Agridia

Agridia is one of the villages of the district of Limassol in Cyprus, which is 42 km north of Limassol, 93 km west of Larnaca, 62 km southwest of Nicosia and 91 km northeast of Paphos.

Built at an altitude of 1,100 meters in the geographical region of Pitsilia and with the dam of the area adorning the natural landscape, Agridia of the about 100 inhabitants is a settlement with farming terraces where fruit trees and vegetables, vineyards, walnut and almond trees are cultivated. The village’s natural beauty is complemented by its rich fauna of the region, such as many species of birds, foxes, hedgehogs, as well as the wild mountainous vegetation of Troodos, with pines, cedars and cypresses.

The name of the village comes from the abundant wild goats (the agrino species of Cyprus) that used to live in the region. Agridia has existed since the Middle Ages, since there are written sources that indicate it was granted as property to a priest called Ioulios during the Frankish rule, while at the end of the 13th century it was the property of Gian de Verny. In the 15th century, it originally belonged to Sore de Naves and later to Morfo de Grenier.

The village today offers the tranquility of nature for the visitors, but it does not lack in various attractions. In its neighborhoods, the winding narrow streets, the old houses built with local stone (the diavasi and gabbro) with the vines and flower pots in their backyards, all create a magnificent spectacle.

In the village square with the huge elm trees, you will see the stone memorial with the drinking fountain, which is dedicated to the Savas Rotsides and Christos Tsiartas, fighters of the resistance movement of EOKA in 1955-1959 against the British, but also to Andrea Mateidis, Spyros Petousis, Christakis Argyrides and Kostakis Valanidis who fought during the Turkish invasion of 1974. Michael Kyprianou is still missing from Attilas.

The Prophet Ilias is highly honoured in Agridia, as he is also the patron saint of the community, with two churches dedicated to him. According to the tradition, in a place near the village, between Agridia and the neighboring village of Agros, the icon of the Prophet Ilias was found. The inhabitants of Agros tried to carry it to their own village, but they couldn’t lift the icon. Then, the icon was transferred to Agridia, to the mountain top and there the locals threw a trowel, and at the location where it fell, they built the church. To the southeast of the settlement, at the base of the “mountain of Prophet Ilias” where once stood an old church dedicated to the same saint, was built in 1960 the large main church of the village, in the Byzantine style with a wooden iconostasis. Inside the church, and more specifically in the women’s quarters, the Ecclesiastical Museum of Agridia is housed, with exhibits from the demolished old church and also from the chapels of the village which now no longer exist.

In the courtyard of the church of the Prophet Ilias and in a restored building is housed the Olive mill of Agridia, which operated until the 1960s, and is another cultural attraction for the village.

The other church dedicated to the saint is a chapel with a paved courtyard and magnificent views of the village that reaches all the way to the bay of Akrotiri Lemesou. The chapel was built in 1996 and is a small Byzantine church with frescoes on the inside and the outside. Near the chapel, at the foot of the mountain Rotsos, has been created a picnic area with an artificial stream, a small waterfall, stone drinking fountains fountains, a playground and a small amphitheater, being an ideal spot for relaxation. With wooden tables, barbecue, drinking water and latrines, it is perfect for those who want to enjoy a meal in the nature and escape from the daily routine of the big cities.

Also, near Agridia and at an elevated point will be built the observatory of Troodos in collaboration with NASA.