The Mastorohoria -- the villages of master stonemasons -- lie in an area of dense pine and fir forest some 100 kilometers north of Ioannina, in Greece’s northeastern region of Epirus.
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Due to the lack of opportunities for earning a livelihood in the mountainous terrain, the male inhabitants of Mastorohoria began traveling far and wide in the 16th century, peddling their skills in stone craftsmanship, wood-carving and iconography. They worked on private and public projects as far as the Middle East, the US and Africa up to as recently as World War II.
The main village of Mastorohoria is Pyrsogianni, about 20 km north of Konitsa and above the Sarantaporos River. Stop at the square of Koka-Karya and draw intoxicating deep breaths of clean mountain air. The village has a guesthouse with restaurant (tel 26550.31297, open year-round, 40 euros with breakfast). Other villages well known for their masons were Kastaniani, Vourbiani -- with a number of picturesque chapels -- and Drosopigi. Gorgopotamos, 10 km north of Pyrsogianni, was widely known for its wood craftsmen who specialized in church decor. Hionades, at the foot of Mt Grammos, was famous for its school of iconography. In nearby Plikati, go to Barba Lazaros (tel 26550.31414), who has accommodation and facilities for explorers.
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