Goumenissa
Encyclopedia
Goumenissa is a small town, capital of the former Paionia Province
, Kilkis regional unit, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Paionia
, of which it is a municipal unit. The town sits on the southeastern part of the Paiko
mountain range. Located 69 km northwest of Thessaloniki
, 539 km north of Athens
and 20 km north of Pella
, the ancient capital of the kingdom of Macedon
.
Goumenissa is also the seat of the Bishop
of Diocese of Goumenissa, Axioupolis and Polykastron (Greek: Ιερά Μητρόπολις Γουμενίσσης, Αξιουπόλεως & Πολυκάστρου.
Goumenissa has splendid narrow streets lined with traditional houses and is renowned for a wide range of things; apart from its preindustrial monuments built beside lush springs, there are traditional wineries which prove the expertise of this small country town to produce good quality wine. Its multifarious identity accounts for the unfailing enthusiasm overwhelming the different kinds of tourists Goumenissa attracts. Its folklore museum, its impromptu brass bands (Ta Chalkina tis Goumenissas, The Brass Band of Goumenissa) as well as its customs, events and fetes, all of them are reflective of the traditional lifestyle that has resisted the course of time.
(v. 16), they were Teucrian colonists from Troy
. Homer
(Iliad
, book II, line 848) speaks of Paeonians from the Axios River fighting on the side of the Trojans, but the Iliad does not mention whether the Paeonians were kin to the Trojans. Homer gives the Paionian leader as a certain Pyraechmes
; later on in the Iliad a second leader is mentioned, Asteropaeus son of Pelagon
.
, Paionia and Pelagonia formed a province called Macedonia secunda or Macedonia Salutaris, belonging to the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum
.
was divided into eastern and western segments ruled from Constantinople
and Rome
respectively, Goumenissa came under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire
). Goumenissa passed out of Byzantine hands in 1204, when Constantinople was captured by the Fourth Crusade
and became part of the Kingdom of Thessalonica
- the largest fief of the Latin Empire
, covering most of north and central Greece.
In 1224 it was seized by Theodore Komnenos Doukas
, the Greek ruler of Despotate of Epirus
. The area was recovered by the Byzantine Empire
in 1246. First report with the name Goumenissa we have at the year 1346, at the era of Palaiologos
Dynasty. In an Imperial Act of this year, the region of Goumenissa is granted in the Holly Abbey Ibyron of Mount Athos
and becomes religious centre because of the Monastery of Virgin Mary. Next to Monastery existed a settlement that little later with the union of small agro-pastoral settlements will create a dynamic town that will be named Goumenissa.
The Ottomans had captured Goumenissa in 1387. Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire
the area was characterized self-governed town and acquired privileges because of the important production of buckram
, used for the military uniform
s of the Ottoman army. Goumenissa prospered during the 19th century and became economic, cultural and religious centre of the region. The famed wine of Goumenissa, made out of local varieties like Xinomavro, become popular in the Ottoman Empire
and beyond, particularly in Central Europe
.
Even though being a town with privileges, it was not uninvolved in the Greek War of Independence
of 1821. By the outbreak of the revolution, the Ottoman army conducted searches of premises and found 49 rifles. This led to violent islamization
ordered by Pasha
of Thessaloniki
Abdul Abud. The punishment included the handing over of money, food, animals and carriages.
The Russian slavist Victor Grigorovich in 1845 recorded Igumencho as mostly Bulgarian village. The first Bulgarian school was founded in 1866-1867.
(exclusively Bulgarians) to the point of armed conflict.
The rioting in Macedonia, the atrocities of Bulgarian guerrilla troops against Greek locals and especially the death of Pavlos Melas
(killed by Turks in 1904) caused intense nationalistic feelings in Greece. This led to the decision to send more Greek guerrilla troops in order to thwart Bulgarian efforts.
The village also had supporters of the Bulgarian cause. Notably, 21 persons joined the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
Conflicts ended after the revolution of Young Turks
in July, 1908, as they promised to respect all ethnicities and religions and generally to provide a constitution.
On October 23, 1912, during the course of the First Balkan War
Goumenissa was conquered by the Greek army and incorporated into the Greek Kingdom
.
, late 1915, Franco-British divisions under the command of French General Maurice Sarrail
marched on Paionia Province. A French Division camped in Goumenissa and built a military hospital, a power station and the famous Fountain in Central Square.
