Thursday, October 8, 2009

MONI TSINGOU or Monastery Petrouliano

Tsingou monastery Μονή Τσίγκου is just north of Itilos in Mani, Lakonia. The website http://www.mani.org.gr/medikoi/ekkl/tsigkou/oitilo_mtsigkou.htm has an extract in Greek from the book of Michael Gr. Μπατσινίλα «ΟΛΕΣ ΟΙ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΕΣ ΤΟΥ ΟΙΤΥΛΟΥ». Batsinila 'ALL THE CHURCHES OITYLOY. When using the Google translater there is one line " The monastery was occupied previously by the Tsigkianous Stephanopoulos, however, unknown how and why the expelled and went to the Nyfi Prosiliakis Mani and now with the surname Tsigakou. "

My relative Panayiota Tsingou from Glykovrissi/Athens has told me that the Tsingos family in Kremasti originates from someone by the name of Tsigakos who fled Mani either from Turks or Vendetta around the time of the Greek War of Independence 1830s. The family had a kinship with the family Stefanopoulos.Katagontan both from Byzantium. At the end of the 15th century Nicephorus Comnenus, who was the son of the Emperor of Trebizond went to Mani with the relative of General Tsingou. The grandson of Stephen Komninos was πρωτόγερος region (commanding the region). The descendants of Stephen Komninos Stephanopoulos named, so they had 2 names Stephanopoulos-Komninos. In the second half of the 17th century some of their descendants left the Mani, after conflict between families.Manis.Merikoi Stephanopoulos went to Corsica and the family went elsewhere.
There are two other threads.
One confirms this flight to Corsica. According to http://www.mani.org.gr/en/history/imerominies_kargkeze.htm 800 residents left Itilios for Corsica,Italy in the late 1600's. The arrangement was negotiated by a Stephanopoulos (name tied to the Monastery). Where they lived on and assimilated into the population. However their was striff which leads to:
A Tsingos contact from Australia whose family originates in Ampelona (Greek/Albanian Border area) has a relative who theorizes that the Tsingos' there were Greeks who came from Italy after troubles there.
Could there be a link between Tsingos' fleeing Mani to Corsica, and Tsingos' fleeing Italy to Northern Greece?

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