Description
This series of 19 Geocaches takes you on a pleasant walk through the quiet roads and gravel tracks just south of Pyrgos Village.
It is circular with a small diversion to number 16 and 19. The total walk is approximately 7 km and is fairly flat. It is possible to drive.
If you want to walk it is suggested that you park at number one and find 1 to 15. Return to your car and finish the remaining 16 to 19 by car. This walk will be approximately 5 km.
There are a variety of containers, none of which has a pencil so please bring your own. You will also need tweezers for a couple of them.
Please be aware of snakes in Cyprus.
We wish to thank "The Geocache Queen" and her husband for their kind help and advice on placing these, our very first set of Geocaches.
FTF honours and congratulations to KeoRats 11 May 2019
History of Pyrgos Village
The village of Pyrgos is in the Limassol district, about 13 kilometres east of the city of Limassol. Its administrative boundaries reach up to the sea.
The village is built at an average altitude of 85 meters. The altitude presents a noticeable increase from the settlement to the north and near its north administrative boundaries it reaches 488 meters. In the south of the settlement the altitude steadily decreases and comes down to about 50 meters. Further south the altitude decreases steadily up to the sea.
Pyrgos receives an annual rainfall of about 430 millimetres; citrus, olive and locust trees, cereals, forage plants, various fruit trees, a few grapevines and very few legumes are cultivated in the area. Various types of vegetables and especially tomatoes are also cultivated. Pyrgos is famous for the quality of its tomatoes.
As far as transportation is concerned, Pyrgos is connected in the south to the Limassol - Nicosia highway and in the south-east with the village of Moni as well as with the village Parekklisia in the west.
The village, mainly because of the relevantly small distance from the city of Limassol, has undergone several increases of its population. In 1881 the inhabitants of Pyrgos were 187, which increased to 326 in 1891, to 345 in 1901, to 308 in 1911, to 412 in 1921, and to 478 in 1931. The inhabitants increased to 570 in 1946, to 702 in 1960, to 712 in 1973, and to 803 in 1982. In the last population census of 2001 the inhabitants were 2120.
The village existed during the Medieval times under the exact same name. In old maps it is marked under the name Pirgo and Birgo.
The name of the village originated from the fact that there was a tower in the region, apparently one of the Byzantine years. A tower must have existed also during the Frank domination era, in the sense of a central building of a family of nobles, to which the village -as a feud -belonged to. We have no records on which family of nobles it belonged to.
In any case the tower that existed in the village was a common Medieval one. Nearchos Clerides reports a local tradition according to which a "Pyrgos tis Rigainas" (Tower of the Queen), from the floor of which began a tunnel that extended to Amathoùs. As it often occurs with such traditions that are related to medieval or more ancient structures, the legendary existence of some great treasure is necessary. In the case of Pyrgos, the legendary treasure is a solid gold carriage with which the notorious Rigaina moved around. An old building in the village is known as "rigoudin" and it is believed that its floor is that of the original tower from where the tunnel begun.
Agia Marina Chapel
About 1500 metres south of the village of Pyrgos, in a tract of land sized 33 "skales" (plural, 1 "skala" = 14400 sq. ft.) and in the midst of 300 carob-trees, stands the small, stone-made country church of Saint Marina. The only extant parts were the remains of the chancel of the small church. In 1951 the inhabitants of the community started fund-raisers and tended for its restoration, aiming to re-erect the country church. Internally, it is a small, flat church with a simple, wooden icon screen. It has a capacity of 30 to 40 persons. There are four portable icons. To the right there is the icon of Christ and a bit further the icon of Saint john the Baptist. On the left there is the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary and right next to it the icon of Saint John the Theologian. The silver (after a donation) icon of Saint Marina is kept in the main church of the village ("Panagia Pyrgotissa"). It is placed upon a special kneeling-desk right next to the kneeling desk of the Virgin Mary's Assumption. During the Saint's day on the 17th of July, the silver icon of Saint Marina is carried to the small country church for its procession. It is worth mentioning that on the 17th of July, when the celebration of Saint Marina takes place, a great fair takes place in the small church. Hundreds of believers come to it on that day so as to receive their solemn promise and adore Saint Marina.