Ever heard of "Nova Pela"?

[Pelister]

A delegation of Macedonians contacted the wealthy Macedonian emigre, Constantine Belov from the village of Blatsi, with the purpose of arranging for the collection of funds to contribute the necessary capital for a foundation settlement near Atalanti, to be called "New Pella". There the new city would be near the boundary of Thessaly and consequently, not so far from their homeland, Macedonia. Belov, who incidently had contributed an enormous amount of money to books written in the Macedonian language, to be placed at the new library to be built at New Pella. He specified in a legal document "that these books were to be put at the disposal of Macedonia when she should be in a position to establish Macedonian schools, and find the need for such books

Source: A. E. Vacalopoulos, History of Macedonia, 1354 - 1833, Balkan Studies, 1973, page 661-2

ps. I can't get a year on this, but I think this was happening sometime in the 1830's.

[Rogi]

Huge!

Needs much more research

[Daskalot]

Do we have any updates on this topic? It has gone two years now

[Akzion]

What kind of updates? I guess this village was never made.
Atalanti, is very southern. It's in Fthiotis quite far from Macedonia or even Thessaly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atalanti

This "Nova Pella" should not be confused with the villages of Pella and Nea Pella that are right next to the archeological site of Pella.

[George S.]

whatever happened to the books?

[Agamoi Thytai]

whatever happened to the books?

There aren't any such books.Neither Constantine Belios published ever any books in Macedonian language nor A.Vacalopoulos mentioned ever such things in his work.Why don't we examine what Constantine Belios wrote himself,at least his book is available online.
As for "Nea Pella",it was the name of a settlement that was founded in the 1830s near Atalanti,Lokris (Central Greece,modern Lamia prefecture) for the warriors from Macedonia who fought in the Greek war of independence.It was the initiative of Konstantinos Belios mainly (a very rich merchant in Vienna) and some other people from Macedonia who had founded a commisiion for this purpose.
Belios himself published a book in 1837 titled "Πρακτικά του ευγενεστάτου βαρώνου κυρίου Κ.Μπέλλιου Μακεδόνος,συλλεγέντα υπό των αυταδέλφων Δ. κσι Ν. Αργυριάδων,των εκ Σιατίστης της Μακεδονίας"
Records of the noblest baron Mr. K. Bellios the Macedonian,collected by the brothers D. and N. Argyriadis,(who are)from Siatista of Macedonia:

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP9

Τhe settlement of "Nea Pella" is mentioned in some abstracts from his correspondence with Argyriadis bross:

"Προς τον ευγενέστατον άρχοντα βαρώνον κύριον Κωνσταντίνον Μπέλιον
Η φήμη των οποίων προς την φιλτάτη μας πατρίδα Ελλάδα,εξαιρέτως δε εις την Μακεδονίαν επράξατε ευεργεσιών.."
To the noblest archon Baron Mr. Konstantinos Belios
The reputation of the benefactions you have commited towards our dearest homeland Greece and especially in Macedonia...

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP11

"Δέξασθε λοιπόν,αξιοσέβαστε ευεργέτα και μόνε ή μετ' ολίγων προστάτα των Μακεδόνων τας παρακλήσεις μας ταύτας και αποκριθήτε υμίν το δοκούν σας.
Βιέννη τη 5 Μαϊου 1838 Δ. και Ν. Αργυριάδαι"
Thus receive our plea,respectable benefactor and lonely or one of the few protectors of the Macedonians and respond to us in the way you consider to be proper
Vienna,May 5,1838,D.and N.Argyriadis bross

"Κύριοι Δ. και Ν. Αργυριάδαι...
ο μόνος και κυριώτερος σκοπός μου είναι και θέλει είσθαι το να εκπληρώ τα προς την πατρίδα Ελλάδα και εξαιρέτως εις την Μακεδονίαν μας οφειλόμενά μοι απαραίτητα χρέη..."
Mr. D.and N.Argyriadis bross...
my only and main aim is and will be to fulfill the neseccary duties towards my homeland Greece and especially Macedonia...

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP13

"οι Μακεδόνες μας,των οποίων οι τιμήσαντες τ' όνομα αδελφοί των συνοικίζονται ήδη εις την Νέαν Πέλλην της Λοκρίδος"
Our Macedonians,whose brothers honouring their name already are settled in Nea Pella of Lokris.

