Mountain autumn landscape in the sunlight, Evritania, Greece

Livadia inspired me to write poems and lyrics

28.06.2016
I was born and raised in Livadia, a place with beautiful natural environment and hospitable people.
READING TIME
As long as it takes to drink a Greek coffee
Kostas Hatzis
AUTHOR
Kostas Hatzis
Songwriter and performer
I was born and raised in Livadia, a place with beautiful natural environment and hospitable people. I still remember when I was little, at Easter (the renowned Easter of Central Greece) there was a big celebration with songs and dances and the lambs were not roasted separately for each family but for everyone, every neighbor, friend or passer-by.

But let’s start with the history of the city.

According to tradition, it was called Midia and was built on a hill. Later thanks to Levados, the Athenian who settled residents in the plain, it was called Livadia.

In ancient times, Livadia was well known for its oracle, the ancient oracle of Trofonios which still constitutes an important archaeological site of the modern city (it was located on the left side of Erkina and has been excavated).

Through the ages, Livadia has been through periods of great financial prosperity but also times of decline and destruction due to several raids.

During the Turkish occupation it was the headquarters of “Filiki Eteria” a movement for the liberation of Greece, while many of the men who distinguished themselves abroad as revolutionaries, such as Lambros Katsonis, come from Livadia.

Livadia has a long history and every stone and monument testifies to that fact.

Livadia

Livadia is a fertile land with many interesting local products, folklore and several important sights.

I start with the Kria area and the beautiful Erkina river which was named after the nymph Erkina, beloved daughter of Trofonios.

The landscape is enchanting with tall trees, bridges, the watermill and the tranquility the aquatic element provides.

  • The springs of oblivion and remembrance which supply the city with water.
  • The oracle of Trofonios at the foot of the hill of the prophet Helias.
  • The medieval castle that overlooks the whole area.
  • The splendid clock tower that takes pride of place in the town centre.
  • The stone theatre of Kria – recently built – in the gorge, which hosts cultural events.
  • The chapel of Agia Ierusalem, built in the cave of Zoothohos Pigi.

You need to climb over 600 steps to reach the cave and see the chapel.

However the serenity, the beauty of the landscape and the view you enjoy make it up to you.

    This place has often inspired me to write poems and lyrics

Kostas Hatzis
Kostas Hatzis
Songwriter and performer

Kostas Hatzis was born in Livadia, in the region of Viotia, Greece, on August 13, 1936.

He comes from a family of folk musicians. His grandfather, Kostas Karayiannis, was one of the most famous folk clarinetists of his time in Greece and his father, Evaggelos Hatzis, was a dulcimer virtuoso.
At sixteen, he sang with his father at weddings, christenings and other events.

As time passed, he became better known, performing and recording his own songs which gradually made him famous as a leading modern troubadour with his sui generis voice and individual performing style. Hatzis sang ballads, which usually included intense social criticism, giving a voice to the lower class of the time, something that really helped him take grip of the public psyche. In 1963, he recorded his first record which includes “Efige i agape mou” (my love is gone) by the famous Greek composer Mimis Plessas.

Kostas Hatzis is one of Greece’s best known songwriters and performers, primarily famous as a balladeer. He created his own style of music, with his unmistakable voice and guitar, pioneering for his country in the 1960s and still inimitable to this day. Many of his love songs are timeless, with sales that have so far reached around 30 gold and platinum records.

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