The population exchanges among Greece
, Turkey
, and Bulgaria
after 1923 resulted in the replacement by Greek refugees from Asia Minor
and Romilia region of most of the Slavic and Turkish elements.Greek Macedonia experienced radical demographic transformations with the arrival of the Greek refugees; by 1928, 427 families comprising 1,676 inhabitants arrived from Turkey. The Macedonian-speaking minority in Greek Macedonia, who were referred to by the Greek authorities as “Slavomacedonians”, “Slavophone Greeks” and “Bulgarisants”, were subjected to a gradual assimilation by the Greek majority. Their numbers were reduced by a large-scale emigration to North America in the 1920s and the 1930s and to Eastern Europe
and Yugoslavia
following the Greek Civil War
(1944–1949). During World War II
Goumenissa and Central Macedonia were occupied (1941–44) by Germany
.
In the 50s there was a massive emigration to the United States
, Australia
, Canada
, West Germany
and other Greek cities, mainly to Thessaloniki and Athens. In the 80s many civil war refugees were allowed to re-emigrate.
Belongs to: Diocese of Goumenissa
Dependency of: the Monastery of Simonos Petra, Mount Athos
Belongs to: Diocese of Goumenissa
Belongs to: Diocese of Goumenissa
In Goumenissa live a population of 300 of Rom origin. They live in the south-eastern department of city, which in 1983, with an Act of Municipal Council, was named “Settlement of Saint George”.
,centre of a region that has been renowned for the quality of its wines for hundreds of years.
Paionia Province
Paionia is the western Province of Kilkis Prefecture. Its capital is Goumenissa. According to the , as of 2001 the population was:-References:* http://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Επαρχίες_της_Ελλάδας...
, Kilkis regional unit, 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 Paionia
Paionia (municipality)
Paionia is a municipality in the Kilkis regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Polykastro. The municipality is named after the ancient region of Paeonia.-Municipality:...
, of which it is a municipal unit. The town sits on the southeastern part of the Paiko
Mount Paiko
Mountain Paiko is a small mountain range that lies on the border of Pella and Kilkis prefectures in Central Macedonia, Greece.-Geography:...
mountain range. Located 69 km northwest of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, 539 km north 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...
and 20 km north of Pella
Pella
Pella , an ancient Greek city located in Pella Prefecture of Macedonia in Greece, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia.-Etymology:...
, the ancient capital of the kingdom of Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
.
Goumenissa is also the seat of the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Diocese of Goumenissa, Axioupolis and Polykastron (Greek: Ιερά Μητρόπολις Γουμενίσσης, Αξιουπόλεως & Πολυκάστρου.
Goumenissa has splendid narrow streets lined with traditional houses and is renowned for a wide range of things; apart from its preindustrial monuments built beside lush springs, there are traditional wineries which prove the expertise of this small country town to produce good quality wine. Its multifarious identity accounts for the unfailing enthusiasm overwhelming the different kinds of tourists Goumenissa attracts. Its folklore museum, its impromptu brass bands (Ta Chalkina tis Goumenissas, The Brass Band of Goumenissa) as well as its customs, events and fetes, all of them are reflective of the traditional lifestyle that has resisted the course of time.
Name
There are a lot of versions of the origin of the name Goumenissa. According to the local tradition, robbers hung the Abbot (Greek: Ηγούμενος egoumenos) of the abbey, and the city's name , which means place of Abbot derived from this; In Bulgarian it was called Гуменидже Gumenidzhe.Hellenistic Era
The town is located in part of the ancient Paeonia, the exact boundaries of which, like the early history of its inhabitants, are very obscure. According to HerodotusHerodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
(v. 16), they were Teucrian colonists from Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
. Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
(Iliad
Iliad
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...
, book II, line 848) speaks of Paeonians from the Axios River fighting on the side of the Trojans, but the Iliad does not mention whether the Paeonians were kin to the Trojans. Homer gives the Paionian leader as a certain Pyraechmes
Pyraechmes
Pyraechmes was, along with Asteropaeus, a leader of the Paeonians in the Trojan War. He came from the city of Amydon. Although Homer mentions Pyraechmes as the leader of the Paeonians early on in the Iliad, in the Trojan Catalogue, Pyraechmes plays a minor role compared to the more illustrious...
; later on in the Iliad a second leader is mentioned, Asteropaeus son of Pelagon
Pelagon
There are several figures named Pelagon in Greek mythology.# Pelagon, the King of Phocis who gives Cadmus the cow that will guide him to Boeotia....
.
