Pieria
Encyclopedia
Pieria is one of the regional units of Greece. It is located in the southern part of Macedonia
, in the Region of Central Macedonia
. Its capital is the town of Katerini
. Pieria is the smallest regional unit within Macedonia. The name Pieria originates from the ancient tribe and the ancient country of Pieris. In Pieria, there are many sites of archeological interest, such as Dion
, Pydna
and Platamonas. Pieria is also home to Mt. Pierus, home to Orpheus
and the Muses, as well as the Pierian Spring. Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and throne of the ancient Greek gods, is located in the southern part of Pieria. Other ancient cities included Leibethra
and Pimpleia
.
) to the south and west, Kozani to the west and Imathia to the north. The Pierian Mountains
lie to the west. The Thermaic Gulf
lies to the east. It also has a valley by the GR-13. Most of the population live within the Olympian Riviera. The lowest point is the Thermian Gulf and the highest point is Mount Olympus.
It combines extensive plains, high mountains and sandy beaches. The region's beauty gives it a great potential for further tourist development.
: Πιερία/Πιερίς) in Antiquity, took its name from the Pieres (Πίερες),a Thracian tribe that was expelled by the Macedon
ians in the 8th century BC
from their original seats, and driven to the North beyond the Strymon
river and Mount Pangaeus
, where they formed a new settlement. The name Pieria has been connected to Homeric "fat", "fertile land" in a metaphorical sense.
Since before the archaic period Pieria was incorporated in the Kingdom of Macedon (808 BC, see below) whereas it was the second province of the ancient kingdom, following its fate through the rule of the Antipatrid dynasty
(302 BC - 277 BC) and the Antigonid dynasty
(306 BC - 168 BC). It became part of the Roman Republic
after the Fourth Macedonian War
, and remained part of the Roman Empire
and its successor, the Byzantine Empire
.
It was later invaded and became a part of the Ottoman Empire
. During the Greek War of Independence
in 1821, Pieria took up arms along with the rest of Greece, but their struggle failed and Pieria did not join the rest of Greece
until the Balkan Wars
in 1913. Until 1947, Pieria was part of the Thessaloniki Prefecture
(at that time the largest Greek prefecture), as a province
. Pieria saw an economic boom in agriculture and business. During the Greco-Turkish War, it saw an influx of refugees from Asia Minor
, now a part of Turkey
, and several places were named after their former homelands including Nea Trapezounta from Trezibond (now Trabzon
) and Nea Efesos
from Ephesus
(now Efes
). Roads were being paved, Katerini saw electricity. After World War II
and the Greek Civil War
, Pieria was rebuilt and its population was emigrating. The village of Elafos in the municipal unit Elafina
, formerly a community in the Imathia prefecture, was united with Pieria in 1974.
The GR-1 was under construction in the late-1960s and was opened to traffic in 1972 with two lanes, in the 1980s, it became two-laned in the northern part, in the 1990s, it became two laned as far as the prefectural boundary with Larissa in the early-2000s.
On June 8, 2007, a low pressure weather system from Southern and Central Europe resulted in heavy rainfall that ravaged the prefecture and caused great damage in fruit and vegetable production. The worst hit area was Korinos
.
novelist Nikos Kazantzakis
to write the famous novel Zorba the Greek
, was born in the village of Katafigi, near Kolindros
. His original name was Georgios Zorbas.
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
, in the Region of Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the region of Macedonia. With a population of over 1.8 million, it is the second most populous in Greece after Attica.- Administration :...
. Its capital is the town of Katerini
Katerini
Katerini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764...
. Pieria is the smallest regional unit within Macedonia. The name Pieria originates from the ancient tribe and the ancient country of Pieris. In Pieria, there are many sites of archeological interest, such as Dion
Dion, Greece
Dion or Dio is a village and a former municipality in the Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Dio-Olympos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is best known for its archaeological site and archaeological museum. Zeus was honored at...
