Andritsaina
Encyclopedia
Andritsaina is a town and a former municipality
in Elis, West Greece, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is a municipal unit. The distance from Krestena
is around 45 km SE and 62 km SE of Pyrgos, 47 km SE from GR-9
/E55
, about 25 km SW of Karytaina
and about 280 km SW of Athens
, 45 km NW of Megalopoli and the old GR-7
/E55
and NE of Figaleia
, the Temple of Epicurian Apollo and Vassai. Arcadia
borders Andritsaina to the north and east. The area in ancient times used to be in Arcadia.
(12th-13th AD) and is mentioned in the chronicles of Moreas. The village played a crucial role during the Orlov Revolt
and the Greek War of Independence
. In 1826, Andritsaina was destroyed by Ibrahim's troops.
oldest tap, built in 1724.
The famous library built in 1840 by the donations of a humanist living in Paris with roots from Andritsaina named Agathofron Nikolopoulos is located in Andritsaina. Its collection comprises rare 16th and 17th century manuscripts, rare Greek or foreign books, important documents from the period of the Greek War of Independence
and rich folklore material. Today, the library has more than 40000 books.
. It became a part of Greece
after the Greek War of Independence
. Its economy grew steadily during those years. The Olympic flame
which was for the 2004 Summer Olympics
passed through the town along with the surrounding villages by the road or highway in April 2004 not long after the start of the route. The flame stopped for a night and moved on to the GR-7 and Messinia the next day.
The area around Andritsaina was struck by a dangerous fire in the summer of 2007
that destroyed the surrounding area. The fire came northwest from Alifeira and south from Vasses. The fire destroyed almost every part of the forest. However, the fire did not affect the villages Theisoa and Matesi in the northeastern parts, where no damages were reported. The fire broke out on Saturday August 25 and Sunday August 26, 2007 and continued for several hours. The rebuilding of the vicinity are in progress, portions will be replanted, but few of the houses will be rebuilt.
Communities and Municipalities of Greece
For the new municipalities of Greece see the Kallikratis ProgrammeThe municipalities and communities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. Thirteen regions called peripheries form the largest unit of government beneath the State. ...
in Elis, West Greece, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is a municipal unit. The distance from Krestena
Krestena
Krestena is a town in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is the seat of administration....
is around 45 km SE and 62 km SE of Pyrgos, 47 km SE from GR-9
Greek National Road 9
Greek National Road 9 is the second-longest national highway of Greece. It runs through the western Peloponnese, from Patras to Pylos. Its length is around .This highway travels near:*Bypasses:*Patras and Area, since 2002*Vrachneika*Alissos*Kato Achaia...
/E55
European route E55
European route E 55 is a E-route. It passes through the following cities:Helsingborg … Helsingør – Copenhagen – Køge – Vordingborg – Nykøbing Falster – Gedser … Rostock – Berlin – Lübbenau – Dresden – Teplice – Prague – Tábor – Linz – Salzburg – Villach – Tarvisio – Udine – Palmanova – Mestre...
, about 25 km SW of Karytaina
Karytaina
Karytaina is a village in Arcadia, Greece. It was the seat of the former municipality Gortyna. Karytaina had a 2001 population of 204 for the village and 257 for the municipal district...
and about 280 km SW of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, 45 km NW of Megalopoli and the old GR-7
Greek National Road 7
The Moreas Motorway is a motorway in Peloponnese, Greece. Locally it is known as the Moréas , which was the medieval name of the Peloponnese. The A7 begins just west of the Isthmus of Corinth, branching off from Greek National Road 8A...
/E55
European route E55
European route E 55 is a E-route. It passes through the following cities:Helsingborg … Helsingør – Copenhagen – Køge – Vordingborg – Nykøbing Falster – Gedser … Rostock – Berlin – Lübbenau – Dresden – Teplice – Prague – Tábor – Linz – Salzburg – Villach – Tarvisio – Udine – Palmanova – Mestre...
and NE of Figaleia
Figaleia
Figaleia is a village and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Zacharo, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 184 for the village and 2,499 for the municipality. The seat of the municipality was...
, the Temple of Epicurian Apollo and Vassai. Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
borders Andritsaina to the north and east. The area in ancient times used to be in Arcadia.
General information
Andritsaina is a village with a long history; it flourished mainly during the occupation of the FranksFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
(12th-13th AD) and is mentioned in the chronicles of Moreas. The village played a crucial role during the Orlov Revolt
Orlov Revolt
The Orlov Revolt was a precursor to the Greek War of Independence , which saw a Greek uprising in the Peloponnese at the instigation of Count Orlov, commander of the Russian Naval Forces of the Russo-Turkish War...
and the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. In 1826, Andritsaina was destroyed by Ibrahim's troops.
