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Macedonia | Kozani | Siatista Town

Siatista Mansions


In Siatista today, there are some 60 Mansions, reflecting the typical middle to high class housing of the area. They are in various stages of deterioration. Some of them have survived and are being preserved, others have been left to eventually die. The local Cultural Society, Markides Pouliou, has saved one of them, The 'Dolgiras Mansion', and has faithfully restored it. Now it functions as a local Cultural Museum and is a marvelous site to visit. Some other Mansions are open to the public, such as 'Poulko's Mansion', 'Nerantzopoulos Mansion', 'Argyriadis-Maliongas Mansion' and more, which are referred to below. These, too, could make use of many more funds needed from the relevant authorities, beyond the small amount of money currently allocated by them. This Photo Album is our effort to make the existence of these architectural masterpieces known to the widest public audience possible; we hope to create a strong public opinion to strengthen the pressure on those authorities responsible for the salvage of these Folk Art Monuments.

This Album will be constantly enriched in the future, so please include this page in your 'Favorites" list for you to be able to easily revisit us!
(Photos: Michael Tziotis)

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Click on any of the pictures to enlarge.

Poulko's Mansion

It was built in 1752 for Thomas Emmanouilides, a Vienna tobacco merchant of the time. It was later sold to Lazaros Poulkides, who gave it as dower to his daughter Helen. It is to be seen in Geraneia, the lower district of Siatista. The Mansion has a large 'nouvro' (yard), paved with square slabs of marble, very pleasant to the eye. This Mansion is very imposing, due to its outer dimensions and its comfortably arranged interiors, intricate decorative carvings. The large 'iliakos' (salon), on the first floor, is also very beautifully decorated. Even more so is the second floor: On this floor there is the large reception room (bas-ondas), with a fine fireplace, and a very rich decoration which is better seen in our photos. This Mansion is owned by the Greek Ministry of Culture and is open to visitors.


Poulko's Mansion: Yard Gate

Poulko's Mansion: Yard Gate
Poulko's Mansion: The Sign on the Gate

Poulko's Mansion: The Sign on the Gate
Poulko's Mansion: Back (Northern) View

Poulko's Mansion: Back (Northern) View


The three protruding logs, clearly visible, used to hold the second floor WC which, according to the sanitary regulations of the time, should be outside the main building.
Poulko's Mansion: Northern Outer Face

Poulko's Mansion: Northern Outer Face


The scaffolding is there to prevent the building from collapsing, remnant of some minor presevation work in the past
Poulko's Mansion: Stained Glass Windows on the Façade

Poulko's Mansion: Stained Glass Windows on the Façade
Poulko's Mansion: Stained Glass Window on the Façade

Poulko's Mansion: Stained Glass Window on the Façade


One of the two depicted in the previous photo
Poulko's Mansion: Stained Glass Window Detail Through the Scaffolding

Poulko's Mansion: Stained Glass Window Detail Through the Scaffolding
Poulko's Mansion: Deco Drawing on the Façade Upper Floor Outer Wall

Poulko's Mansion: Deco Drawing on the Façade Upper Floor Outer Wall
Poulko's Mansion: Outside View

Poulko's Mansion: Outside View
Poulko's Mansion

Poulko's Mansion
Poulko's Mansion: Drawing on the Side to the West, Second Floor

Poulko's Mansion: Drawing on the Side to the West, Second Floor


Showing the year the mansion was finished.
Poulko's Mansion: Wine Barrels in the Basement

Poulko's Mansion: Wine Barrels in the Basement
Poulko's Mansion: A Fantastic Ceiling

Poulko's Mansion: A Fantastic Ceiling
Poulko's Mansion: Another Fantastic Ceiling with a Square Navel

Poulko's Mansion: Another Fantastic Ceiling with a Square Navel


Woodcarved and painted. Ceiling 'navels' are square, rectangular, penta- or hexagonal and are the heavily decorated central part of the ceiling. Sometimes there are woodcarved fruit hanging there!
Poulko's Mansion: A Decorated Corner

Poulko's Mansion: A Decorated Corner
Poulko's Mansion: Older Photo Without the Scaffolding

Poulko's Mansion: Older Photo Without the Scaffolding
Poulko's Mansion: Decoration of the Walls

Poulko's Mansion: Decoration of the Walls
Poulko's Mansion: Vintage Yarn Winder

Poulko's Mansion: Vintage Yarn Winder
Poulko's Mansion: Stained Glass Window, Inside

Poulko's Mansion: Stained Glass Window, Inside


The same window as the one on the sixth photo on this page, as seen from the inside.
Poulko's Mansion: Second Stained Glass Window, Inside

