Page 45 - Erasmus Let's be Eco-sustainAble, towards 2030 Dissemination Activity book

Activity: Traditional flour mill museum in the Village of Athienou

The flourmill functioned with a steam engine which consumed as fuel wood or slate pencil. In the early 1920s the sole owner of

the mill was Michalis Chatzitheocharous who in 1930 replaced the steam engine with a diesel engine. In 1934 he hired his son
Andreas as his assistant who persuaded him to increase production by switching to a more powerful diesel engine that would

simultaneously run three mills of which two would grind wheat and one barley, vetch, bitter vetch, split pea, and salt. They also
had a smaller mill specifically used for groats.
In the early stages alongside with the flourmill operated a small
coffee shop which was frequently visited by dignitaries and the

at the time ‘‘high society’’ of Athienou, meeting to discuss any
problems the village was facing. It has been said that this was

the place where the decision to create the COOP Bank of
Athienou was taken. Something also worth mentioning is that
the fellow villagers of the owner trusted his good judgment and

often used him to resolve disputes. This was the reason that
gave him the nickname ‘‘KAIAFOS’’ originating from the famous

“Kaiafas” and the reason that today the flour mill has the name
KAIAFOS FLOURMILL. Since 1940 the management of the
flourmill passed on to Andreas Chatzitheocharous.

By the year 1974, with its biggest development being the

decade from 1960 to 1970 during which time the flourmill served
in addition to Athienou the neighboring villages of Petrofani,

Pyroi, Tymbou, Geri, Melousia, Agia, Tremetousia, Arsos and
Troulloi. After 1970 its flourish began to decline as fewer women
continued baking in their homes.
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