THE BARON MICHAEL TOSSIZZA FOUNDATION was founded in 1947 with the aim of maintaining Metsovo's cultural heritage and sustaining its economic growth. In the years between 1950 and 1960, the Foundation implemented a wide range of projects, which created new jobs for the residents and led to what is now known as "Metsovo's modern miracle": Over 100 schools were built throughout the prefecture, tradi
tional buildings, churches and monasteries were restored, fountains and roads were constructed, trees were planted and works were undertaken to protect the village from landslides. The Tositsa Student House was built in Athens, offering free accommodation and meals to students from Epirus. The once deserted manor house of the Tositsa family in Metsovo was restored and opened its doors to the public as the Folk Art Museum of Epirus, featuring invaluable collections. During the same decade, various other projects saw the light of day: A Timber Factory, equipping local producers with modern machinery; A Folk Art Shop and Embroidery School, aiming to revive weaving, woodcarving and other traditional crafts in the area; a model byre with cows and bulls from Switzerland, which gradually led to the improvement of the local breeds; the Tositsa Cheese Factory, which bought milk in subsidised prices from the region's small livestock farmers, created new types of cheese and educated a new generation of cheese makers. The Tositsa Hospital, providing free healthcare to the area's residents, was built almost three decades before the establishment of the country's national healthy system, and in 1969 one of Greece's first ski resorts was built in the region. Today, the Foundation is still actively at work to achieve the same goals, adjusted to Metsovo's modern needs and conditions. The foundation remains focused on the Tossizza Cheese Factory, the Ski Resort, the Metsovo Folk Art Museum and the Student House in Athens for students from Epirus, as well as on more recent initiatives, such as the Children's Library, the Museum of Evangelos Averoff- Tossizza. At the same time, it supports and participates in projects of general interest.
