Zitsa

Zitsa is a village in the Prefecture of Ioannina and is mainly known for its wine. Built-in a semi-mountainous position on the left bank of the Kalamas river, it is located approximately 25 kilometers west of Ioannina. Administratively, it belongs to the Municipality of Zitsa, but although it has given its name to the municipality, it is not its headquarters. Zitsa was founded at the end of the Middle Ages, probably shortly before or after the beginning of the 15th century.
Traditional activities of the village's inhabitants are viticulture and animal husbandry, while in the recent past, marble mining flourished. Of the above, Zitsa's eponymous wine made from white grapes of the Debina variety has gained international recognition. Although it is not known precisely when the cultivation of Debina was introduced, by the 18th century, the village had already established its reputation as a wine-producing region. This particular variety is cultivated exclusively in the so-called Viticultural Zone of Zitsa, including the Protopappas, Karitsa, Ligopsa, Klimatia, and Gavrisioi. Around it, the local secondary sector has developed three wineries.