Located in the heart of Western Macedonia, the two Vevi Villas are living monuments to family, history and resilience. Built in the 1920s, just after World War I, these twin homes were designed in the traditional architectural style of the period in the region.

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The houses were built by Zafe and Mitra  (who had six children, five sons, and a daughter)  when they desperately needed more accommodation, as their two eldest sons, Stefo, married Dotsa, and Meyele (Michael) married Vena. They needed to move out to start new families. 

Stefo and Dotsa had four children raised in the house: Metse Sofia, Gotche (George) and Kata.  

Gotche took over the house when he married Sultana Giannis, and they had three daughters, Vasa, Irene, and Gloria. Gotche and Sultana, with the three children, moved to Canada in the late 1950’s.

Meyele and Vena raised four children in their home: Paraskevi, Tanka, Stavros, and Leko (Alex). As time passed, the two daughters got married and moved out of the house. When the two sons married, the house was divided into two rooms (one downstairs and one upstairs) so that each child could raise their own family.

Leko married Mareka Rombis, and they had three daughters, Valerie, Tina, and Soula. Leko and family moved to Canada in 1965.

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Stavros and his wife Melpomeni, had three children—George, Evangelista, and Michael, who were all born and raised in the upstairs and downstairs rooms of the house.

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In 1958 Stavros moved to Melbourne, Australia. A year later, Melpomeni and the children followed, leaving the home empty. From 1965 to 2019, the once-busy house stood vacant. Its only residents were the swallows that annually visited to make their nests inside.

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When George returned to visit in 2019, the building was in ruins. With Crumbling roofless/walls and on the verge of needing demolition to make it safe for the road traffic, it seemed beyond repair. A black tarp was placed over the structure to shield it from any further damage while George considered what to do next. Restoration seemed impossible, too expensive and too late. 

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The pandemic in 2020 further delayed everything. But somehow this building survived until 2023 when George returned to inspect and make a decision.

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In 2023, a breakthrough came. Architect Konstantinos Gogos, aslo coming from Vevi, proposed a visionary approach to preserving the soul of the buildings while breathing new life into these two houses and the small external building.
 
For George, this was more than just another project. It was deeply personal. He had remembered his late father’s wish, who passed away in Australia in 2016, to restore his family home. With the support of his wife, Antonia and the initial encouragement of close family members, Peter and Gitsa Genis, George decided to try to fulfill it.

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Together with Mr. Gogos and Builder Xristos Garganis, they began the painful restoration works in 2024. What they found inside was extraordinary: hand-painted murals hidden under old plaster, well-preserved timber, and even pottery tucked away in the roof. Every detail was carefully restored or repurposed, blending the charm of the past with the comforts of today.

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Today, the Vevi Villas stand proudly once again overlooking the Vevi village and past the Florina valley to the snow-capped peaks of Vitsi Mountain. They are now more than renovated buildings; they have given Vevi a new lease of hope for the future and are a symbol not only of heritage but also of the enduring power of the Petsinis family, founded by Great/Grandparents Zafe and Metra back in the 1920’s.