XEROS - Cassimatis (ΚΑΣΙΜΑΤΗΣ) Family

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The nickname Xeros refers to a part of the Kasimatis family that lived in Skoulianika. In the past, that area was named Katouni, due to an area nearby called Omonimis. The church of Santa Irene appears to be from the 14th century, but it was certainly older and has been rebuilt many times as it seems. The Xeros family was a part of the Kasimatis family that initially carried the nickname Skoulos. From this nickname we have the name of the village Skoulianika. This nickname is old and we find references to it, with absolute certainty, from the beginning of the 18th century, but it is believed to be even older. The Xeros is a new nickname that appeared in the middle of the 19th century. Later, Vassilis Kasimatis – Xeros, who had a small shop in the area, moved to Ano Livadi, where in the 20th century we have two parts of the family Kasimatis – Xeros. Another part with strong relation with the pre-mentioned appears to be in Tsikalaria. From the same part, in the end of the 19th century, we have an ophthalmologist in Egypt, ancestors of whom were, until recently, located in Switzerland. In the part Kasimatis – Xeros, origins are with the school teacher Ioannis Kasimatis, who wrote three books with historical and folkloric facts of the island of Kythera. Today, in Kythera there are ancestors from all these parts, from Vassilis Kasimatis – Xeros and Ioannis Spyros Kasimatis from Livadi and from Theodore Kasimatis from Tsikalaria.

The part Kasimatis – Xeros in Tsikalaria comes from the initial begetter Panayiotis Kasimatis – Xeros in Skoulianika, who had from the end of the 19th century a small shop there (The relevant grave is exactly outside the church of Santa Irene in Skoulianika and it is the only one that existed there even after the transfer of the graveyard in another are nearby). One of his sons, Vassilis, opened a grocery shop in Ano Livadi and another one, Georgios, opened a grocery shop in Tsikalaria. Another brother, Spyros, opened a mall in Athens and it is said that he made good business, but I do not know more about him. There were many brothers in this generation, may be seven. At least three of them occupied themselves with commerce, as already mentioned. Son of Georgios Kasimatis – Xeros in Tsikalaria was Theodore, who continued the commercial activities of his father in Tsikalaria and Potamo, at which time there was another brother, Nick, who established Cassim’s Agency in Sydney and had two sons Jim and George, died in Australia in 1996. In Kythera and Athens there are many ancestors from all these parts of Xeros, since it is a relatively recent family. The ophthalmologist in Egypt had only two daughters, one died a few years before and left an enormous fortune in Egypt and Switzerland and a few items to her relatives in Kythera.

Also refer to:-

* Kassimatis paratsouklia - origins
* Xeros - Cassimatis (ΚΑΣΙΜΑΤΗΣ) Family Portrait