Around 1909 Stamati Dritsas was working on the spring located above Marmari, a short distance from his house at the base of Agios Constandinos.
He says that he heard his wife Paraskevi calling him so he left the spring to return to the house to see what she wanted. She said that she did not call him so he returned to the spring. As he neared the spring, it collapsed.
The Story as told by Andrew Dritsas.
“My Father Stamati was digging out a spring, near Agios Constandinos.There was a large boulder above the site.
He heard his wife’s voice calling to him.
He got out of the well [left the digging] and went to the house, but she said she had not called him.As he was returning to the spring, it caved in.
He believed that hearing that voice had saved his life.
If he had not gotten out of the spring to see what his wife wanted,
he might have been killed in the cave in, or by the boulder. He thought it was a miracle.
He had the bell made and hung it out side on the terrace of the church.
It now hangs in a belfry at the church and should remain there indefinitely.
The bell is inscribed “Donated by Stamatios Dritsas year 1909, No.1880 ”
Agios Constandinos is the church just above the house where Stamatis and Paraskevi Dritsas lived.
The spring is still there and it was recently refaced. This photo was taken before refacing.
Update August 10, 2013
There is some confusion about the spring. Andrew referred to it as a well and it could have been a well at first ut it is now a spring flowing from the hillside.
Today, Dimitri, George, Constandinos and I took a walk up to the spring.
The path in front of the spring is now paved with Karystos stone and the rest of the path is now roughly paved. You can drive a car up to the spring and continue up to the main road below the church.
Several houses have been built in the area around the spring.
The side of the hill where the spring is located was also faced with Karystos stone and there is a plaque mounted on the face of the spring that reads “The Spring of Banos”.
I will post a new picture as soon as I return to the spring.
Dimitri talked to one of the local residents and was told that the Banos family owned most of the land around the spring.
Zaharoula Banos was Vivian’s great grandmother. Paraskevi Dasios, Vivian’s grandmother, was the daughter of Dimitrios Dasios and Zaharoula Banos.
It would seem then that after Stamati Dritsas married Paraskevi Dasios he was given the land under the church and the land where the vineyards were located, probably as part of a dowry.
They lived under the church until 1914 when they moved down into the town.