Tsepelovo

Tsepelovo (Τσεπέλοβο) is a village in the Zagori region (Epirus periphery). Built at a height of 1200 meters, stands out in the mountain range of Tymfi. It is the biggest of the 44 villages of Zagori and the seat of Tymfi municipality.

It lies in the middle of the Vikos-Aoos National Park and is 48 km away from Ioannina.

History
Founded in the 16th century, Tsepelovo became the administrative center of Zagori since the 18th century and reached its peak until the end of the Ottoman occupation (1913). The village was a local trade center, especially because of the trade of timber. In 1820, before the outbreak of the Greek Revolution and the defeat of Ali Pasha, the poet Ioannis Vilaras and the famous Epirote scholar Athanasios Psalidas, came from Ioannina, to prepare the people for the great national revolt. Psalidas also taught for 2 years at the local school.

The traditional stone architecture is dominant in every building, in the village paths, dwellings and churches. The historical church of Agios Nikolaos was renovated at 1753 and decorated with unique wall paintings by exceptional painters of nearby Kapesovo.

Two kilometers out of the villages, in the Vikaki (Greek: small Vikos) canyon lies the monastery of St John Rogovou, founded at 1028 by the sister of Emperor Romanos III Argyros of Byzantium. It was rebuilt in 1749, possibly after it was damaged by fire, and the frescoes were painted by iconographers from Kapesovo. Neofytos Doukas wanted to establish there the Higher School of Epirus (Ανωτέρα Σχολή), a high level educational institution. Because of the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence and the military conflicts the idea could not become reality.

The people of Tsepelovo used to emigrate within Greece to Macedonia, Thrace and to areas of southern Greece. Outside Greece, they mainly migrated to Asia Minor and the U.S.A.

Today, the village is a popular destination for tourists during winter season.

Notable people

 * Konstantinos Rados, merchant and member of Filiki Eteria.
 * Dimitrios Kotopoulis, actor.
 * Marika Kotopouli (1887-1954), actress.
 * Dimitrios Myrat, actor.