How the village got its name
According to tradition, Andritsaina owes its name to the wife of a Cretan shepherd named Andritsos or Andrikos, who-chasing his runaway sheep-came to a spring on mount Lykaion. There he built a hostel that after his death was kept by his wife Andrikaina (meaning "the wife of Andrikos"). From her name and from the local pronunciation of "ke" as "tche", the small hotel was named "the hostel of Andritsaina". When houses were built in the surrounding area, the settlement was named "Andritsaina".Description of the village
Today, the village impresses the visitor by its old mansions, its cobbled streets and its square (plateia), surrounded by tall trees and with a magnificent view of the nearby mountains. I Trani Vrysi (literally meaning "the Great Tap") is located on the opposite side of the plateia and is the Peloponnese'sPeloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
oldest tap, built in 1724.
The famous library built in 1840 by the donations of a humanist living in Paris with roots from Andritsaina named Agathofron Nikolopoulos is located in Andritsaina. Its collection comprises rare 16th and 17th century manuscripts, rare Greek or foreign books, important documents from the period of the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
and rich folklore material. Today, the library has more than 40000 books.
Subdivisions
The municipal unit Andritsaina is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):- Andritsaina (Andritsaina, KarmioKarmioKarmio is a little village in Elis, Greece. It is located 7 km northeast of Andritsaina and is also in that municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 23 for the village...
, Myloi, Sykies) - DafnoulaDaphnoulaDaphnoula or Dafnoula is a mountain village in Elis in Greece, part of the municipal unit Andritsaina. There are no bridges over the Alpheus. The nearest bridge is found on the road linking the nearby villages of Kallithea and Tropaia to the west and the road GR-76 to the southeast...
(Dafnoula, Chelidoni) - Dragogio (Dragogio, Kastrougkaina, Plateia)
- Fanari
- Koufopoulo
- Linistaina
- MatesiMatesiMatesi is a small village in Elis, Greece, part of the municipal unit Andritsaina. According to the 2001 census, its population was 101...
- RoviaRoviaRovia is a little village near Andritsaina, its 2001 population was 44. Rovia is connected with the GR-76 along with several other roads.- Location :...
- Sekoulas (Sekoulas, Balaiika)
- TheisoaTheisoa, GreeceTheisoa is a little village in southwestern Greece, part of the municipal unit Andritsaina. Its 2001 population was 129. Until the 20th century, the village was known as Lavda...
Population
| Year | Village | Municipal district | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1,034 | - | - |
| 1991 | 660 | - | 2,511 |
| 2001 | 575 | 663 | 2,152 |
History
Andritsaina was ruled by the Venetians and the OttomansOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. It became a part of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
after the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. Its economy grew steadily during those years. The Olympic flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
which was for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
passed through the town along with the surrounding villages by the road or highway in April 2004 not long after the start of the route. The flame stopped for a night and moved on to the GR-7 and Messinia the next day.
The area around Andritsaina was struck by a dangerous fire in the summer of 2007
2007 Greek forest fires
The 2007 Greek forest fires were a series of massive forest fires that broke out in several areas across Greece throughout the summer of 2007. The most destructive and lethal infernos broke out on August 23, expanded rapidly and raged out of control until August 27, until they were put out in early...
that destroyed the surrounding area. The fire came northwest from Alifeira and south from Vasses. The fire destroyed almost every part of the forest. However, the fire did not affect the villages Theisoa and Matesi in the northeastern parts, where no damages were reported. The fire broke out on Saturday August 25 and Sunday August 26, 2007 and continued for several hours. The rebuilding of the vicinity are in progress, portions will be replanted, but few of the houses will be rebuilt.
Famous persons originating from Andritsaina
- Panagiotis AnagnostopoulosPanagiotis AnagnostopoulosPanagiotis Anagnostopoulos was a Greek revolutionary leader during the Greek War of Independence and a member of Filiki Eteria.He was born in Andritsaina around 1790 and was descended from a poor family...
, revolutionary leaderGreek War of IndependenceThe Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between... - Anastassios Christopoulos, revolutionary leader
- Athanasios Kanellopoulos, politician
- Dimitrios KiousopoulosDimitrios KiousopoulosDimitrios Kiousopoulos was an important Greek jurist and a politician. He was born in 1892 in the town of Andritsaina, situated in Ilia prefecture, in Peloponnese....
, jurist and politician - Konstantinos Nikolopoulos, composer, archeologist, and philologist
External links
- GTP - Andritsaina
- GTP - Municipality of Andritsaina
- Andritsaina Village
- Rural migration from Athens during debt crisis 2011
| North: Irea | ||
| West: Alifeira Alifeira Alifeira is a village and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is a municipal unit. The seat of the municipality was in the village of Kallithea. It is north of the... |
Andritsaina | East: Karytaina Karytaina Karytaina is a village in Arcadia, Greece. It was the seat of the former municipality Gortyna. Karytaina had a 2001 population of 204 for the village and 257 for the municipal district... |
| South: Sklirou Sklirou Sklirou is a village in the municipal unit of Eira, Messenia, southern Greece. In its district lies the Apollo Epicurius Temple and Lycosura, reputedly the most ancient city in the world.-Nearest places:*Andritsaina NW*Ampeliona E*Kakaletri SE*Dragogio SW... Figaleia Figaleia Figaleia is a village and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Zacharo, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 184 for the village and 2,499 for the municipality. The seat of the municipality was... |