Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas was born in Trikala, Thessaly, in 1908. A politician, author, collector, farmer, winemaker and the man behind Metsovo's “modern miracle”, Averoff — the great nephew of Georgios Averoff, a benefactor of the Greek nation — was a Vlach with roots in Metsovo. Having taken a degree in Law followed by a doctorate in Politics and Economics from Lausanne university, he concerned himself with community issues from an early age and was active in a number of spheres.
Political career:
During the first period of his political career, he served his country as a prefect, as a Member of Parliament and as under-secretary, then minister, of supplies, the economy and agriculture. He served as foreign minister 1956-1963, representing Greece in matters of the utmost national importance. Following the coup d'etat of 1967, he fought to bring about the fall of the Colonels' regime using all the means, legal and illegal, at his disposal, and was imprisoned as a result. Following the restitution of democracy, he was assigned the highly sensitive national defence portfolio (1974-1981) and in the space of just a few years successfully reorganizing the armed forces and purged them of fascist elements. He subsequently served as deputy leader of the government and leader of the Opposition. In 1984, he was declared honorary president of his political party, New Democracy.
Writings:
He wrote novels, short stories, plays, essays, academic papers and books on historical, political and economic matters. Works of his have been translated into numerous languages and earned international recognition and awards, including the Athens Academy Award (1939), the Medaille d' Or of the Academie Francaise (1974), the Medal of the City of Paris (1974) and the Acropolis Literary Award (1978). An illustrative selection of works would include: A contribution to the research into the demographic problem facing Greece (1974), Fire and the axe: Greece 1946-1949 (1974), A tale of missed opportunities: the Cyprus issue 1956-1963 (1981), The voice of the earth, a novel (1964), Land of pain, a novel (1966), Doves, short stories (1968), When the gods forgot, a novel (1969), Return to Mycenae, a play (1972), The explosion, a play (1987).
Achievements in Metsovo:
Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas was extremely active in Metsovo in various capacities, making a decisive contribution to the region's economic and cultural development as founder of the Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas Foundation, as the instigator and Chairman for life of the Baron Michael Tositsas Foundation, and as a benefactor and private citizen. His most important works in and for the area include setting up a Student Association providing free meals and accommodation to Epirote students in Athens (1954); founding a museum of folklore (1955); undertaking extensive reforestation and anti-erosion projects (1956-1965); building 107 schools in the Prefecture of Ioannina (1957-1960); setting up a model cheese-making unit, a model dairy farm and a model sawmill (1956-1959); establishing a health centre providing free health care to the inhabitants of Metsovo and the surrounding area (1958); planting vines on abandoned slopes in the area (1959); setting conservation projects in motion relating to churches, monasteries, traditional buildings, stone fountains and cobbled streets (1959-1963); founding a shop selling folk art (1968), an embroidery school (1968), a ski centre (1969) and a gallery of Neohellenic art (1988).