Ampelos

In small distance of south-western village of Saint Konstantinos and in altitude of 270 meters from the sea finds itself the community of Ampelos, roughly in the middle of northern side of the island. A 37 kilometers length helical dual-carriageway road, because the inclining ground, connects Ampelos with the central street of Vathy -Karlovassi in the region of Prinias. It is located about 25 kilometers away from the city of Samos and 10 kilometers from Karlovassi.
The village was first named Nenedes, but was renamed as Ampelos in 1957, with the decision of Ministry Internal, after proposal of a schoolteacher named Stelios Michalakis and the secretary of community Yannis Gerochristodoulou, due to the amount of vines that were cultivated in the region.
The name Nenedes probably come from the surname of the first settler Nène or Nenè. It is speculated that the family Nenè came in Samos from the island Kithira in the 17th century. Even though the village is not reported in the Ottoman scripts (1632-1642), neither in the description of writer Georgirini (1666-1671) or the sightseer and herbalist Turnefor (1702), nevertheless it existed, as the sign of parochial temple of Saint Ioannis, with year of construction in 1672, declares.
Up to 1900 it belonged in the municipality ‘Six Neighborhoods’ centered in Saint Konstantinos. From 1900 with hegemonic decree, it constituted separate municipality of the hegemony, the “municipality Nenedon” that also included the village Staurinides.
In the region of Ampelos belongs the village Chatzigiorgides and in the beach, below the village, the settlement Livadaki in the homonym region, where exist small graphic beaches. Little more westwards from Livadaki, also exists the beautiful beach in the location Petalides.
The parochial church of Ampelos is dedicated in the Arrest of Honest Precursor (Timiou Prodrómou) that is honoured on 23 September, day in which each year takes place one of the most beautifully festival of Samos.
The village is found between vines, cherry trees, apricot trees, peach trees, walnut trees and other trees.
In the first official inventory of 1828, Ampelos (Nenedes) had 326 residents, population that doubled during the 19th century. In 1913 the village numbered 865 residents. In 1940 had 756 and after the civil war had 629 residents (inventory 1951). Despite the fact that a lot of immigrants left from Ampelos mainly to America in the beginning of 20th century and to Australia after the war, the population of village maintained itself in high levels compared to other villages. In 1961 it numbered 604 residents, while in the last inventory in 2001, it had 375 residents.
Ampelos is a place loved by the visitors. During the whole year, the village and the graphic taverns are frequented by samian people and foreigners, enjoying the splendid view in the mountains and in the sea, the worldwide famous samian wine and tasty traditional foods.
Ampelos is the birth place of intellectual persons, such as the novelist Kostas Kalatzis, the poet and former member of Pedagogic Institute Aristides Bougioukas and the former inspector of First Degree Education and folklorist Nikos Lymperis.

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