By Nicolas Bard

Tsepelovo is the largest village in the area of ​​Zagori and the seat of the former municipality of Tymfi. Located perched at an altitude of 1,080 meters on the slopes of Gamila and is 51 kilometers from the city of Ioannina. The road to the village is wide and passes through spruce areas, but it also has several turns. But the view you will have towards the rest of Zagori and the top of Tymfi is magical!

Tsepelovo has been the administrative center of Zagori since the 18th century and commercially flourished during the Turkish occupation mainly due to timber trade. In 1700 the first school of the village operated. In the village, before the fall of Ali Pasha and the outbreak of the Revolution (1820), the Gianniotis poet Ioannis Vilaras and the teacher of the genus Athanasios Psalida, where they formed a central revolutionary organization that took over his first lead. A. Psalidas even taught for a short time at the village school.

The village today stands out for its traditional architecture, stone -built and imposing mansions, as well as for its historical churches and picturesque cobbled streets. From the buildings that exist today there you will distinguish the Cultural Center of “Estia”, the Church of St. Nicholas, which was built in the 18th century as a three -aisled basilica with a dome and painted in 1786 by the right -wing hagiographers from the neighboring Kapsovo Village, inside which rare frescoes and large fireplaces are preserved.

In the central square of the village, a meeting point for both locals and tourists, there is a huge centuries -old plane tree that offers its thick shade to travelers. There, right next to the stone and imposing bell tower of Agios Nikolaos, you will find small coffee shops and food shops. Don’t forget to try the traditional pies and spoon sweets, which is famous for them all Zagori!

About two kilometers outside the village, above the so-called “Vikaki” canyon, is the historic Rogovos Monastery, built in the years 1028-1034 and renovated in 1745. The word “rogov” according to M. Economou is a Serbian word and means “steep”. The cathedral of the monastery is dedicated to the birth of John the Baptist, and belongs to the type of the four -sided cross -registered temple, with three -sided side walls. The rare and well -preserved hagiographies, as well as the elaborate wood carvings of the church, were gradually made in the 18th and 19th centuries. There, Neophytos Duke wanted to establish a higher education institution (“Higher School”), but in the end his vision was never carried out because of the turmoil that followed the fall of Ali Pasha.

In addition to the characteristic continental architecture, historical and religious monuments and local cuisine, what will enchant you in Tsepelovo is undoubtedly the endless natural beauty of the area. The mountains are lush from side to side, and each season offer unique images, especially in autumn where deciduous trees create a cinematic setting, painting the surrounding hills in shades of orange and red. And all these descriptions are very nice, but it is nice to live it up close. Zagori is waiting for you to explore it!