Roman Era (146 BC - 330)
After the Roman conquest of Macedon in 146 BC, Paionia east and west of the Axios formed the second and third districts respectively of the Roman province of Macedonia (Livy xiv. 29). Centuries later under DiocletianDiocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
, Paionia and Pelagonia formed a province called Macedonia secunda or Macedonia Salutaris, belonging to the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum
Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum
The praetorian prefecture of Illyricum was one of four praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided.The administrative centre of the prefecture was Sirmium , and, after 379, Thessalonica...
.
Byzantine Era (330 - 1387)
When the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
was divided into eastern and western segments ruled from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
respectively, Goumenissa came under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
). Goumenissa passed out of Byzantine hands in 1204, when Constantinople was captured by the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
and became part of the Kingdom of Thessalonica
Kingdom of Thessalonica
The Kingdom of Thessalonica was a short-lived Crusader State founded after the Fourth Crusade over the conquered Byzantine lands.- Background :...
- the largest fief of the Latin Empire
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
, covering most of north and central Greece.
In 1224 it was seized by Theodore Komnenos Doukas
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
Theodore Komnenos Doukas was ruler of Epirus from 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica from 1224 to 1230.-Life:...
, the Greek ruler of Despotate of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
. The area was recovered by the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in 1246. First report with the name Goumenissa we have at the year 1346, at the era of Palaiologos
Palaiologos
Palaiologos , often latinized as Palaeologus, was a Byzantine Greek noble family, which produced the last ruling dynasty of the Byzantine Empire. After the Fourth Crusade, members of the family fled to the neighboring Empire of Nicaea, where Michael VIII Palaiologos became co-emperor in 1259,...
Dynasty. In an Imperial Act of this year, the region of Goumenissa is granted in the Holly Abbey Ibyron of Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
and becomes religious centre because of the Monastery of Virgin Mary. Next to Monastery existed a settlement that little later with the union of small agro-pastoral settlements will create a dynamic town that will be named Goumenissa.
Ottoman Era (1387 - 1912)
Ottoman 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...
the area was characterized self-governed town and acquired privileges because of the important production of buckram
Buckram
Buckram is a stiff cloth, made of cotton, and still occasionally linen, which is used to cover and protect books. Buckram can also be used to stiffen clothes. Modern buckrams have been stiffened by soaking in a substance, usually now pyroxylin, to fill the gaps between the fibres.In the Middle...
, used for the military uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
s of the Ottoman army. Goumenissa prospered during the 19th century and became economic, cultural and religious centre of the region. The famed wine of Goumenissa, made out of local varieties like Xinomavro, become popular in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman 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...
and beyond, particularly in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
.
Even though being a town with privileges, it was not uninvolved in 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...
of 1821. By the outbreak of the revolution, the Ottoman army conducted searches of premises and found 49 rifles. This led to violent islamization
Islamization
Islamization or Islamification has been used to describe the process of a society's conversion to the religion of Islam...
ordered by Pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
Abdul Abud. The punishment included the handing over of money, food, animals and carriages.
The Russian slavist Victor Grigorovich in 1845 recorded Igumencho as mostly Bulgarian village. The first Bulgarian school was founded in 1866-1867.
The Macedonian Struggle
By 1899, the Bulgarian guerrillas of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organisation (IMRO) turned against Ottoman authorities. Gradually, tensions increased among the followers of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (mostly Greeks) and those of the Bulgarian ExarchateBulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and the Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored in 1953....
(exclusively Bulgarians) to the point of armed conflict.
The rioting in Macedonia, the atrocities of Bulgarian guerrilla troops against Greek locals and especially the death of Pavlos Melas
Pavlos Melas
Pavlos Melas was an officer of the Hellenic Army, and he was among the first who organized and participated in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia....
(killed by Turks in 1904) caused intense nationalistic feelings in Greece. This led to the decision to send more Greek guerrilla troops in order to thwart Bulgarian efforts.
The village also had supporters of the Bulgarian cause. Notably, 21 persons joined the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
The Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps was a volunteer corps of the Bulgarian Army during the Balkan Wars. It was formed on 23 September 1912 and consisted of Bulgarian volunteers from Macedonia and Thrace, regions still under Ottoman rule, and thus not subject to Bulgarian military...
Conflicts ended after the revolution of Young Turks
Young Turks
The Young Turks , from French: Les Jeunes Turcs) were a coalition of various groups favouring reformation of the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The movement was against the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Sultan and favoured a re-installation of the short-lived Kanûn-ı Esâsî constitution...
in July, 1908, as they promised to respect all ethnicities and religions and generally to provide a constitution.
