Historical Info of Kalamitsi during the Greek Revolution of 1821
On April 6, 1854, the revolutionaries of Macedonian chief Tsamis Karatasos, who have came from Evia through the Sporades to revolt with the Greeks of Halkidiki, landed on this idyllic beach.
Karatasos, had resigning from the army and having entered into secret negotiations with many inhabitants of Halkidiki. On March 29, 1854 sailed sailboats to Macedonia, escaping the attention of the English-French and Turkish allied fleet which had excluded Greece. On April 1, he arrived in Northern Sporades (Panagia Island), when he remained for three days due to rough seas. There he formed a camp of volunteer soldiers consisting of 1000 men, accompanied by the Halkidiki people who were there.
On April 4, after the necessary preparations, he boarded ten ships on the islands of Skiathos and Skopelos. After an overnight voyage, avoiding the Turkish patrol boats, landed on April 6 in a safe port of Sithonia, Kalamitsi, raising the Greek flag again.
The arrival of Karatassos and his army enthusiastically welcomed by the nobles of the village of Sykia and other surrounding villages along with the priests and monks of the parishes, chanting a prayer for the success of the struggle with moving events, believing that the end of slavery had come. Then the above inhabitants informed Tsamis about the existence of a Turkish infantry battalion in Sykia. Immediately Karatassos sent a detachment of 40-50 men led by Ioannis Styloudis from Lamia as a vanguard, while him with the rest of the force moved immediately, disbanded the enemy company and captured Sykia, except for a small number of men of the Turkish army, who scattered, were fortified inside the church of Agios Athanasios and an old tower.
Then after an attack, they conquer the Tower. The Turks in the church, didn’t leave as they promised. Instead of, they killed and dissect a monk they had arrested and threw its corps out of the windows. Prior to this situation, Karatassos ordered the church to be occupied at all costs. The soldiers, seeing that they couldn’t enter, because the doors were locked from inside, set a fire outside from the doors and ended the siege. After Sykia, Karatassos and his men headed on to Nikiti, where he arrived on April 9, welcomed by the locals with enthusiasm. In fact, after they armed, they began to besiege the Turks there, who numbered about three hundred.
Meanwhile, apart from Nikiti the surrounding villages such as Ag. Nikolaos and Parthenonas, as soon as they informed of the arrival of Tsamis, rebelled and sent voluntarily for his reinforcement. Then he continued his movement towards Ag. Nikolaos and on the 11th of April, Easter, he arrived in the village. He celebrated with the inhabitants. On the same day, a French warship, accompanying with two Turkish ships, sank in the port of Ag. Nikolaos a Greek ship (Captain Balsamis galley from Skopelos), where the ammunition of the army were.
Besides the historical info, Kalamitsi is one of the most beautiful picturesque coastal settlements of Halkidiki. It is well known for its unique beach and its clear blue crystal waters.
SOURCE: halkidikivoice.gr