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP14

"Προς τους φιλτάτους μοι συμπατριώτας Μακεδόνας"
To my dearest compatriots the Macedonians

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP15

"αι σκιαί των διαπρεψάντων εις το θέατρον της δόξης Σωκράτους, Πλάτωνος, Αριστοτέλους και τέλος ή του μεγάλου εκεινου Αλεξάνδρου του καθ' ολην την Ασίαν εκτείναντος το Έλληνικόν φρόνημα εφαίνετο παρακινούσα όλους εις την φιλομάθειαν και ηθικήν αναγέννησιν μας;με βλέμμα προσηνές έβλεπε την συνοικοιζόμενην ήδη υπό της Πατρικής κηδαιμονίας της Α. Μ. του Βασιλέως Ελλάδος ΟΘΩΝΟΣ νέαν Πέλλην ,καί τους καρτερόφρονας και ανδρείους απογόνους του: τον οπλαρχηγόν Καρα Τάσιον, τον συνάμιλλόν του ατρομητον Χ.Χρήστον, και όλον το πλήθος των εις την ελευθέραν Ελλάδα ανδρείων Μακεδόνων. Στεντώρειος φωνη εξήρχετο από τα ενδότατα της Ασίας,οπου εξέπνευσε την μεγάλην του ψυχην,και από της Αφρικής τα άκρα όπου είναι τεθαμμένη η κόνις του, Ιδού ω Μακεδόνες, λέγουσα,ο Νέος αντ' εμού πατήρ σας και Βασιλεύς,ός τις όχι ολιγώτερον απ' εμέ θέλει σας αγαπήσει;ιδού η νέα πατρίς σας αντί τής οποίας αφήσατε,είς την οποίαν ηδη, άν φρονήτε ορθώς, θέλετε εύρει παν ό,τι εχάσατε;εδώ θέλετε χαίρειν τά δικαιώματα ευνομουμένου λαού και την ατομικήν σας ασφάλειαν ; εδώ εις την νέαν πατρίδα σας θέλω συγκατοικήσει κ’αγώ,εδώ θέλουσιν ελθείν και όλαι αι λαμπραί σκιαί των συνακολουθησάντων με εις την Ασίαν προγόνων σας ευρίσκουσαι περίθαλψιν πατρικήν υπό την Αιγίδα του καλού Βασιλέως της Ελλάδος ΟΘΩΝΟΣ".

The shadows of the distingusihed in the theater of glory Socrates,Plato,Aristotle and finally of that Great Alexander,who spread throughout Asia the Greek thought,seem to urge all of us towards studiousness and moral regeneration;with his friendly stare he looked at Nea Pella which was already founded by the paternal care of H.M. the king of Greece Otto and his patient and brave descendands:chieftain Karatasos,his equivalent Ch.Christos and all the crowd of the brave Macedonians who reside in free Greece.A loud voice came from the interior of Asia,where his great soul expired and from the edge of Africa where his dust is burried,saying:This is,Macedonians,your new father and king instead of me,who shall love you no lesser than me;this is your new homeland,instead of that which you left behind,in which you shall find if your mentality is good all what you have lost;here you shall enjoy the rights of a well-governed people and your personal security;here in your new home i shall also dwell with you,here shall come and all the bright shadows of your ancestors who followed me up to Asia,finding paternal care under the auspis of the good king of Greece Otto.

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP17

Eπιτροπή περί του συνοικισμού των Μακεδόνων-Commission for the settlement of Macedonians

