Giuseppe Gerola identified Venetian-era sculptures.
• On the slopes of Mount Kedros is the Panagia Kryoneritissa, a picturesque chapel dedicated to the Life-Giving Spring, named after the cool waters flowing around it.
• Other churches in the village include Agios Panteleimon, Agios Ioannis Prodromos (Saint John the Baptist), Analipsi (located on the summit of Kedros), Agio Pnevma (Holy Spirit), Agios Antonios, and Agios Nikolaos.
• In the village of Smiles, the Church of Panagia (Virgin Mary), dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, is preserved, although in poor condition. It features frescoes and an arcosolium. Near the church is an old fountain. Smiles also has the cemetery church of Despotis Christos (Christ the Ruler).

Village Key Points

• Historical References: Mentioned in historical records from 1577 onwards.
• Location: Amari Municipality, Rethymno regional unit, Crete, Greece.
• Dimensions: Village
• Historical Significance: Served as a headquarters during the Cretan Revolt, destroyed during WWII as part of German reprisals.
• Population data over the years:

• Current Status: Small village with a declining population.