Kouroutes
On the road leading to the Fourfouras village of the prefecture of Rethymno and approximately 50 km far from the city of Rethymno, the mountain settlement of Kouroutes lies.
The Kouroutes village is built at an altitude of 500 meters and nestles in the valley of Asomathianos, at the western foothills of Psiloritis.
The name of the Kouroutes village is related, after small variations of the word, to the Curetes (a legendary people who took part in the quarrel over the Calydonian Boar).
Having an awareness of their historical continuity and the testimonies of the early archaeological excavations, the villagers of Kouroutes believe themselves to be distant descendants of Semi-Gods, who protected Zeus from his father Cronus.
Today, Kouroutes consists of two districts, Panochori and Katochori, with the Panochori being full of life today. The separation of the settlements originates in very old times, when Muslim families lived in Panochori and the Christian families in Katochori. The traces of the Muslim presence are still noticeable with Arabic inscriptions preserved on the old houses.
The village of Kouroutes participated in all local struggles for freedom and excelled in resistance action staffing the militia forces of Psiloritis.
The holy church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is an old cathedral of the Kouroutes village. Inside the village, there some more old churches, such as the church of Agios Ioannis and the cemetery between the two districts with the cave chapel of Agios Antonios. The main church of the village is the temple of the Ascension of Christ in Katochori. Near the church there is the Cultural Center of the parish of the Kouroutes.
Above the village of Kouroutes, on the slopes of Psiloritis, at location Pardi, there is a stone-built chapel of Agios Titos, which celebrates on August 25th each year and gives the opportunity to the residents of Kouroutes and their visitors to mingle and celebrate together.
