Vourgareli Βουργαρέλι | |
|---|---|
 The red church in Vourgareli | |
  Vourgareli Location within the regional unit | |
| Coordinates:39°22′18″N21°11′00″E / 39.37167°N 21.18333°E /39.37167; 21.18333 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Epirus |
| Regional unit | Arta |
| Municipality | Central Tzoumerka |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Community | 466 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Vehicle registration | ΑΤ |
Vourgareli (Greek:Βουργαρέλι) is a village and a community inArta prefecture, northern Greece. It is located in the north-east of Arta prefecture, built at a height of 900 meters in the slope ofTzoumerka Mountains. The village is the seat ofCentral Tzoumerka municipality andAthamania municipal unit. Its population is 466 inhabitants according to the 2021 census.
The symbol and monument of the village is theRed Church.
Vourgareli is initially referred in aVenetian document of 1696. The derivation of this name is unknown. It is believed that it derives from local lumberjack named Vourgarelis or fromBulgarian lumberjacks that were settled in this area in the past.[2]
In the late of 18th century theSouliote chieftainGiorgos Botsaris and other 170 Souliote families were settled in Vourgareli. After the fall ofSouli toAli Pasha in 1803 many Souliotes fled toSeltsou Monastery and fought with the Turks. Most were captured and only few managed to escape.[2][3]
The last years ofOttoman rule the area of the village was afief of a Turk, named Abram Karakehaya. After the annexation ofArta to Greece in 1881, the residents of Vourgareli bought the fief, paying 4.416Ottoman liras. A local rich landholder, named Karapanos, helped to gather the money, in exchange for the exploitation of this area for 40 years.
During theGreek Resistance, the headquarters of the Greek guerrilla groupEDES was established in Vourgareli. The Germans bombed the village on 5 May 1943.[2]
| Census | Settlement | Community |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 590 | |
| 2001 | 449 | 792 |
| 2011 | 301 | 582 |
| 2021 | 296 | 466 |