Drosopigi, Florina
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Drosopigi Δροσοπηγή |
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Sign as you enter Drosopigi via Florina
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 Drosopigi
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| Coordinates: 40°40′N 21°29′E / 40.667°N 21.483°ECoordinates: 40°40′N 21°29′E / 40.667°N 21.483°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | West Macedonia |
| Regional unit | Florina |
| Municipality | Florina |
| Municipal unit | Perasma |
| Elevation | 1,050 m (3,440 ft) |
| Community | |
| • Population | 239 (2011) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 531 00 |
| Area code(s) | 23850-3 |
| Vehicle registration | ΡΑ |
| Website | dim-drosop.flo.sch.gr |
Drosopigi (Greek: Δροσοπηγή, before 1928: Μπελκαμένη - Belkameni;Albanian: Bellkamen;Aromanian: Belkamen; from the Slavic: Bel Kamen, meaning "White Rock") is a village in Macedonia, Greece. It lies in the central part of Florina regional unit, as part of the Perasma municipal unit. The village's year round population is estimated at 225 people, but in the summer it grows to nearly 400. In the surrounding area many other villages can be found, including Flambouro, Skopia, Kato Idroussa, and Ano Idroussa. The Village of Drosopigi lies on eastward slope of Mount Bitsi at an elevation of 1050 meters approximately 13 km from Florina.
The original village, known as Belkamen or Belkameni, was beautiful with walkways paved in cobblestone, archways made from granite and beautiful gardens decorated with flowers and water fountains. A French soldier, who came to the village during World War I, would call the village "Petit Paris", translated "Little Paris". The original village was established in 1843 by villagers (mostly masons and other tradesmen) who came from Plikati and other villages from Mastorochoria (a region around Mt. Gramos) in Epirus. To the outside world, the villagers were known as Albanians, as most of them spoke Albanian with a Vlach minority. Many of the villagers were actually multi-lingual, speaking some permutation of Albanian, Aromanian, and Greek. They settled in an area of West Macedonia that was almost exclusively populated by Slavs. There are now three villages in the area that were settled by Albanians. They are Drosopigi, Flampouro, and Lechovo. In 1842, leading families from Plikati, Epirus purchased the land and forest after negotiating with Osman Ismael Pasha, the Bey from Florina. The general area was known as Balkmen (Greek: Μπάλκμεν). As a result, the original village came to be known as Belkameni. From 1843 to 1926 the village name would remain Belkameni and from 1926 until present as Drosopigi. Upon the purchase of the plot of land the people started to build enormous houses made from the materials in the surrounding area. The village was inhabited by many families. The total population at 1900 had reached 1,500.
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