Trikala in the 19th century

On August 23, 1881, with the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople, the city of Trikala, along with most of Thessaly and part of Epirus, was incorporated into the Greek State. Since the city did not have an established urban planning system, the mayor of Trikala at the time entrusted engineer Menandros Potessaros in 1884 to design the new city plan. A true gem and architectural monument for the city of Trikala during this period was the construction of the Railway Station building at the end of Asklepiou Street. The construction of the building was undertaken in 1886 by the French construction company responsible for the railway network during the government of Charilaos Trikoupis, and the Volos-Trikala railway line was completed in January 1887. The urban reconstruction of the city at the end of the 19th century was abruptly halted for a period, as the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, which was unfortunate for Greece, broke out in Thessaly. This war resulted in the occupation of Thessaly and the city of Trikala by the Ottomans for about a year. When the Ottoman army withdrew in 1898, the city returned under the sovereignty of the Greek State. Pictured: Partial view of Trikala around 1884. On the banks of the river Lithaios, men are carrying water for their animals and women are washing clothes. ©Municipal Photography Museum of Kalamaria ‘Christos Kalemkeris’.