Poulko's Mansion: Second Stained Glass Window, Inside


One of the two windows on the 5th photo.
Poulko's Mansion: Imposing Ceiling

Poulko's Mansion: Imposing Ceiling
Poulko's Mansion: Impressive Decoration of the Fireplace Hood

Poulko's Mansion: Impressive Decoration of the Fireplace Hood
Poulko's Mansion: Impressive Decoration of the Fireplace Hood, Front

Poulko's Mansion: Impressive Decoration of the Fireplace Hood, Front
Poulko's Mansion: Impressive Decoration of the Fireplace Hood, Detail

Poulko's Mansion: Impressive Decoration of the Fireplace Hood, Detail
Poulko's Mansion: Ceiling Navel

Poulko's Mansion: Ceiling Navel
Poulko's Mansion: Same Ceiling Navel (detail)

Poulko's Mansion: Same Ceiling Navel (detail)
Poulko's Mansion: Incredible Cupboard ('Missandres') Door Decoration

Poulko's Mansion: Incredible Cupboard ('Missandres') Door Decoration
Poulko's Mansion: 'Tsiatmas' Second Floor Building Technique

Poulko's Mansion: 'Tsiatmas' Second Floor Building Technique


The mansions' ground floor was robustly built of stone. The top floors, on the contrary, were built of very light and anti-seismic materials (logs, cane, hay, tiny pieces of wood and plaster, as clearly visible in this photo). The whole thing was internally and externally whitewashed and decorated.
Poulko's Mansion:  Hexagonal Woodcarved Ceiling Navel

Poulko's Mansion: Hexagonal Woodcarved Ceiling Navel
Poulko's Mansion:  Another Fireplace With Stained Glass Decoration

Poulko's Mansion: Another Fireplace With Stained Glass Decoration


The square pieces of glass were drawn on the inside and then put in position
Poulko's Mansion:  Another Fireplace With Stained Glass Decoration

Poulko's Mansion: Another Fireplace With Stained Glass Decoration
Poulko's Mansion:  Another Fireplace With Stained Glass Decoration (Detail)

Poulko's Mansion: Another Fireplace With Stained Glass Decoration (Detail)


Detail of one of the decorative glass pieces
Poulko's Mansion:  Part of Ceilng and Wall Decoration

Poulko's Mansion: Part of Ceilng and Wall Decoration
Poulko's Mansion:  Constantinople (Detail of Wall Decoration)

Poulko's Mansion: Constantinople (Detail of Wall Decoration)


Important cities-trading centers in Europe were depicted in many mansions. More so Constantinople, the City of the Cities, the legentary capital of the fallen Byzantine Empire. In case the artist had never been in those cities, he based his work on a detailed description by those who had.
Poulko's Mansion:  Carved Decorative Patterns (Detail of Wall Decoration)

Poulko's Mansion: Carved Decorative Patterns (Detail of Wall Decoration)


Most of the times, walls were decorated with drawings. In some exceptional cases, as in this one, the decoration was the work of a sculptor.
Poulko's Mansion: One More Decorated Ceiling  Navel

Poulko's Mansion: One More Decorated Ceiling Navel
Poulko's Mansion: One More of the Windows

Poulko's Mansion: One More of the Windows


Superb stained glass decoration, with the Two Headed Eagle, emblem of the Byzantine Empire. Those folks were daring! Some one hundred and fifty years before Siatista was liberated, they dared to put up Byzantine emblems over their fireplaces or drawn in their windows!
Poulko's Mansion: Decorative Carving Between Two Windows

Poulko's Mansion: Decorative Carving Between Two Windows


Notice the Holy Cross on top of the one to the right.
Poulko's Mansion: One More Decorative Carving

Poulko's Mansion: One More Decorative Carving
Poulko's Mansion: Vintage Dusty Clock

Poulko's Mansion: Vintage Dusty Clock


Imagine how beautiful and decorative it would be when it was well looked after!
Poulko's Mansion: Cupboards in the Wall

Poulko's Mansion: Cupboards in the Wall
Poulko's Mansion: Another Decorative Pattern

Poulko's Mansion: Another Decorative Pattern
Poulko's Mansion: Everyday Utensils Hanging Around in 'Mesia' or 'Embate' (Entrance Hall in the Basement)

Poulko's Mansion: Everyday Utensils Hanging Around in 'Mesia' or 'Embate' (Entrance Hall in the Basement)
Poulko's Mansion: One Of the Stained Glass Windows

Poulko's Mansion: One Of the Stained Glass Windows


As seen from outside.
Poulko's Mansion: Back Yard Entrance To the Basement

Poulko's Mansion: Back Yard Entrance To the Basement

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