Filiates
It is the biggest in expansion municipality of the prefecture of Thesprotia with Filiates being its seat. Between the Kalamas river, the Mourgana Maountai n and the greek-albanian borders there is extended the region of Filiates with centre the city of Filiates.
In the city of Filiates the visitor can see and admire the enchanting town planning that characterizes it, as well as the buildings with particular architectural elements.
The Local Comminities that constitute today the Municipality of Filiates are found scattered in a
region that is characterized by the rich geographic partition, rivers, mountains, streams and small flat areas that in combination with the anthropogenic environment (abbeys, bridges, traditional settlements) can constitute an interesting destination for the visitor. A separate position possess the 5 traditional settlements (Giromeri, Finiki, Faneromeni Plesio and Kamitziani), that constitute samples of traditional architecture, and also a lot of areas that have been characterized as Natura regions and as Landscapes of Particular Natural Beauties.
The people are hospitable and they welcome happily the visitor to the live festivals during the
summer. It is a region in a virgin nature, full of light and different colors among the Seasons
Here the mountains, the rivers and the paths grant to the visitor a unique experience, accompanied by the (intense) perfume of the saga, the thyme, the linden. Towards the end of the 4th century B.C the ancient city of Gitani is founded, the capital of “the Commune of Thesprotia People” in a naturally fortified position, surrounded by the Kalamas River for the most of its area. Polygon walls have been saved and the excavation search has revealed an
arcade in the village of the ancient market place, public buildings, a small temple and a part of a stony Theatre of the city the capacity of which was 5.500 seats. The Holly Monastery of Giromeri, founded by Saint Nilos the Erihiotis at the beginning of the 14th century and the Holy monastery of Kamitsiani ( 1613 ) constitute the most significant ecclesiastical monuments of the region. Story houses, pavement
roods, old bridges, doors, faucets are preserved at the traditional settlements ( Plesio, Finiki, Giromeri, Faneromeni, Sideri, Tsmadas ) until today. All of them are brilliant specimens of the Post – Byzantine Φιλιάτες architecture.