Pasha Ali

This is a fragment of a portrait of our Papou and Yaya, George and Maria Tzannes. Papou’s nickname was Pasha Ali, because he was such a big landowner in Fratsia, with beautiful orchards, vineyards and gardens. His house, perfectly situated in a quiet spot just behind the Platia, commanded a magnificent view of the valley towards Leondarikianika. Maria was originally a Kallinikos from Viradika, the daughter of a priest nicknamed Karaghiozis. (An amusing coincidence, as Ali Pasas and Karaghiozis are both popular characters in the Greek shadow puppet theater.)

Together Papou and Yaya had 11 children and 23 grandchildren. Of the 11 children, nine survived into adulthood. Stavros, Ioannis, Constantinos and Fortini emigrated to America; Cosmas and Stamatoula to Australia; Eleni to Athens. Only two daughters, Kalliope Masselos and Pothiti Kypriotis, remained on Kythera. Photograph by Panayotis Fatseas.