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Pelades is a typical example of traditional folk (or anonymous) architecture of the Greek countryside in the area of ​​Messolonghi. It is the first type of house developed in the 16th century, when sailors and fishermen first settled in the area. For many years it was a place of work, but also of temporary residence. For many fishermen it was the main residence since they could not have another residence inland. Thus, lake settlements were created. Pelades were built either individually or in groups in different parts of the lagoon.

Pelades, like any other example of folk architecture, have a form and way of construction that is determined by the climate, the available materials, the technical knowledge of the local craftsmen and the financial means of the owners. At the same time, it is a construction that is called to contribute to the immediate service of users, i.e., in this case fishermen.

Pelada is a pile construction. It is usually mounted on a wooden platform at a low height above the water surface, which is connected to the road by a wooden pier also a bridge. Alternatively, it is located on land, but again the platform is at a small height above ground level.

The bearing body, like the floor, is made of wood. The filling elements and the roof are made of reed and grass. Overall, the materials traditionally come from the local natural environment. Thus, these constructions were integrated in the natural environment and offered the appropriate microclimate for their users, warmth in winter - coolness and shading in summer. In the case of the Messolonghi Lagoon, the stakes were made of elms and the supports were made of tamarisk trees. The frame of the masonry is made of thick reed and the tying is done with a bunch of straw. The filling elements and the roof are made of braided straw and water cane.

It is not unfair to characterize pelades as "engineering and architectural masterpieces", since their mechanical practice of standing on stakes sunk to the bottom, is the same that is followed today in large projects as in the case of Rio-Antirio bridge.

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Photo Source: messolonghibylocals.com