Bad weather Daniel: The bridge of Agia Paraskevi did not last – its special importance for railwaymen

For sixty-three years, the bridge of Agia Paraskevi in ​​Pinos stood next to Olympus in the narrow Tempe Valley, where legend says Apollo pursued Daphne, daughter of the river Pinos, and tried to capture her.

In the same place, on the side of the mountain, the railwaymen, many years ago, built a temple in thanksgiving to Saint Paraskevi, as it is said, for her own intervention when a rock fell from above, but at the last minute Pinios ended up in the water, avoiding a passing train. Thus, in 1960, the bridge was constructed to facilitate the access of devotees to the temple, till then they crossed the river only by boat.

After “Daniel” the trickle is slowly receding

“The whole of Greece has passed through the bridge of Agia Paraskevi – not only that. All the Balkans have passed,” Georgios Manolis, mayor of Tempo, tells APE-MBE, referring to the bridge being damaged by Daniel’s bad weather. Although it resisted a lot, the structure could not withstand the weight of the trees and the pressure of the water and broke on one side.

“We didn’t have a problem with the bridge. At least I remember, but according to historical events in the area, this was the first time the water level of the Pinios River reached 18 meters,” notes the mayor. After all, he notes that in 1987 there were repeated flooding events because the March snows suddenly melted and collected large amounts of water in the river, but without such a serious event.

The destroyed bridge of Agia Paraskevi

Lakhs of visitors pass through the bridge and pilgrimage

As millions of visitors have passed through over the years, Mr. Manolis mentions this bridge and the pilgrimage as a reference point throughout Greece. In fact, one of her defining characteristics is that she flinches when many are on top of her. “As long as there was access from the old national road, there was panic. People lit candles, worshiped and made sure to enjoy the wonderful scenery,” he commented.

At the same time, it reminds us that, according to Greek mythology, Apollo hunted Daphne there and her mother turned her into a Daphne plant to escape him. “Actually, when a glacier formed in the area millions of years ago, the only place where Daphne survived was this particular place next to Phineus because it was warm enough and the plant was able to survive. Really, there are gifts there,” he says. .

Over the years, the construction of PATHE has reduced the number of visitors, and the driver passing through the tunnels is not so easy to get down the road to Agia Paraskevi. Now one has to go there consciously rather than standing still as before. Although the small church belongs to the Municipality of Larissa and Tyrnavos, and the municipality has no income from the pilgrimage, the mayor advises visitors to pass this place and visit the historic Ampelakia for lunch. With the famous PDO wine in Rabsani, on a special tour.

The water is draining slowly

At the same time, water drainage takes place at a slower rate, and from its evolution, the extent of damage suffered by the bridge can be determined. “The bridge was not completely destroyed. On the one hand it was disintegrating. “Once the water recedes, we’ll see if we can restore it or build a new floor because none of the foundations seem to have been affected,” notes Mr. Manolis.

Finally, he underlines the need for its rapid restoration, as he says, it is an infrastructure of great, timeless value. “I hope we all come together to restore the bridge soon,” he added.

Source: RES-MPE