Megarovo Μεγάροβο (Magarevo)

In Megárovo about the middle of the 18^th century, there existed only 3 to 6 Slav-speaking families. After the abortive revolt of 1770 Vlach-speaking refugees from the village of Linotópi and Albanian-speaking refugees from Kolonia and Bithkoúki moved to Megárovo to escape the rapacity of the Moslem Albanian bands that were ravaging those areas. These new immigrants were engaged primarily in tailoring and commerce, and secondarily in fine metalwork and stock-rearing

 Even before 1800 many fine houses and 13 water-mills had been erected at Megárovo. Around the same time Oiconomos Papademetrios from Constantinople purchased from Seïd Rustem that part of the mountain, together with its forests, which lay above the township and he may have acquired some of the lowlands too. Oiconomos Papademetrios also carried out the duties of school-master. Another man mentioned as a schoolmaster is a certain Morokis, teaching around 1800.

Κατεστραμμένη αγιογραφία στον Άγιο Δημήτριο

 At the beginning of the 19^th century Megárovo was the property of Seïd Rustem Bey, kaymakam of Monastir. The tradition about the property he held was still extant at the beginning of the present century. In a petition drawn up by certain inhabitants of Megárovo and dated 24 December 1807, there is a noticeable predominance of Greek and Vlach names. Amongst these, for example, figure Papa-Thodoros, Papa-Thanasis, Kostas Giorgis, Michalis Naoum, Gerasimos Stergios.

 Some time later, Moslem Albanians took advantage of Ali Pasha's death and the emergence of fresh disorders to renew their incursions against the Vlach-speaking villages. They wiped out Grámmousta, which had been built on the southern foothills of the Grammos Range, and had been an important township with around 3.000 families, mostly engaged in stock-rearing. About ten families of head-shepherds (τσελιγκάδες) came to settle in Megárovo along with some families from Bithkouki. In 1845 the Doga family invited 10-15 families of Albanian-Vlach shepherds from Grammos to look after its flocks. This may be said to be the ultimate stage in the settlement of Megárovo.

 History of Macedonia 1354-1833

A. Vacalopoulos