Ευγενέστατε Κύριε Βαρώνε!
Ασμένως εμάθομεν την φιλάνθρωπον πράξιν σας, δι' ης συνεδράμετε το δημοτικόν νοσοκομείον Αθηνών με σημαντικά αφιερώματα,και νομίζομεν χρέος μας να σας προσφέρωμεν την ευγνωμοσύνην των οποίων αντιπροσωπεύομεν συμπολιτών μας Μακεδόνων, δια την πρόνοιαν την οποίαν ελάβετε και περί αυτών εις την γενναίαν ταύτην αγαθοεργίαν σας;Απεδείξατε εντεύθεν,Κύριε συμπολίτα ότι δεν αγνοείτε την κατάστασιν,εις την οποίαν ήδη ευρίσκονται οι κατά την Ελλάδα Μακεδόνες μετά την απώλειαν της πατρίου αυτών γης;τους ηρωικούς αγώνας και πολυχρονίους ταλαιπωρίας υπέρ της ελευθερίας.Δια της πατρικής κηδεμονίας του Βασιλέως Ημών οι Μακεδόνες συνοικίζονται σήμερον εις την Αταλάντην της Λοκρίδος,κτίζοντες πόλιν υπό το ονομα Νέαν Πέλλαν.Κατοίκησαν δε ήδη εις αυτήν περι τας εβδομήκοντα οικογενείας Μακεδόνων,και άλλαι περί τάς τετρακοσίας, καταγραφείσαι μέχρι τούδε εις τους καταλόγους, δεν ηδυνήθησαν διά την έλλειψιν των μέσων νά αποκατασταθώσιν ακόμη;Όσον κοινωφελής είναι η επιχείρησις, τόσον απαντά δυσχερείας,
και εμπόδια ανυπέρβλητα ώς εκ της απορίας των συνοικιζόμένων.Οι κατά διάφορα μέρη της Ευρώπης αποκαταστημένοι συμπατριώται μας δύνανται να εξομαλίσωσι κατά μέγα μέρος τάς δυσχερείας ταύτας διά της συνδρομής των.Και οι υποφαινόμενοι κρίνοντες εκ του χαρακτήρος, και των αισθημάτων, με τά οποία τιμάτε τό Μακεδονικόν όνομα, δεν θεωρούν άλλο συντελεστικότερον μέσον εις την επίτευξιν της συνδρομής ταύτης,όσον την ευγενή σύμπραξίν σας.Δια τούτο ετόλμησαν νά αναθέσωσιν εις υμάς αυτό το έργον διά του ώδε επισυνημμένου επιτροπικού,παρακαλούντες υμάς να ευαρεστηθήτε να δεχθήτε αυτό ευμενώς, και να πράξητε ό,τι προσδοκώσιν από την φιλανθρωπίαν των συμπολιτών μας τά Ήρωϊκά λείψανα των υπέρ της ελευθερίας της κοινής πατρίδος αγωνισαμένων Μακεδόνων.

Έν Αθήναις την 9 Ιαννουαρίου 1837,

Η επιτροπή
Αθανάσιος Πολυζωίδης,Γ.Χρηστίδης,Γ.Αθανασίου,Θεοφάνης Σιατιστεύς

Noblest Mr. Baron

We learned with pleasure your charity act,when you benefited the municipal hospital of Athens with important offerings and we consider as our duty to express to you the gratitude of our Macedonian compatriots whom we represent,for the concern which you showed towards them through this great benefaction of yours*.So you should prove,Mr. compatriot that you don't ignore the conditions under which live the Macedonians that reside in Greece,after the lose of their fatherland,their heroic struggles and their age-long sufferings.Through the paternal care of our king the Macedonians are settled today in Atalanti of Lokris,founding a town with the name Nea Pella.There are already settled around 70 Macedonian families,and some 400 other,already registered in the list could not settle so far,due to lack of money.Although it's a project useful to public interest,it meets with many difficulties and obstacles,due to the poverty of the people that are to be settled there.Our compatriots residing in various parts of Europe might help to overcome these predicaments.And we ourselves who sign below,judging by your character and the sentiments,through which you honour the Macedonian name,consider there is no other more effective way to achieve this than your noble contribution.Therefore,we dared to assign this task to you,through this attached document,pleading you to accept it with favorable intensions,and to make what expect from the charity of our compatriots the heroic remnants of the Macedonians that fought for the freedom of our common homeland.

Athens,January 9,1837

The Commission

Athanasios Polyzoidis,G.Christidis,G. Athanasiou and Theofanis Siatisteus.

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA17

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA18

*Two years before,on December 20,1836,Belios had donated to the municipal hospital of Athens some large estates and according to one of the terms of the contract (term γ) the hospital should buy new nursing beds with the incomes of these estates.Term ε also reads:

"Αείποτε και εις οιανδήποτε περίστασιν οι Μακεδόνες έξουσι δικαίωμα προτιμήσεως επί τούτων των κρεβατίων;όθεν,άμα όπου ήθελε παρρησιασθή ασθενής Μακεδών,ενδεής δηλ. και απροστάτευτος,αμέσως και άνευ της παραμικράς δυσκολίας να είναι δεκτός,αν καινόν κρεβάτι του συμπατριώτου του και κτίτορος ήθελεν είσθαι.Εις έλλειψιν ενδεών ασθενών Μακεδόνων,θέλουν είσθαι δεκτοί έτεροι ασθενείς Έλληνες μη Μακεδόνες άνευ εξαιρέσεως".
Always and in every occasion the Macedonians have the right to be prefered for hospitalizing on these beds;hence,if there appears a Macedonian patient,pauper and unprotected,he should be immediately accepted,if there is an empty bed of his compatriot and benefactor.In case there aren't any Macedonian pauper patients,then there should be hospitalized other Greek non-Macedonian patients without exception.

