Location information

ORMYLIA (Small town) HALKIDIKI
  Written testimonies are: in 875 ad from the Archbishop of Thessalonica, Vasilios as "Sermylia Komi" in "Bio", which he has written in the beginning of the 10th century ad for his master, Eythimios the Young, and in 1047 ad during the demarcation of the fields that belonged to the abbey "Xavounion", that is today's Ploygiros. In the last document one can read that: "... it touches the borders of the castle Ermylia". Since the beginning of the 13th century, the monasteries from the Holy Mt Athos have a very dynamic presence in the area by establishing dependencies in the fertile lowland and thus restricting the habitants of Ormylia in the higher and more barren areas or by employing them. The raise of the number of the monastery dependencies was boosted more in the next century mainly because of the raids from the Serbs and the Turks forcing the habitants to sell their estates. In the beginning of the 14th century one of the 6 commanding precincts of Chalkidiki was called "Kapetanakion of Ermylia".
  Ormylia was finally occupied by the Turks somewhere between 1416 and 1424. During the occupation the Ottoman Empire granted the Christians various privileges in exchange with heavy taxation. The villages next to the monasteries, were under the protection of the Holy Mt Athos. This meant that most of them, including Ormylia, were left somewhat free of occupation and they were able to develop very important trading activities. Ormylia even managed to become in the 19th century the most important silk industry centres.
  In 1818, a very big church was built in the name of St George, a fact that proves how well established was the economy of the village. In 1821, Ormylia enters the Greek Revolution together with the rest of Chalkidiki and under the commandment of Emmanouil Pappa. Unfortunately this attempt failed and the Turks burned the whole peninsula of Chalkidiki.
  During the revolution of 1854, Tsamis Karatasos - leader of the revolution in the area - settled in Metoxi and he gave one of the most crucial battles in the area of Psakoudia of Ormylia. When he left, Metoxi was burned to the ground. Ormylia was liberated from the Turks in October 1912, having been for almost 500 years under occupation.
  In 1923 immigrants from the Asia Minor arrived to settle in the area. They established the village of Vatopedi which was subsumed by the Municipality of Ormylia in 1971. When the immigrants arrived, began the expropriation and distribution of the estates that belonged to the monasteries. Those were given to the immigrants as well as to the local farmers.
  In 1941 - 1944, during the German occupation, the habitants took active part in the National opposition, organizing among other things a network to collect British officers and soldiers and help them escape to the Middle East.

SERMYLI (Ancient city) HALKIDIKI
  Is the most ancient settlement in Chalkidiki, having a uninterruptedly presence in the area since the Neolithic era. Its ancient name was Sermyli, then it was changed to Ermyli during the dark ages, only to become Ormylia which lasts till today.
  The first findings are dated in the Neolithic age (4000-2000 bc) and were found at Toumpa of Prophet Ilias, on the hill of St George during the 2nd millennium bc, in the square Toumpa near the end of 2000 bc and at Kastri of Vatopedi around 1000 bc.
  During the classic age, the historical testimonies mention 2 cities in the area, both of them being colonies of the Chalkideous (they came in the area during the 13th - 12th century bc) and members of the Athenian alliance during the Persian Wars. The first one with the name Sermyli, according to the ancient historian Herodotus, was very big and very important. It was located next to the sea and near the debouchment of the river. It was controlling the primary and shortest road from Kalamaria to Sithonia. The oldest testimonies on the history of Ormylia, are given through the silver coins that were cut in the 6th sentury bc. Herodotus is also mentioning the city as one of those that gave army to the Persian King Xerxis.
  When the Persian Wars were over, the city entered the Athenian Alliance and from the contribution they were paying (3-5 talanta) we can easily assume that it was the most important city of Chalkidean people besides Toroni.
  During the Peloponnisian War, the city suffered a lot for the Spartans (Thoukididis history, A' 66) A few bronze coins that were cut after 404 or 379 bc, testify that the city was self-governed in that period. In the 384 bc it was destroyed by Filippos and its habitants were scattered in the greater area, establishing small settlements that were hardly surviving.
  In the old Christian period (4th - 7th century ad), two settlements have been located. One was northwest from where Vatopedi is located today, in area "Gveli" and the other one is the castle in Kallipoli, which must have been built around the 5th century ad on a steep hill next to the river. This testifies that the habitants of the area were in grave danger from the various barbarian raids.

This text is cited Oct 2003 from the Municipality of Ormylia URL below.

• http://www.ormylia.gr/eng-history.htm