When the traveler comes in view,for the first time,of Ampelakia,he gets the impression that this village is different from the other villages and this is true.The mountain sides are hung with mansion which testify,with their architecture that the passed years left their indelible,historic imprint.

There is magic in our air,the traveler,speechless,admires the civilization:the houses the old coloured streets,the old native men.

A flashback reminds us that Ampelakia appeard for the first time in 1400 A.D.(approximately).

At the same year,the fall of Constantinople and the conquest of Byzantium by the Turks marked the end of the Byzantine empire and the establishement of the Ottoman empire.

So,Ampelakia is one of the thessalian villages of the later Byzantine area.

In the first Turkish census of 1454-55,Apmelakia was one of the countless villages,that were under the control of the Shahs of Trikala (governors of the area).
Regarding the name of the historical community,the opinions of the historical are discordant.

There are two versions of the creation of the village's name. Some historians claimed that the name had been a variation of the word 'Amfilakia',which means a village between two pits. This isn't the right version because the village is crossed not by two,but by four pits.

The most possible version is that the name derived from the vineyards (vineyards:apmeli) that surrounded the community and from the Vineyard register of 1899,that was saved.

According to historical sources,the old villages of Ampelakia was located in a north site comparatively to the new village.

It is a half-hour walk to the old village,which is known as 'Paliohori' (old village).It was famed for its beautiful and slim women...

There are three possible reasons for the change of the village's location.

• The first one is the lack of fresh,running,drinkable water that made the natives rebuilt the village under the mountainside, just after 1595.
• the second reason is that the old site was alive with snakes and the third one is a strange,poisonous bug)probably o poisonous spider:marmaga),which stung the locals and they died.

So,they had to leave the old village and built the new one.
Some contemporary historians contend that Ampelakia was a village which belonged to the great Byzantine monastery of St.Dimitrios in Stomio.

This monastery is preserved until now days.It is situated on the east side of Kissavos,just above the seaside village Stomio.
This supposition is corroborated dy the fact that Ampelakia was not violated by the Turks.All the monastery areas were not defiled.

Until the middle of the 17th century,Ampelakia was a cattle-raising and wine-product community,which,till that time,had managed to satisfy the needs of the constantly increasing population.
This (the satisfaction of the needs) was achieved (probably) thanks to the cover that the Turk invaders provided.
As the population increased,the wine production was not enough to support the inhabitants financially.

So,they started showing an interest in the production and dyeing of cotton yarns.Towards the close of the 17th century and in the early 18th century the dyeing of cotton yarns had become the main work of the peasants.

Ampelakia became famous in Greece and in Europe for its scarlet cotton yarns.The high level of culture of the natives led to their specialization in dyeing.

The know-how of dyeing presupposes o long spinning and dyeing. The commercial activity presupposes a tradition in business transactions and it trade.

Another proof of the high educational level was that from the early 18th century,there were primary schools,'greek' schools and also girl' schools.

The high cultural level was a common characteristic between Ampelakia and some ather villages (or towns) which prospered that period,such as Rapsani,Tirnavos,Tsaritsani,Zagora(in mountain Pelion),Janina,Zagorohoria.

In addition,if we consider that the near city of Larissa had its first school in the early 19th century(in 1820) there were 14 schools in all,we realize the importance of school in Ampelakia those years.

Practically it was a secret society of mason- masters,whose object was the protection of their professional secrets. These secrets had to do with the dyeing's know-how.

In the spinning units 'dye-houses','the Dyeing's Secret' is safeguarded until today.