Lemithou
Lemithou is a settlement situated south of Marathasa and can be found approximately 50 km northwest of Limassol in the homonymous province of Cyprus, 90 km from Nicosia and close to the villages Prodromos and Pedoulas.
Hidden in mountainous, rogue surroundings, in the western part of the Troodos Mountains, Lemithou is one of the highest mountainous villages of the island, being built at an altitude of over 1000 meters, and next to a brook of the Diarizos River. Being divided into five districts, this Limassolian community is constituted of the Pano (Upper), Kato (Lower), Ekso (Outer), Pera (Beyond) and Mesa (Inner) neighborhoods, which are connected with stone paths that pass through a green landscape. It has a cool climate all year round, and in the region are mainly cultivated fruits such as the famous local cherries, and some vegetables, while the occupation in viniculture tends to gradually die out.
The name of the settlement seems to have originated from the plant lemithi that grows only in arid locations, and which was used in the past for the making of saddles. Another version of the modern name of the settlement, links the name Lemithou with the name of its first settler, who was known locally as “Lemithis” (because of his fine- haired beard that resembled the lemithi plant, which then grew in many places of the area).
It is said that Lemithou was officially founded during the Byzantium era, but this has not yet been confirmed by history scholars. However during the Lusignan-Venetian period, it was a royal estate, testifying to its medieval origins. During the Ottoman rule, the settlement seems to have belonged administratively to Levka. Moreover, from this village come some of the most important personalities of the island, such as the bishops of the Patriarchates of the East, the commercial entrepreneur and philanthropist Demosthenes Mitsis, and the biggest benefactors of the island, the Leventis family.
Today the residents of Lemithou are about 80 in number, but their number increases every weekend and during holidays, as the settlement is visited by many expatriates and tourists in the region. Most of the locals are selling the fruits they cultivate (such as sweet preserves, rose water and others) at the tourist market of the Troodos park, while the reputation of the village as one of the best wine villages of the island in the past, seems now to have died out, with only a few people still making their own zivania and Commandaria. The village also used to produce large quantities of nuts, as well as silkworm cocoons and silk threads.
The community of Lemithou has several religious monuments. First of all is Panagia (Virgin Mary) Iamatiki (Aimatousa), with the sacred source of holy water, which is located next to the first elementary school of the village and is a parish of Lemithou. Next, emerges the wooden roofed church of Agios Theodoros (St. Theodore), which is situated at the entrance of the village and was built using local volcanic rock.
Within it has been created in recent years the Εikonofylakio (a room designated to host icons) of Lemithou, after the involvement of the Department of Antiquities and the contribution of the Leventis Foundation. Finally, there are two chapels, which are dedicated to Agios Nikolaos (St. Nicholas) and Agios Georgios (St. George).
Emporiki Scholi (Commercial School) Mitsis, the scattered Heroes monuments and memorials, the Museum of Folk Art and Tradition of Lemithou, housed in the ancestral home of the Leventis family, and even the venue of the cultural club Parakentro, housed in a restored building of the 19th century, are a few more of the cultural attractions of this Limassolian settlement.
Additionally, the location of Lemithou constitutes an ideal base for hikes or mountain biking at the Nature trails that cross the place, and a good opportunity to get acquainted with the rich fauna of the region. In the village there is an agritouristic house for rent, there are restaurants and a café (housed in the old slaughterhouses of the community), and there is also a butchery offering local meat dishes.