A RURAL SETTLEMENT IN THE TROODOS MOUNTAINS
A SAFE HAVEN FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE
The small rural village of Fikardou is located within the Nicosia district on the southeastern slopes of the Troodos Mountains. Telling its own unique story, its founders were made up of several displaced communities. They were found fleeing pillaged coastal areas during the Byzantine era. This came after Cyprus had suffered several coastal raids from pirate raiders at the time.
A NEW FARMING COMMUNITY
The village of Fikardou, which can be found approximately 32 km inland, southwest of the city of Nicosia, offered all displaced people safety as well as a new beginning during the Medieval period. The Troodos foothills provided fertile lands for early farming activities, and this included the immediate area surrounding the village. As a result, the new settlement went on to support a thriving rural farming community. Its inhabitants continued to produce wines, almonds, olives, cereals, and pulses throughout the ages until the mid 20th century.
IT'S ALL IN A NAME
Evidence exists that suggests that the village, during Medieval times, once belonged to an opulent and important family of Cyprus. The ‘Ficardo’ family is thought to have given the village its name. The neighbouring villages, of ‘Gourri’ and ‘Lazania’, are also thought to preserve the names of other prominent medieval families. The name ‘Ficardo’ is included in the list of noble families recorded by the Archimandrite Kyprianos at the time, and it also appears among the most prominent family names in the list compiled by Steffano Lusignano. In addition to this, Sir Thomas Ficardo was also Chancellor to the last King and Queen of Cyprus, James II and Catherine Cornaro. In 1473, he transcribed King James II’s will, and he is also mentioned as being one of the principal noblemen and feudal landowners of the island at the time.
A RUGGED MOUNTANOUS LANDSCAPE
The landscape of the village is rugged and mountainous. It has steep slopes and deep valleys where small natural streams flow. The village layout consists of several inner, branching, narrow, cobbled streets that are only accessible to pedestrians. The location of the village constantly allows the sun to shine on the surrounding fields for prolonged periods during the day. This has benefited the village’s agricultural development over the ages, which in turn has supported its rural farming community.
THE VILLAGE OF FIKARDOU TODAY
The modern trend of urbanisation since the island’s independence in 1960 has affected the village dramatically. With several of its mainly younger inhabitants migrating to larger cities over the years, it began to show signs of decline soon after this. Several left seeking employment and a more modern life, and the dramatic decrease in the population left many houses deserted and, in some cases, derelict. This, in turn, brought economic depression to the village as a whole. The countryside surrounding the village was also affected by the decline of rural farming. In 1978, the Department of Antiquities declared the entire village an ‘Ancient Monument’. These steps were taken to help protect the village’s integrity by preserving the environment, monuments and architectural character.
NEW RESTORATION WORKS
In 1984, the Department of Antiquities undertook, as part of a wider program to revitalise rural villages, a new initiative to improve the status of the village. This program included work to repair and restore many of the delapidated houses. They went on to fully restore, among others, two prominent residences in the village. Today, the Residences of ‘Katsinioros’ and ‘Achilleas Dimitri’, are outstanding examples of the traditional 18th-century Cypriot architecture. They also host the Fikardou Agricultural Museum, and both houses were awarded the Europa Nostra International Award for outstanding Architecture in 1987.
