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Bathed in greenery, Pelendri is one of the
most beautiful villages of Cyprus. Its stone houses echo the
traditional style, and the substantial church of Ayios loannis
Lampadistis dominates the centre of the village.
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One of the larger Pitsilia villages, Pelendri
perches on a mountain slope at a height of 880 metres above
sea level. It is situated eight kilometres away from Agros
village and 40 km from Limassol .
The village is set in striking surroundings that feature pine
trees, myrtle and other bushes. Due to the high rainfall in
the area it abounds in peach, apple, prune, almond and olive
trees .
As part of the Pitsilia Integrated Development
Scheme an earth water reservoir of 123.000 cubic metre capacity,
built in 1980, provides irrigation for 71 hectares. Land consolidation
undertaken by the scheme was the incentive that encouraged
Pelendri inhabitants to stay in their village.
According to one version, the village took
its name from a plant known as 'Felandrio', while another
suggests that it emanated from the surname of a mediaeval
family.
The mediaeval chronicler George Voustronios refers in his
'Chronicle' to the 'prastia' (farms) of Pelendri. In 1353
the village belonged to Jean de Lusignan, the son of King
Hugo IV.
Pelendri is the home of the important 12th century Timios
Stavros Church (Church of the Holy Cross), with icons characteristic
of the time clearly showing the influence of the east. This
unusual looking Byzantine church was faithfully restored by
the Department of Antiquities, and occupies a deserving place
as one of nine outstanding mountain churches included in the
UNESCO World Heritage List.
A third church in the village is that of
Panayia Katholiki, featuring a timber roof and icons of Archangel
Michael (St Michael).
Pelendri also has its own winery which serves the surrounding
region.
Visitors to the village invariably fall for the magic of Pelendri's
location, and many enjoy a peaceful stroll around the little
streets with their stone-built houses and sloping roofs.
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