On October 23, 1912, during the course of the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
Goumenissa was conquered by the Greek army and incorporated into the Greek Kingdom
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Greek Macedonian fighters
- Goumenissa: Dimitrios Aliris, Ioannis Aliris, Christos Aliris, Ioannis Vouzas, Vassilios Karakolis, Athanassios Maltsis, Georgios Metaxas, Georgios Pazaretzos, Ioannis Papageorgiou, Nikolaos Papamanolis, Ioannis Pissoutas, Athanassios Pipsos, Georgios Poulkas, Aggelos Sakellariou, Eleni Samara, Georgios Samaras, Dimitrios Samaras, Konstantinos Samaras, Athanassios Slapakis, Dimitrios Slioupikidis, Athanassios Tzanas, Georgios Totsis, Christos Toumpas, Athanassios Tsimirikos, Nikolaos Chatzivrettas, Christos Chatzidimitrakis
- Kastaneri": Georgios Dogiamas, Lazaros Dogiamas, Traianos Dogiamas, Christos Dogiamas, Traianos Touloupis,
- Karpi": Athanassios Zaras, Athanassios Betsis, Traianos Partoulas, Georgios Softsis, Traianos Softsis,
- Griva": Ioannis Ekonomou, Christos Poulkas, Christos Pipsos
Bulgarian Macedonian fighters
- Goumenissa: Ichko Boychev (1882–1960), Ivan Limonchev, Ivan Alev (1851–1919), Konstantin Dzekov, Mihail Chakov, Hristo BatandzhievHristo BatandzhievHristo Batandzhiev was a revolutionary, one of the founders of "The Committee for Obtaining the Political Rights Given to Macedonia by the Congress of Berlin" from which, later developed the IMRO known prior to 1902 as Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees...
, Hristo Shaldev, Vangel Gologanov, Gono Azarov, Domitar Shotev, Ivan Karadzov (1870–1913).
Modern Era (1912 - present)
Duyring World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, late 1915, Franco-British divisions under the command of French General Maurice Sarrail
Maurice Sarrail
Maurice-Paul-Emmanuel Sarrail was a French general of the First World War. Sarrail endeared himself to the political elite of the Third Republic through his openly socialist views, all the more conspicuous in contrast to the Catholics, conservatives and monarchists who dominated the French Army...
marched on Paionia Province. A French Division camped in Goumenissa and built a military hospital, a power station and the famous Fountain in Central Square.
The population exchanges among Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
after 1923 resulted in the replacement by Greek refugees from Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and Romilia region of most of the Slavic and Turkish elements.Greek Macedonia experienced radical demographic transformations with the arrival of the Greek refugees; by 1928, 427 families comprising 1,676 inhabitants arrived from Turkey. The Macedonian-speaking minority in Greek Macedonia, who were referred to by the Greek authorities as “Slavomacedonians”, “Slavophone Greeks” and “Bulgarisants”, were subjected to a gradual assimilation by the Greek majority. Their numbers were reduced by a large-scale emigration to North America in the 1920s and the 1930s and to Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
following 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...
(1944–1949). During 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...
Goumenissa and Central Macedonia were occupied (1941–44) by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In the 50s there was a massive emigration to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and other Greek cities, mainly to Thessaloniki and Athens. In the 80s many civil war refugees were allowed to re-emigrate.
Subdivisions
The municipal unit Goumenissa is subdivided into the following communities:- Goumenissa (η Γουμένισσα) Town Hall
- GrivaGriva, KilkisGriva is a small village located in the Kilkis regional unit in Central Macedonia, Greece. The village hovers on the southeastern portion of Mount Paiko at 470 meters above sea level....
