Valtetsi (village)

Valtetsi (Greek: Βαλτέτσι) is a village in the municipal unit of Valtetsi, Arcadia, Greece. It is located in the Central Peloponessus in what is called Ορεινή Αρκαδία (Greek: Mountainous Arcadia) at a distance of 12 km west of Tripoli and an altitude of 1,050 m. It is a small plain terrain surrounded by four hills: Chomatovouni, Mylos, Katsikeika and Dovrouleika. It is considered a traditional settlement.

It was built around 1600 AD by Ethnic Greeks from Himara in Northern Epirus who escaping from the Turkish attacks, settled at first in the North Western parts of the Peloponessus to continue their final destination to the Arcadian hilltops.

It was later improved by a migration of Tsakonians on their way to Attica due to their shepherd's life and also some Souliotes chased by the Ottomans resettled in the village.

Valtetsi used to be an isolated place, connected to other villages with three narrow paths only, each one guiding to the major mounts in the region: one to the Taygetus, other to the Menalus and the third to the Parnon. This is possibly the reason why it was one of the most famous dens chosen by klephtes and brigands.

It soon became characterized by a strong common ethic code which was strictly guarded by the Valtetsiotes, who were renowned as warlike highlanders with an austere way of life and love for Greek tradition and Christian faith.

Every day life was extremely hard since cattle keeping (mostly sheep and also some goats) was the local profession for ordinary villagers. The typical family lived in a constant move. When it was not the Ottoman occupant's menace it was the strong winter which obliged shepherds to take their herds to milder weathers and pastures in the Argolid returning to Valtetsi in April. When September arrived, they started the herd's move again, this time to the summer camps in Tegea and Dimitsana. The existence of nearby marshes, worsened the living conditions up to a level that a strong dengue epidemic struck the village even at the beginning of the Twentieth century.

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Wikipedia