Paranimfoi is a picturesque, mountainous village in the east of Kofinas, with magnificent view to the Libyan Sea.

Administratively the settlement is under the Archanes-Asterousia municipality and Amigdalos and the coastal settlement of Treis Ekklisies are under the Paranimfoi district.

Amigdalos is on the foot of the Xalavra hill, 560 meters above the sea level, in the west side of the road from Xarakas to Paranimfoi. Very few people live in the settlement.

200 people live in Paranimfoi and their main occupations are agriculture and livestock.

In the last years, the cultural association of the village built a small Folklore Museum.

Folklore Museum

A small but very beautiful museum is in the small mountainous settlement of Paranimfoi, in the Archanes-Asterousia Municipality. The museum was created by the cultural association of the village with the residents’ help.

There are various utensils and old objects used for textile industry, storing and agricultural activities in the museum.

HISTORY

The settlement is mentioned for the first time in a 1280 contract, as “Paramithi”, that is obviously written incorrectly. In the Venetian censuses, it is stated as “Paranifus” by Mparotsi. In 1583 Kastrofilakas mentions it by the name “Paranifus apano” with 28 residents and “Paranifus catto” with 37 residents.

In the 1671 Turkish census it is referred as “Paranimfoi” with 18 amerces. In 1881, it fell under the Xarakas municipality and in 1928 and until 1971 it was part of the Pirgos community.

Amigdalos is mentioned in all the Venetian censuses. It is referred by the same name in 1881, in the Xarakas municipality, with 15 Christians and 45 Muslims. It is under the Paranimfoi community from 1971.

CHURCHES

The Agios Pavlos church is in the west of the village where some remnants of frescos are preserved.