History

Likovrisi – Pefki Municipality

Our History

Pefki - Likovrisi Municipality is located in the North Sector of Athens. It was established in 2010 under the Kallikrates Prefecture Plan and was the result of the union of the two former municipalities of Pefki and Likovrisi. The total population of the area is 31,000 residents. Pefki was a part of the Ancient Greek Municipality of Athmonon ( nowadays called Maroussi . Local ancient Greek residents were mainly involved in agriculture, livestock and pottery. There used to be hugegrazing lands where Pefki is today. Probably Cleisthenis’ followers went through the region when they were heading to end the tyranny of Peisistrato. The descendants of Theodore Magafa, district officer of Asia Minor during the Byzantium, settled in Pefki in the 16th century and probably the name Magkoufana under which Pefki became known comes from a slight change of the original name Magkafa. In 1950 it was separated from the municipality of Maroussi as an identified community. In 1982 it became an independent municipality. It was divided into two parts. Ano and Kato Pefki and is a strictly residential area. It has many groves and large areas of green, while the model Solar Village built in 1989, is situated on its borders and was given to beneficiaries of the Workers’ Housing Organization. Likovrisi is located on the outskirts of Kifissia, on the east banks of the river Kifissos and is accessible from the National Road Athens-Lamia, where the industrial zone of the area is extended. The area was initially called Glikovrisi, as it is mentioned on the map of 1924. Legend has it, that in the church of Saint Varvara there was a big plane tree from where water was flowing. Because wolves and jackals were drinking water there, it was named Likovrisi. The first Families that settled there in the beginning of 20th century came from Andros and Naxos but more people came in 1922 who were greek refugees from Asia Minor. In 1949, Glikovrisi was recognized as an autonomous community of Likovrisi of the Prefecture of Athens. In the center of the area there is a small valley surrounded by Kifissos. Around it, there are Prasino Lofo of Heraklion and the wild grounds of Pentelikon, at an altitude of 200 meters, with a view of Parnitha on the west and Penteli on the east. It is an area full of green and water. It is a relatively scarcely populated area with limited urban and street plan.

C u l t u r a l C e n t e r o f L i k o v r i s i - P e f k i s

Tositsio Foundation in likovrisi

On the borders of Kifissia, there is the Student’s residence Tositsa that was probably built in the ‘50s. The institute of Baron Michael Tositsa was created in 1947 by the permanent president and politician Tositsa and his adopted child, Evangelos Averof - Tositsa in order to build a school of high standards. It is the current one of Likovrisi, where many students come from Epirus. Many people from Epirus settled in Likovrisi after the motivation and help of the Foundation.

Institute of Vine in Likovrisi

During the 1970’s on Sophocles Venizelos street, the National Institute for Agricultural Research of the Ministry of Agriculture was founded, which is responsible for the agricultural research and technology in Greece. It conducts research for the agricultural, forestry animal and fishery production, veterinary medicine, management of fishery resources, soil science, land improvement, changing and preserving agricultural products and agricultural economy and sociology. In the Municipality of Likovrisi the institute includes the Vine Institute, the Institute of Technology for Agricultural products, Institute of Soil and WINE.

Cultural Center in Likovrisi

The cultural Center of likovrisi on 25 Saint Varvara St, is part of the City Hall and was constructed in 1985. It is a room fully organized with a multiuse room for the cultural needs of the municipality. This area has hosted theatrical plays, music and literature workshops, art exhibitions and other cultural activities.

Monastery of Saint Irini Chrysovalanto in Likovrisi

The monastery of Saint Irini in Likovrisi of Athens, was built in 1930 after her wish and her miraculous icon is hosted there. Saint Irini is responsible for many miracles mainly about fertility problems, shown by the children bearing her name “Chrysovalantis” and the celebration is on 28 July. It began as a Nunnery and operates with the old calendar. The last decades, it functions as a monastery of high Byzantine architecture.

Solar Village

Solar Village is a modern experimental housing complex structure in 1984 whose design and construction were carried out in collaboration with the Workers’ Housing Organization and the German Ministry of Research and Technology of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its object is the experimental application of the latest technology of solar and other energy systems for heating and hot water, with the main purpose of saving energy and protecting the environment. The solar village was a residential original in Greece and Europe which covers an area of 90.440m2 with 25 buildings and a central square.

Municipal Theatre in Pefki

The Municipal Theatre of Pefki is on Chrysostomou Smyrnis and Riga Ferraiou streets was founded in 1999 and was inaugurated in September 2002. It is a hall of 453 seats combining aesthetics with modern technology and creates the appropriate conditions for the high demands of its multiple uses. It has hosted many cultural activities like concerts, literature nights, group exhibitions, shows of the Club Film and theatrical performances of amateur and professional teams. It also includes underground parking area of 947m². The “Manolis Anagnostakis” hall of 270 m² is also there which hosts three exhibitions a year, cultural events, and volunteering events.

Municipal Swimming Pools

The municipal swimming pool on Eleftherios Venizelos street 15A in Pefki was constructed in 1999 and was inaugurated with the adjacent café in 2000. Also, the newly built municipal swimming pool in likovrisi in 2018. Both function all year around and offer swimming lessons to children and adults as well as aqua and synchronized swimming lessons. The pools operate in a clean and nice environment with all the necessary supporting spaces that make them functional and also fullfil all the hygiene conditions.

Athletic Centers

In the municipality of Likovrisi - Pefki there are three indoor and two outdoor Athletic centers which are used by many different sports clubs. These sports clubs offer courses in various sports, some of which are basketball, football, volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics and more. the sports divisions of the sports clubs participate in the respective championships with many successes.