Chelidoni
Encyclopedia
- Chelidoni may also refer to a settlement near AndritsainaAndritsainaAndritsaina 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...
, part of the municipal district of 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...
Chelidoni is a village in Elis in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Chelidoni is in the municipality of Ancient Olympia
Olympia, Greece
Olympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...
. Its 2001 population was 676 for the village. It is located about 15 to 20 km north of the GR-74
Greek National Road 74
Greek National Road 74 is a highway linking Pyrgos, Olympia, Tripoli and GR-7/E65. The west to east highway runs in the western and the central part of the Peloponnese. The highway begins in Pyrgos and into the hills and Olympia and used to ran through narrow roads which now bypasses Pyrgos and...
(Pyrgos - Tripoli
Tripoli, Greece
Tripoli is a city of about 25,000 inhabitants in the central part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. It is the capital of the prefecture of Arcadia and the centre of the municipality of Tripolis, pop...
) and is lined with the road linking Pyrgos and Lalas.
Distances
Chelidoni is located about 60 km south and 120 km via road from PatrasPatras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
, 25 to 30 km east of Pyrgos, 15 to 20 km northwest of Olympia
Olympia, Greece
Olympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...
and about 45 to 50 km (old 30 to 35 km) north of 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....
.
Population
| Year | Village population Density |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 653 |
| 1991 | 662 |
| 2001 | 676 |
Geography
Chelidoni is situated in a mountainous area and covers around the area, forests covers the majority of the area, the remainder are made up of Farmlands which are situated within the village and by its valleys. The average elevation is as low as 50 m tall and as high as 100 m tall. The Foloi Mountains dominate the northern part and are taller. Forests includes pines, firs, spruces and cypresses. The municipal boundary with PineiaPineia
Pineia is a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ilida, of which it is a municipal unit. Its seat of administration is in the village Simopoulo . Simopoulo is located about 5 km west of GR-33 and south of the...
lies to the east
Information
Chelidoni has approximately 10 to 15 km of paved roads and 15 to 20 km of gravel roads. Pelopio also has approximately 10 km of hydro lines as well as phone lines.After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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...
, much of the population left for larger towns and cities especially like 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...
and Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
. The population remained steady since the mid to late 20th century. Houses were stone-built until the 1950s and did not surpass modern-style homes until the 1980s. It was linked with pavement in the 1980s. The population stably grew between 1981 and 2001.
The village was endangered by a fire
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 arrived from the south of the banks of the Alfeios, flames plundered the forests around the area and changed its geographical shape to an ashy situation, some flames came from the souhtwest which included Varvasaina and Platanos
Platanos, Ilia
Platanos is a Greek town in Elis, part of the municipality of Ancient Olympia. Platanos is bypassed with the old GR-74 since the mid to late 20th century, the old highway runs through the village...
. Firefighters battled the blaze along with choppers and airplanes and began on Saturday August 25 and continued through Sunday August 26. It transformed into an ugly not so beautiful scene that became all burnt and grey, the air became stale. It may take several years to recover the forests, planting will rarely be done.