Over the centuries and the various historical events, it makes sense that many regions of Attica and Greece in general have changed their appearance, even their name. One of them is the famous Koukouvaounes I’m sure you’ve heard it several times, and you may remember it from Alices Vougiouklakis’s famous line in the old Greek film “Alice in the Navy.”
But what area of Attica are the Koukouvaounes today? It’s the Metamorphosis!
Metamorphosis is today a settlement in the western region of the northern sector of Athens, at the foot of Parnitha. The oldest name Koukouvaounes was changed on January 17, 1957 to Metamorphosis and the old inhabitants of the area are particularly familiar. In antiquity, in the place of today’s Metamorphosis was the ancient Municipality of Sypalittos.
But where did the name Koukouvaounes come from? In one version, she was given that name because she had a lot of owls in the area. Otherwise, it was called that because a vine with such a name thrived there. Many old people say that the area was famous for its good climate. That’s where a lot of patients lived there because they were favored by the climatic conditions.
The Koukouvaounes or more Metamorphosis,in the 15th century was a village. Then some Arvanite families settled there and where organized around the square, the well, and later the church of the Transfiguration of the Savior.
Today, Metamorphosis has among other things many parks and spreads out at the foot of Parnitha, still having a nice climate. So the next time someone tells you that it’s gone and almost found in Koukouvaounes, you’ll realize that he is in an area of Attica that is Metamorphosis!
Which area of Attica was the well-known Kakosalesi
