Avia, Messenia
Encyclopedia
Avia is a village and a former municipality
in Messenia
, Peloponnese, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality West Mani
, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 236 for the village, 605 for the community and 3,089 for the municipal unit. The seat of the municipality was in Kampos
.
Avia is a famous touristic destination. It has rented rooms, hotels, taverns, cafes, etc. It also has a large olive production which is the source for the village.
I 150 and I 292).
The traveller Pausanias
mentioned in his Description of Greece that the city Ire was renamed Abia by Cresphontes
, king of Messene
, after Abia
, the nursemaid of his great-grandfather Hyllus
, son of Heracles
.
Abia was disputed between the Messenians and the Sparta
ns. Abia became a member of the Achaean League
in 181 BC
.
In the city featured the temple of Asclepius
. After Pausanias' time, Avia was not mentioned in sources. It was ruined by some barbarian invasions which rammed the Peloponnese during the early Byzantine period.
, the rubbled area received the name Paliochora. A monastery built where the Asclepius temple was in the ancient time in 1775.
From the mid 19th century, its residents of Megali Mantineia began to settle again in the beach area and its settlements Paliochora, Archontiko and Kopan(o)i (Κοπάνοι) the modern Akrogiali
According to a tradition of the first Mantineans which acted to abandon the deserted coast of Palaiochora was Stavreas, Petrouleas and Kotsoneas. Stavreas built a house above a roch which ruled the south of seashore. It was one that had a great remark which were unassailable from the sea. From the other side had warriors and soldiers. Today, the house is inhabited by the Fragkoulis family. In the east side appeared a warrior and an image dugged from the outer wall.
The municipality was created in 1835 and its seat was Almyros, it included the villages Seltsa (Άνω Βέργα, now Ano Verga), Mikra Mantineia and Sotirianika.
In 1841, it united with the municipality of Gerinias and included the villages of Kampos, Varoussi (Βαρούσι, modern Stavropigi), Malta, Gaitses (modern Kentro), Brinta, Nerida, Bilova, Doli, Kitries and Altomira. Kambos becams the seat of the earlier municipality. It was dissolved from 1914 until 1998 and its villages became communities.
It built a school in 1922 in the location which a newer school was built in 1972.
After World War II and the Greek Civil War
, its buildings were rebuilt and emigration occurred but in the 1990s, Avia began its small population explosion. Avia became connected with asphalt in the 1970s. Electricity, radio and automobiles were introduced in the mid-20th century, television in the late-20th century and computer and internet at the turn of the millennium. The municipality was created in the late-1990s. Avia became a part of the new municipality in 1998.
, southwest of Sparta
and NNW of Areopoli
.
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 Messenia
Messenia
Messenia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, implemented 1 January 2011...
, Peloponnese, 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 West Mani
West Mani
West Mani is a municipality in the Messenia peripheral unit, Peloponnese Periphery, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Kardamyli. It comprises the western part of the Mani Peninsula.-Municipality:...
, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 236 for the village, 605 for the community and 3,089 for the municipal unit. The seat of the municipality was in Kampos
Kampos Avias
Kampos is a village in the Mani Peninsula, in Messenia in Southern Greece. It was the seat of the municipality of Avia. Kampos had 550 inhabitants in 2001. It is located at height of 350m, on the provincial road Kalamata-Areopoli, 22 km. away from Kalamata. In Kampos, there is a primary...
.
Avia is a famous touristic destination. It has rented rooms, hotels, taverns, cafes, etc. It also has a large olive production which is the source for the village.
Ancient Abia
In the location where Paliochora is located today, the Homeric city of Ire (Ιρή) is supposed to have stood (IliadIliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
I 150 and I 292).
The traveller Pausanias
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
mentioned in his Description of Greece that the city Ire was renamed Abia by Cresphontes
Cresphontes
In Greek mythology, Cresphontes was a son of Aristomachus, husband of Merope, and brother of Temenus and Aristodemus. He was a great-great-grandson of Heracles and helped lead the fifth and final attack on Mycenae in the Peloponnesus...
, king of Messene
Messene
Messene , officially Ancient Messene, is a Local Community of the Municipal Unit , Ithomi, of the municipality of Messini within the Regional Unit of Messenia in the Region of Peloponnēsos, one of 7 Regions into which the Hellenic Republic has been divided by the Kallikratis...
, after Abia
Abia (mythology)
Abia was in Greek mythology, known as nursemaid of Glenus son of Heracles.She was honoured by Heraclid Cresphontes for having built a temple to Heracles in Ira, by the changing of the name of the town of Ira to Abia....
, the nursemaid of his great-grandfather Hyllus
Hyllus
In Greek mythology, Hyllus was the son of Heracles and Deianira, husband of Iole, nursed by Abia....
, son of Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
.
Abia was disputed between the Messenians and the Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
ns. Abia became a member of the Achaean League
Achaean League
The Achaean League was a Hellenistic era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese, which existed between 280 BC and 146 BC...
in 181 BC
181 BC
Year 181 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cethegus and Tamphilus...
.
In the city featured the temple of Asclepius
Asclepius
Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...
. After Pausanias' time, Avia was not mentioned in sources. It was ruined by some barbarian invasions which rammed the Peloponnese during the early Byzantine period.