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA4

[Akzion]

Atalanti is still a rather small isolated town of 6000 people. I could only find that in the western side of the town there is a Neas Pellas St, leading out of town to nowhere. I guess this is where Nea Pella was, either the Western neighborhood of the town or a settlement outside of Atalanti that doesn’t exist anymore.
Also there’s a main street Velliou St. in Atalanti.
Funnily enough there are still active Bellios scholarships for students coming from Vlasti/ Blatsi and Nea Pella of Atalanti.

Agamoi Thytai,
Thanks for the corrections and for… being here (even though TrueMacedonian confuses you with me). Just a question. The one you mention as Athanasios Polyzoides (and in sources is written as A. Polyzoides) is “the” Anastasios Polyzoides (author, politician and most famous as judge) from Meleniko? Or, is there another Athanasios Polyzoides? Weirdly most/many internet sources refer to Anastasios as Athanasios by mistake or for reasons that are unknown to me.

Pelister,
No offence but the quote of post#1 stroke me as fake, mistranslated or misinterpreted (given it was supposedly written by Vakalopoulos) and I couldn’t find it myself. Where did you get it? Was Bellios mentioned as Belov? Does it speak of “Macedonian language”? Since he comes from Vlasti, he was most probably a Vlach.

[Risto the Great]

Since he comes from Vlasti, he was most probably a Vlach.

Why would you say that?

[Akzion]

Vlasti (of Kozani district) was (I thought) a solid Vlach town. Actually it was 50%-50% Greek-Vlach (at the beginning of 1900), but there are many sources who consider Bellios as Vlach.
You shouldn't confuse this town with Blaca/ Vlassi/ Oxyes(?) in Kastoria district or Blatsi/ Vlatsi/ Valasti/ Polyneri (?) in Grevena district (if that’s your objection). (I'm not even sure if I have the names in this paragraph correct).

[Agamoi Thytai]

Just a question. The one you mention as Athanasios Polyzoides (and in sources is written as A. Polyzoides) is “the” Anastasios Polyzoides (author, politician and most famous as judge) from Meleniko? Or, is there another Athanasios Polyzoides? Weirdly most/many internet sources refer to Anastasios as Athanasios by mistake or for reasons that are unknown to me.

Yes,he is the known judge from Meleniko who refused (along with G.Tertsetis from Chios island) to sign the death sentence of Kolokotronis in that infamous trail:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-lr20SuvfIC&pg=PA233&dq=polyzoidis+kolokotronis&hl=el&ei=DDgjTfc8jKjxA92xkN0F&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=polyzoidis%20kolokotronis&f=false

And you are right,his name was actually Anastasios.

Pelister,
No offence but the quote of post#1 stroke me as fake, mistranslated or misinterpreted (given it was supposedly written by Vakalopoulos) and I couldn’t find it myself. Where did you get it? Was Bellios mentioned as Belov? Does it speak of “Macedonian language”? Since he comes from Vlasti, he was most probably a Vlach.

This is what actually Vakalopoulos wrote:

Α delegatıon contacted the wealthy Macedonian emigré, Constantine Bellios (from Blátsi), with the object of arranging for a collection of funds from their fellow-Macedonians to provide the necessary capital for the foundation of a settlement near Atalánti, to be called New Pella. There, they would be near the boundary of Thessaly and, consequently, not so far from their homeland of Macedonia.
Bellios, who, incidentally, had given 60.000 drs. towards the municipal hospital of Athens, donated about 2.000 books, in Greek, Latin, German and Italian, to the library of New Pella. It is clear, however, that Macedonia was uppermost in his mind, for he specified, in a legal document, that these books were to be put at the disposal of Macedonia.

http://www.promacedonia.org/en/av/av_18_1.htm

Here Belios himself has published in his book the deed with which he donated these books to the community of Nea Pella:

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA35

And here is a detailed list of all these books:

http://books.google.com/books?id=OQtCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA43

(Maybe i will translate it later if i have time.)