Eparcheion Viepoint

Pyrgos is the Greek word for tower.
We have arrived at the site where the tower that bestowed Pyrgos its name once stood. The intriguing history of this area attributes the city's foundation to Georgios Tsernotas. According to tradition, during the Ottoman rule of Greece, around the 1500s, Tsernotas discovered a significant amount of gold liras while digging a well for his cattle near St. Spyridonas. Acting diplomatically, he surrendered the treasure to the Ottoman Sultan. As a reward, Tsernotas was appointed as the overseer of the area. He selected the hill upon which we now stand to construct his tower. This strategic location offered control over the nearby Katakolon port and was safeguarded by two lakes that covered a substantial portion of the plains before us. Along with the Alfeios River, the lake of Agoulinitsa to the right, and lake Mouria to the left and front, served as natural boundaries. A local verse proclaims, "Whoever eats fish from Mouria and drinks water from Tsernotas' well shall never forget Pyrgos."

In the 1970s, efforts were made to combat malaria and expand arable land, resulting in the drainage of these lakes. As a result, the hill lost its watery surroundings. Despite undergoing multiple changes due to partial destruction over the years, the tower continued to serve as the seat of the city governor. This association bestowed the hill with the name "Eparcheion," derived from the Greek word "eparchos," meaning governor.

While not historically verified, it is believed that the citizens of Pyrgos demolished the tower as an act of separation from the central administration. The stones from the tower were then used to construct the church of St. Spyridonas.