Later period
In the early 15th century, the location of the ancient city was founded when the castle of Mantineia was built, it was part of the Venetians and administered a part of the barony with the same name. Avia was forgotten and was only mentioned in Ptolemaic maps, in which written the ancient name of the area. Mantineia was abandoned from its inhabitants to escape pirate raids and settled in the inland village of Megali MantineiaMegali Mantineia
Megali Mantineia or Megali Mandinia is a mountain settlement in the municipal unit of Avia, Messenia, Greece. As of 2001, it had a population of 180 for the village and the municipal district and sits at 200 m above sea level...
, the rubbled area received the name Paliochora. A monastery built where the Asclepius temple was in the ancient time in 1775.
From the mid 19th century, its residents of Megali Mantineia began to settle again in the beach area and its settlements Paliochora, Archontiko and Kopan(o)i (Κοπάνοι) the modern Akrogiali
According to a tradition of the first Mantineans which acted to abandon the deserted coast of Palaiochora was Stavreas, Petrouleas and Kotsoneas. Stavreas built a house above a roch which ruled the south of seashore. It was one that had a great remark which were unassailable from the sea. From the other side had warriors and soldiers. Today, the house is inhabited by the Fragkoulis family. In the east side appeared a warrior and an image dugged from the outer wall.
The municipality was created in 1835 and its seat was Almyros, it included the villages Seltsa (Άνω Βέργα, now Ano Verga), Mikra Mantineia and Sotirianika.
In 1841, it united with the municipality of Gerinias and included the villages of Kampos, Varoussi (Βαρούσι, modern Stavropigi), Malta, Gaitses (modern Kentro), Brinta, Nerida, Bilova, Doli, Kitries and Altomira. Kambos becams the seat of the earlier municipality. It was dissolved from 1914 until 1998 and its villages became communities.
20th century and the Modern period
Its inhabitants moved in 1924 to the area of Megali Mantintia and moved to Paliochora. In 1926, Paliochora was renamed Avia and the settlement of Megali Mantineia was renamed Avia.It built a school in 1922 in the location which a newer school was built in 1972.
After World War II and the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
, its buildings were rebuilt and emigration occurred but in the 1990s, Avia began its small population explosion. Avia became connected with asphalt in the 1970s. Electricity, radio and automobiles were introduced in the mid-20th century, television in the late-20th century and computer and internet at the turn of the millennium. The municipality was created in the late-1990s. Avia became a part of the new municipality in 1998.
Subdivisions
The municipal unit Avia is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):- Avia (Avia, Akrogiali, Megali MantineiaMegali MantineiaMegali Mantineia or Megali Mandinia is a mountain settlement in the municipal unit of Avia, Messenia, Greece. As of 2001, it had a population of 180 for the village and the municipal district and sits at 200 m above sea level...
) - AltomiraAltomiraAltomira is a mountain village in the municipal unit of Avia, Messenia, Greece. As of 2001, it had a population of 38 and sits at 860 metres above sea level...
- Doloi (Ano Doloi, Kato Doloi, Kalianaiika, Kitries)
- KamposKampos AviasKampos is a village in the Mani Peninsula, in Messenia in Southern Greece. It was the seat of the municipality of Avia. Kampos had 550 inhabitants in 2001. It is located at height of 350m, on the provincial road Kalamata-Areopoli, 22 km. away from Kalamata. In Kampos, there is a primary...
(Kampos, Orovas, Platoma, Toumpia) - Kentro (Kentro, Anatoliko, Chora Gaitson, Voreio)
- Pigadia (Pigadia, Dendra, Krya Vrysi, Rizana)
- Stavropigi (Stavropigi, Malta)
- Sotirianika (Sotirianika, Charavgi, Drosopigi, Kouris)
Population
| Year | Village population | Municipal district population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 324 | - | - |
| 1991 | 185 | - | 2,908 |
| 2001 | 217 | 528 | 2,391 |
Location
Avia is connected with the road connecting with the Kalamata-Areopoli Road 4 km north. It is located south of KalamataKalamata
Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
, southwest of Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
and NNW of Areopoli
Areopoli
Areopoli is a town on the Mani Peninsula, Laconia, Greece. The word Areopoli means "city of Ares", the ancient Greek god of war. It was the seat of Oitylo municipality. Areopoli was called Tsimova by the invading Slavs during the 7th century AD...
.
Geography
Much of the area are mountainous and forested with some grasslands, farmlands are within the valley areas and to the east.Points of interests
- Saint George Monastery on a panoramic location
- Santava Cape
- Beaches: Archontiko, Koukkinos, Lykotropia (Λυκοτροπία), Paliochora, Portela, Patsourou (Πατσούρου), Poliana (Πολιάνα), Akrogiali and Santava or Sandova (Σάντοβα)
Sources
- Stavrou Kapetanaki I Mandinies tis Manis (Οι Μαντίνειες της Μάνης = The Mantineies of Mani)
- Σταύρου Καπετανάκη, "".
- Theodoros Belitsos Mantineia in 1700, Economy, Demographics and Onomatological Origins
- Theodoros Belitsos The Marriage Book of Megali Mantineias near Avia (1869-1891)
External links
| North: Kalamata Kalamata Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf... |
||
| West: Messenian Gulf Messenian Gulf The Messenian Gulf is a sea that is part of the Ionian Sea. The gulf is circumscribed by the southern coasts of Messenia and the southwestern coast of the Mani peninsula in Laconia. Its bounds are Venetiko Island to the west and Cape Tainaron to the southeast... |
Avia | East: Laconia Laconia Laconia , also known as Lacedaemonia, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti... |
| South: Lefktro Lefktro Lefktro is a village and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality West Mani, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 5,558 . The seat of the municipality was in Kardamyli. The village Lefktro is located above... |