(η Γρίβα) - Gerakon (η Γερακών)
- Karpi (η Κάρπη)
- Kastaneri (η Καστανερή)
- Omalos (ο Ομαλός)
- Pentalofon (το Πεντάλοφον)
- Stathis (ο Στάθης)
- Filyria (η Φιλυριά)
Mayors of Goumenissa
| Mayor | From | To | Elected | Backed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christos Karakolis (Χρήστος Καρακόλης) | January 1, 1983 | December 31, 1990 | October 1982 60%, October 1986 52% | PASOK Panhellenic Socialist Movement The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party... , KKE, KKE Interior |
| Dimitrios Pakos (Δημήτριος Πάκος) | January 1, 1991 | December 31, 1994 | October 1990 53,7% | New Democracy New Democracy (Greece) New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic... |
| Dimitrios Petsos (Δημήτριος Πέτσος) | January 1, 1995 | December 31, 1998 | October 1994 52,8% | PASOK Panhellenic Socialist Movement The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party... |
| Vasilios Patsis (Βασίλειος Πάτσης) | January 1, 1999 | December 31, 2002 | October 1998 52,6% | New Democracy New Democracy (Greece) New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic... |
| Dimitrios Petsos (Δημήτριος Πέτσος) | January 1, 2003 | December 31, 2006 | October 2002 50,96% | PASOK Panhellenic Socialist Movement The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party... |
| Stylianos Papapanagiotou (Στυλιανός Παπαπαναγιώτου) | January 1, 2007 | October 2006 52,35% | New Democracy New Democracy (Greece) New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic... |
Landmarks
- Central Square
- The French Fountain
- Square of St. George
- Small Square
- Folklore Museum of Goumenissa
- Silk Factory
- Boutari Winery, Aidarinis Winery, Domaine Tatsis, Distillery Dimitri Kambouri
- Two Rivers
- Traditional mountainous settlement of Kastaneri
Monasteries
- Monastery of the Virgin Mary at Goumenissa (Est. 1100)
Belongs to: Diocese of Goumenissa
- Monastery of St. Nikodimos at Pentalofon (Est. 1981)
Dependency of: the Monastery of Simonos Petra, Mount Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
- Monastery of St. Raphael, Nicholas & Irene at Griva (Est. 1992)
Belongs to: Diocese of Goumenissa
- Monastery of St. George at Anydron (Est. 1991) (convent)
Belongs to: Diocese of Goumenissa
Demographics
According to the National Statistical Center of Greece, as of 2001, Goumenissa was the third largest town in population in Kilkis Prefecture, with an estimated population of 4,073.| District | 2001 | 1991 | +/- % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goumenissa (Γουμένισσα) | 4,073 | 4,163 | -2,16 |
| Griva Griva, Kilkis Griva is a small village located in the Kilkis regional unit in Central Macedonia, Greece. The village hovers on the southeastern portion of Mount Paiko at 470 meters above sea level.... (Γρίβα) |
813 | 779 | +4,18 |
| Stathis (Στάθης) | 418 | 465 | -10,11 |
| Karpi (Κάρπη) | 400 | 391 | +2,30 |
| Gerakon (Γερακών) | 286 | 350 | -18,29 |
| Filyria (Φιλυριά) | 279 | 304 | -8,22 |
| Kastaneri (Καστανερή) | 237 | 344 | -31,10 |
| Pentalofon (Πεντάλοφον) | 191 | 231 | -17,32 |
| Omalon (Ομαλόν) | 122 | 145 | -15,86 |
| TOTAL | 6,819 | 7,172 | -4,92 |
In Goumenissa live a population of 300 of Rom origin. They live in the south-eastern department of city, which in 1983, with an Act of Municipal Council, was named “Settlement of Saint George”.
Economy
Goumenissa is a famous wine producing region with Appellation d’origine de Qualite Superieure,centre of a region that has been renowned for the quality of its wines for hundreds of years.
Culture
Goumenissa as filming location:- 1986 The BeekeeperThe Beekeeper (film)-Cast:* Marcello Mastroianni as Spyros* Nadia Mourouzi as the girl* Serge Reggiani as Sick Man* Jenny Roussea as spyros' wife* Dinos Iliopoulos as Spyros' friend* Iakovos Panotas as solder' the girls boyfriend* Vassia Panagopoulou* Stamatis Gardelis...
(Greek: Ο Μελισσοκόμος)- Director:Theo AngelopoulosTheo AngelopoulosTheodoros Angelopoulos is a Greek filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer.-Life:Angelopoulos studied law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, but after his military service went to Paris to attend the Sorbonne. He soon dropped out to study film at the IDHEC before returning...
- Cast: Marcello MastroianniMarcello MastroianniMarcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni, Knight Grand Cross was an Italian film actor. His honours included British Film Academy Awards, Best Actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival and two Golden Globe Awards.- Personal life :...
