Zoopiyi is located within the geographical region "Pitsilia"
of the Limassol district, 24 kilometres north of the city
of Limassol. It is built at an average altitude of 885
meters. The rough, mountainous landscape of the region,
fragmented by the tributaries of the Germasogeia and Limnatis
(Xylourikos) rivers, the narrow and deep valleys, and
the steep slope of the surrounding mountains provide a
unique spectacle.
View of the community
The village receives an annual rainfall of about 670
millimetres; vines of wine-making varieties (Xynisteri
-type of white grape -local dark and "ofthamlon"
-type of dark coloured grapes), olive and almond trees,
vegetables, and fruit-trees are cultivated in the region.
Since ancient times, the sweet Cypriot wine (Nama) is
being produced out of the "Xynisteri" and the
local dark varieties, which later on -during the era of
the Crusades -was named Commandaria. Zoopigi is included
in the plan for the uniform agrarian development of Pitsilia
and has benefited by the construction of land reclamation
projects and the improvement of rural streets.
Vineyards
The community is found built upon the main Limassol
- Agros street and connects to the village Kato Mylos
in the north, the village Agios Theodoros in the north-east,
the villages Kalo Chorio and Louvara in the south, and
the village Agios Mamas in the east.
The village, like all the villages of Pitsilia, has
gone through great fluctuations of its population. The
inhabitants of Zoopiyi numbered 172 in 1881, increasing
to 215 in 1891. In 1901 they decreased to 212, increasing
again to 254 in 1911. In 1946 the inhabitants increased
to 307, decreasing to 265 in 1960. In 1976 the decreased
to 261 and to 214 in 1982. In the 2001 census the inhabitants
numbered 198.
Old Primary School
The settlement, because of the region's fragmentation,
is not compact. Most of the houses are made of regional
stone and maintain -to a great extend -their traditional
folkloric architecture with their tiled roofs, the picturesque
upper floors, the small yards, the tall fences, and the
pergolas.
According to Nearchos Clerides, Zoopiyi is one of the
more recent Cypriot villages and was created during the
era of the Venetian occupation of Cyprus. It existed during
the second half of the 16th century and can be found marked
in the 1573 map of Ortelius under the name of Zopy. The
settlement of Oroggos, which was close to Zoopiyi and
no longer exists, is also marked in the same map. Oroggos
was an earlier settlement and it is believed that the
inhabitants of this village gradually transferred, building
houses some kilometres north-westerly and creating a new
village, that being Zoopigi. Oroggos existed until the
middle of the 19th century when it was abandoned completely
after the last inhabitants moved to Zoopiyi and Kalo Chorio.
The reason for the transfer of the inhabitants of Oroggos
and the creation of Zoopiyi is unknown. The existence
of water and of more fertile land in the new village's
area seems to be the most probable one.
The existence of a stream or a wellspring with water
for the livestock in Zoopiyi does not seem to be the reason
for its name. More correctly, it appears that the village
was originally named "Zoodochos Pigi" (life-giving
source/spring); later on the two words were joined for
the sake of brevity and the name Zoopiyi became predominant.
This explanation is reinforced by the fact that the village's
church is dedicated to "Zoodochos Pigi" (the
Life-giving Source).
Church of Zoodohos Piyi
According to information by Loizos Filippou (The Greek
letters in Cyprus, Nicosia, 1930, pg. 265), a "mutual
teaching method" school operated in Zoopiyi -between
1860 and 1865 -with Stylianos Sergis as the first teacher.
Pupils from neighbouring villages also attended the "mutual
teaching method" school of Zoopiyi. Gunnis provides
the information that the school of Zoopiyi was housed
in an old church during the 30's, one that was dedicated
to St. Marina.
Church of Saint Marina
The hero of the liberation struggle of EOKA, Gregoris
Afxentiou, was in Zoopiyi on the 30th of December 1956
along with his men, having been trapped here after a treachery.
Firing his weapon, he managed to escape -though with an
injury in his leg -while one of his men, Michael Giorgallas,
was killed in Zoopiyi.
