The old covered market

The market of Vyronas was built from the start as an enclosed group of shops, a “covered” market, in order to provide the inhabitants with products and services. However, its function faced some problems. The plot was demarcated by the streets Chrysostomou Smyrnis, Konstantilieri (Dodekanisou at the time), Panagi Tsaldari (Aliakmonos in those days) and Evangelikis Scholis. The construction of the market was initiated by the Refugees’ Care Fund and it then passed on to the Refugee Settlement Commission (RSC), which rented the twenty shops to merchants and other entrepreneurs. However, in 1927 the Commission decided to sell the building to the Union of Entrepreneurs, but the price was much higher than that of its construction. Furthermore, a fire which broke out on the 20th of December 1928, forced the Commission to increase more the price, as the expenses for repairs were also counted in. The entrepreneurs withdrew from the initial contract and the sale was never accomplished. For about two years the situation was tense, a fact which had repercussions on the state of the market. During these years many shops changed hands or category.