Pitsiota



Pitsiota is a village in Fthiotis prefecture in Sterea Ellada, northeast of Lamia.

Geography
It is in the northwest section of the prefecture and very close to the borders of Evrytania and Karditsa prefectures. Pitsiota's altitude is 780 m (2,559 ft), and its geographical coordinates are latitude 39.01°North and longtitude 21.91°East. Nearby villages are Palaiokastro, Dikastro and Perivlepto.

.

Climate
The average annual temperature in Pitsiota, fluctuates between 9.2 and 15.0°C (48 and 59°F). In Pitsiota there have also been observed very low minimum temperatures which can reach down to -14°C (7°F). January is the coldest month and July is the warmest. Autumn is warmer than Spring as well as in all Greek area. After the third week of May, the invasion of the warm season is intense.

History
Without some specific historical reports, the age of the village has been calculated and found to exceed 500 years, since it had already been constituted before the Turkish slavery (1453). Its early habitants went there, either from Evrytania, or from Agrinio, or from Trikala, or from the villages of Fthiotida, or from Agrafa mountains (soldiers during the Turkish slavery, who served the Greek post, which had been later recasted to the chapel of Saint Paraskevi). The maximum number of habitants that has been recorded is about 430 in the late 19th century.

In modern age, an abandonment of the village appeared, as the latest census show, however during summer seasons, it gets again some life, and can be an exceptional escape from the ciy routine. This happens because it is built in the Southern banks of the beautiful and verdant mountain "Lykomnimata", which is placed near the Tymphristos mountain complex. A few kilometers away from Pitsiota, one of the World Rally Championship's-Rally Acropolis- tracks passes through.

Demographic Data
Population according to the census
 * 1928: 283 hab.[[Image:Plith pitsiotas.JPG|thumb|Diagram showing the evolution of Pisiota's population.]]
 * 1940: 321 hab.
 * 1951: 201 hab.
 * 1961: 180 hab.
 * 1971: 111 hab.
 * 1981: 118 hab.
 * 1991: 114 hab.
 * 2001: 158 hab.

Urbanization, influenced Pitsiota as it did in all Greek villages in the 1960s according to the upper data. The present population of the village consists almost wholly of aged people, above 70 years old. The Winters Pitsiota is emptying, and its only habitants are about 8-10 aged couples. However, in the summer the population can reach 200 of all ages. Official data of 2001 showed also that average in Pitsiota stays at "37 women and 38 men".