Orounta
Orounta
Text: Orounta is located 35 kilometers southwest of Nicosia in the homonymous province of Cyprus and it is situated about 80 kilometers northeast of Limassol, 70 kilometers from Larnaca, and almost 120 kilometers from Paphos.
Originally, Orounta was built in the location of “Lucca”, southwest of the village and along the shores of the Serrahi river, but in the 2nd century BC the residents moved to the place where the settlement is today in order to escape the frequent floods. Thus, with an average altitude of about 290 meters, the present settlement is built amphitheatrically at the foot of Mount Madari and east of the Peristeronas river, overlooking the Masaoria valley. Until recently the whole area around the village was green, but after the deforestation of the forest, only the fields of the locals remained. There are cultivated citrus varieties, and there are many olive trees in the surrounding valley, some of which date back to the Frankish era.
Until 1963 it was a Turkish Cypriot settlement, and today it counts about 800 permanent residents, most of whom are engaged in agriculture and livestock farming, mainly pig breeding. It is no accident, actually, that in Orounta the largest quantities of pork of the whole island are produced. In addition, various dairy products are being produced in the area, as well as the two old watermills along the Peristeronas river, suggest a past occupation of the inhabitants that has not survived to this day.
Being one of the oldest villages in Cyprus, according to de La Matri, Orounta was a royal estate and was administratively governed by Morphou under the Frankish rule. According to tradition, the village was the birthplace of the newly-declared Saint Philoumenos, also known as Orountiotis, after he grew up there and then went to Jerusalem, where after many years he became a martyr.
Orounta is known with many different names, and at the same time, the origin of the modern name of the village is subject to varied interpretations. From the combination of the names “Nerounta”, associated with the abundance of the waters (nero is “water” in Greek), and the name “Orovounda”, which testifies to the occupation of the inhabitants with the cultivation of the pomegranate in the past, the locals say that its present name has emerged. Others say that this name includes the term oros (meaning “mountain” in Greek) and is related to the location where the settlement was built, that is to say on the mountain of Madaris, an interpretation that is generally more accepted than the first. In addition, tradition wants its inhabitants trying to appease Zeus’ anger, and so dedicating a mountain top to him, calling it “Olympus” or “Mount Zeus (Oros Zevs)”, from which the present name of the settlement emerged after its paraphrasing.
In Orounta there are two churches, the first and central is dedicated to Apostolos Loukas, which is next to the village’s elementary school, and which stands out for the ancient icons of priceless religious and historical significance and its throne, which is believed to have been built in 1872. In addition, a temple of the Basilica rhythm of the 20th century, and the historical Byzantine Monastery of Agios Nikolaos, located to the west of the Serrachi river, which was part of the Lusignan’s feudal estate, was then turned into a Greek Orthodox monastery and used to house many monks until the early 19th century. Then, Hagarene Turks plundered the monastery in order to take all its treasures. The monks and the abbot resisted, resulting in their tragic death, while the monument’s impregnable property remained for many years hidden until it was accidentally discovered by a farmer in the area. Finally, the monastery’s estates gradually turned into civilian property in Kerynia, while the monastery and a small part of its lands, was transferred as an asset to the church of Apostle Loukas.
The traveler can take a stroll through the old village core and admire the traditional local architecture of the houses and their hanging balconies that overlook the inner courtyards. In the area there is no accommodation, but one tavern, one bar and one cafe. Finally, Orounta borders with the settlements of Menoiko, and Peristerona Morphou.