Mousiotitsa (Greek: Μουσιωτίτσα) or Kato Mousiotitsa (Greek: Κάτω Μουσιωτίτσα) is a village located in the Ioannina regional unit in the Epirus region (Greek: Ήπειρος) of western Greece. Situated 33 km south of the city of Ioannina (Greek: Ιωάννινα) near the springs of the river Louros (Greek: ποταμός Λούρος), the village consists of 4 areas: Kato Mousiotitsa (Greek: Κάτω Μουσιωτίτσα), Ano Mousiotitsa (Greek: 'Ανω Μουσιωτίτσα), Nea Mousiotitsa (Greek: Νέα Μουσιωτίτσα) and Mesoura (Greek: Μεσούρα). It is surrounded by 5 mountains: Bitera (Greek: Μπιτέρα), Spithari (Greek: Σπιθάρι), Pourizi (Greek: Πουρίζι), Kalogeritsa (Greek: Καλογερίτσα) and Katafi (Greek: Καταφή).
The village has a permanent population of 468 (2021 census),[1] however, in the summer months the numbers can soar past 1000 as expatriates return from abroad (e.g. Sweden, Germany, USA, Canada) and from Athens and other larger cities.
Since 2011 the village belongs to the municipality of Dodoni (Greek: Δωδώνη) after the merger of its previous municipal unit Agios Dimitrios (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος) with three other units.[2]
History
Origin and etymology of name
The exact origin of the name Mousiotitsa (Greek: Μουσιωτίτσα) is unknown. Speculation by various scholars suggest the name is likely of partial Slavic origin due to its conspicuous ending of "itsa" - a common occurrence in Slavic settlement names. More local theories suggest the name was derived from old myths of ancient river dwellers known as "Mouses" (Greek: Mούσες) or from a queen who resided in what is now the ruins of a castle dating back to the 3rd century AD.[3]
Initial settlement
It is widely regarded to have been settled in the early 18th century. The old St. Nicholas church is first mentioned in the Greek church archives in the year 1791, however, its construction is dated at around 1770. One of the oldest houses still remaining is dated at 1750. Its first inhabitants are believed to have been Klephts (Greek: κλέφτες) and other refugees fleeing from Ottoman oppression or persecution. The shape of the geographical surroundings shielded the village and its inhabitants from view, thus providing a safe place to dwell.[3]
The village is believed to have belonged to the group of villages that made up the Souli (Greek: Σούλι) mountain settlements. This belief is supported by the fact that local names resemble common Souliot names, alongside knowledge of Arvanitika (Greek: αρβανίτικα, "Albanian") among village elders - a language commonly spoken amongst Souliot.[3] As late as 1880, Mousiotitsa is described by Greek sources of that era (Labridis) as one of the exclusively Albanian-speaking villages of Tsarkovista (today Dodoni). It was part of an Albanian-speaking enclave of villages (including Zermi, Krania, Papadates, Rousatsa, Derviziana, Mousiotitsa) in the upper Acheron region.[4] From the mid 19th century the use of Greek was increasing and Albanian declining in the region.[5]
On July 25, 1943 members of the 98. Regiment of the 1st Mountain Division entered the village and executed 136 civilians after the village was picked for a punitive attack by Feldpolizeiinspektor Paul Härtel. The attack and resulting massacre was seen as retaliation by the Nazi German troops against alleged resistance activity in the village. A second assault was carried out by the same German unit on August 27, 1943. This was in reprisal for a deadly attack on a German officer in the nearby area of Zita, and resulted in 17 more locals being murdered, raising the total number of victims to 153.[3]
^ abcdΣταύρου-Αναγνώστου, Γεωργία (1998). Η προσφορά της Μαρτυρικής Μουσιωτίτσας στη Νεώτερη Ιστορία-Χρονικό του Ολοκαυτώματος (Ιούλιος-Αύγουστος 1943). Ioannina: Έκδοση: Κοινότητα Μουσιωτίτσας.
^Kokolakis 2003, p. 51:Στο θύλακα αυτό υπάγονταν από το σημερινό νομό Θεσπρωτίας οι επαρχίες Θυάμιδος και Μαργαριτίου και τα δυτικότερα χωριά των δύο επαρχιών Παραμυθιάς και Φιλιατών. Αλβανόφωνα ήταν και τα βόρεια τμήματα του σημερινού νομού της Πρέβεζας, όπως ο κάμπος του Φαναριού, η ενδοχώρα της Πάργας και τα παλιά παρασουλιώτικα χωριά του Ανω Αχέροντα (Ζερμή, Κρανιά, Παπαδάτες, Ρουσάτσα, Δερβίζιανα, Μουσιωτίτσα -τα δύο τελευταία υπάγονται διοικητικά στα Γιάννενα).[The northern parts of the current prefecture of Preveza were also Albanian-speaking, such as the plain of Fanari, the hinterland of Parga and the old Parasoulian villages of Ano Acheron (Zermi, Krania, Papadates, Rousatsa, Derviziana, Mousiotitsa - the last two are administratively under Ioannina ).]
^Baltsiotis 2009, p. 37:Στα μέσα του 19ου αιώνα, ο Αραβαντινός παραθέτει τριάντα τρία χωριά με γλώσσα και την αλβανική, κατά την ορολογία του, από τους 46 οικισμούς σε όλη περιοχή της Τσαρκοβίστας.130 Η περιοχή της αλβανοφωνίας είναι γεωγραφικά πολύ ευρεία, ξεκινώντας στο βορά από το χωριό Κωστάνιανη. 131 Ο Ι. Λαμπρίδης το 1880 γράφει ότι 25 από τα 37 χωριά της Τσαρκοβίστας μιλάνε και την Αλβανική, 132 κάτι που θα αναιρέσει ρητά το 1888. Η περιγραφή του Λαμπρίδη του 1888 είναι αποκαλυπτική για την υποχώρηση της γλώσσας στην περιοχή της Τσαρκοβίστας, καθώς σημειώνει τα αλβανόφωνα χωριά της περιοχής και το βαθμό υποχώρησης της γλώσσας στο καθένα. Ως αμιγή αλβανόφωνα χωριά αναφέρει τα Σιρζιανά, τη Μουσιωτίτσα, τα Δερβίζιανα και τη Ζόριστα (Πεντόλακκο).[In the middle of the 19th century, Aravantinos lists 33 villages as also being Albanian-speaking, according to his terminology, from the 46 settlements in the region of Tsarkovista. The area where Albanian was spoken was geographically very extended, starting in the north from the village Kostaniani. I. Labridis in 1880 writes that 25 of 37 villages of Tsarkovista speak also Albanian, a statement he expressly changed in 1888. The description of Labridis in 1888 is revealing about the decline of the language in the area of Tsarkovista, as he notes the Albanian-speaking villages of the region and the level of decline in each one. As exclusively Albanian-speaking villages he mentions Sirziana, Mousiotitsa, Derviziana and Zorista (Pentolakko).]