, Nadia Mourouzi, Jenny Roussea, Dinos Iliopoulos
- Director:Theo Angelopoulos
- 1981 The Factory (Greek: Το Εργοστάσιο)(French L'usine)
- Director:Tasos Psaras
- Cast: Vasilis Kolovos, Dimitra Hatoupi
| Club | Origin | Founded | Activities | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Paiones (Οι Παίονες) | Greek Macedonians | 1975 | Choruses, tradiotional dancing groups | Goumenissa |
| Diogenis Sinopeys (Διογένης ο Συνοπεύς) | Pontian Pontus Pontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος... |
1982 | Traditional dancing groups | Goumenissa |
| Agios Trifon (Ο Άγιος Τρύφων) | Greeks from Romilia region | 1979 | Traditional dancing groups | Goumenissa |
| Agios Georgios (Άγιος Γεώργιος) | Greek Macedonians | 1983 | Brass Bands | Goumenissa |
| Griva Griva, Kilkis Griva is a small village located in the Kilkis regional unit in Central Macedonia, Greece. The village hovers on the southeastern portion of Mount Paiko at 470 meters above sea level.... (Πολιτιστικός Σύλλογος Γρίβας) |
Greek Macedonians | 1983 | Tradiotional dancing groups | Griva |
| Makedones (Οι Μακεδόνες) | Greek Macedonians | 1990 | Tradiotional dancing groups | Stathis |
| To Paiko (Το Πάικο) | Greek Macedonians | Kastaneri | ||
| Filyria (Η Φιλυριά) | Pontian Pontus Pontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος... |
Traditional dancing groups | Filyria |
Sport clubs
| Club | Sport | Founded | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paiko Goumenissas (Πάικο Γουμένισσας) | Football Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
1950 | A' Erasitehniki: Hellenic Football Federation | Stadium of Goumenissa |
| Makedonikos Grivas (Μακεδονικός Γρίβας) | Football Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
1978 | B' Erasitehniki: Hellenic Football Federation | Stadium of Griva Griva, Kilkis Griva is a small village located in the Kilkis regional unit in Central Macedonia, Greece. The village hovers on the southeastern portion of Mount Paiko at 470 meters above sea level.... |
| Heracles Karpis (Ηρακλής Κάρπης) | Football Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
B' Erasitehniki: Hellenic Football Federation | Stadium of Karpi | |
| Astrapi Stathis (Αστραπή Στάθη) | Football Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
Γ' Erasitehniki: Hellenic Football Federation | Stadium of Stathis | |
| Keravnos Filyrias (Κεραυνός Φιλυριάς) | Football Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
Γ' Erasitehniki: Hellenic Football Federation | Stadium of Filyria | |
| A.O.K.(Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καλαθοσφαιριστών) | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
1981 | Γ : Hellenic Basketball Federation | Gym Stadium of Goumenissa |
| Α.Ο.Γ. (Αθλητικός Όμιλος Γουμένισσας) | Athletics Athletics (track and field) Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking... |
1981 | Hellenic Amateur Athletic Association | Stadium of Goumenissa |
Climate
| Month Month A month is a unit of time, used with calendars, which was first used and invented in Mesopotamia, as a natural period related to the motion of the Moon; month and Moon are cognates. The traditional concept arose with the cycle of moon phases; such months are synodic months and last approximately... |
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Avg Maximum temp[°C] | 9 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 23 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 26 | 21 | 14 | 10 |
| Avg Minimum temp[°C] | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| Rainfall (mm) | 40 | 38 | 43 | 35 | 43 | 30 | 22 | 20 | 27 | 45 | 58 | 50 |
| Record temperatures [°C] | 20 | 22 | 25 | 31 | 36 | 39 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 32 | 27 | 26 |
Transportation
Goumenissa is accessed- From Athens with GR-1/E75 to Polykastron Interchange
- From Thessaloniki with E86 to Gefyra Junction then E75 to Polykastron Interchange or E86 to Intetchange after 1 km from Nea Pella
- From IgoumenitsaIgoumenitsaIgoumenitsa , is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit Thesprotia. Its original ancient name used to be Titani....
and Alexandroupolis with GR-4/GR-2/E90 (Via EgnatiaVia EgnatiaThe Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed the Roman provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey.Starting at Dyrrachium on the...
motorway) to Chalastra Interchange then E75 to Polykastron Interchange - From the Republic of MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
with E75 to Polykastron Interchange
- By bus from Athens and Thessaloniki Bus to Kilkis
- By railway from Thessaloniki and Central EuropeCentral EuropeCentral Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
to Polykastron Station 15 km from Goumenissa Greek Railways - By air from Makedonia Airport (SKG) Thessaloniki.If you have a private plane Polykastron Airport 15 km from Goumenissa