Motivated by the growth in commerce, many men left Metsovo to settle permanently in cities in Europe, the Ottoman Empire or Russia. However, for most of them, Metsovo remained the centre of their financial activities and their family life. Much of their annual income was pumped back into the local economy and hundreds of inhabitants of Metsovo made donations of varying sizes towards public works. Some of them, such as Georgios Averoff, Michael Tossizza and Nikolaos Stournaras, became well-known benefactors at a national level.
Gradually, Metsovo merchants started to replace their local clothing with “Frankish” outfits. Those who stayed in Metsovo still wore the traditional dress with some modifications. After the liberation of Metsovo in 1912, most abandoned the fez and tsarouhi shoes and around that time, women’s clothes were increasingly made using western fabrics based on new patterns.
Travellers visiting Metsovo at the beginning of the 19th century described houses scattered among orchards, vegetable gardens, beech trees and shrubs.