, Pydna
Pydna
Pydna was a Greek city in ancient Macedon, the most important in Pieria. Modern Pydna is a small town and a former municipality in the northeastern part of Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pydna-Kolindros, of which it is a...
and Platamonas. Pieria is also home to Mt. Pierus, home to Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
and the Muses, as well as the Pierian Spring. Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and throne of the ancient Greek gods, is located in the southern part of Pieria. Other ancient cities included Leibethra
Leibethra
Libethra or Leibethra was a city close to Olympus where Orpheus was buried by the Muses. His tomb was later destroyed by a flood of the river Sys. It was a place where the Libethrian Nymphs were worshiped...
and Pimpleia
Pimpleia
Pimpleia was a city in Pieria in Ancient Greece, located near Dion and Mount Olympus. Pimpleia is described as a "κώμη" of Dion by Strabo. The location of Pimpleia is possibly to be identified with the modern village of Agia Paraskevi near Litochoron.It was renowned as the birthplace and early...
.
Geography
The Pieria regional unit is bordered by Larissa (ThessalyThessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
) to the south and west, Kozani to the west and Imathia to the north. The Pierian Mountains
Pierian Mountains
The Pierian Mountains are a mountain range between Imathia, Pieria and Kozani Prefecture, south of the plain of Kambania in Central Macedonia. The village of Vergina, where the archaeological site of ancient Aigai lies, is built at the foot of these mountains...
lie to the west. The Thermaic Gulf
Thermaic Gulf
The Thermaic Gulf is a gulf of the Aegean Sea located immediately south of Thessaloniki, east of Pieria and Imathia, and west of Chalkidiki . It was named after the ancient town of Therma, which was situated on the northeast coast of the gulf...
lies to the east. It also has a valley by the GR-13. Most of the population live within the Olympian Riviera. The lowest point is the Thermian Gulf and the highest point is Mount Olympus.
It combines extensive plains, high mountains and sandy beaches. The region's beauty gives it a great potential for further tourist development.
Climate
Its climate is mainly of Mediterranean type with hot summers and cool winters. Severe winter weather is common in the central and western parts of Pieria, especially in the Pierian Mountains and on Mount Olympus.Administration
The regional unit Pieria is subdivided into 3 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):- Dio-OlymposDio-OlymposDio-Olympos is a municipality in the Pieria regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Litochoro.-Municipality:...
(2) - KateriniKateriniKaterini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764...
(1) - Pydna-Kolindros (3)
Prefecture
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Pieria was created out of the former prefecture Pieria . The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.| New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat |
|---|---|---|
| Dio-Olympos Dio-Olympos Dio-Olympos is a municipality in the Pieria regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Litochoro.-Municipality:... |
Dio Dion, Greece Dion or Dio is a village and a former municipality in the Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Dio-Olympos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is best known for its archaeological site and archaeological museum. Zeus was honored at... |
Litochoro |
| East Olympos East Olympos East Olympos is a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dio-Olympos, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 9,374... |
||
| Litochoro Litochoro Litochoro is a town and a former municipality in the southern part of the Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dio-Olympos, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is located at the base of Mount Olympus, on the western shore... |
||
| Katerini Katerini Katerini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764... |
Katerini Katerini Katerini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764... |
Katerini |
| Elafina Elafina Elafina is a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Katerini, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,378 . The seat of the municipality was in Palaio Keramidi.... |
||
| Korinos Korinos Korino is a town and a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Katerini, of which it is a municipal unit. Korinos has approximately 5000 citizens and it's located 5 km northeast of the city of Katerini , the... |
||
| Paralia Paralia, Pieria Paralia is a village and a former municipality in the eastern part of the Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Katerini, of which it is a municipal unit. The seat of the municipality was in Kallithea. The beach is situated in the... |
||
| Petra Petra, Pieria Petra is a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Katerini, of which it is a municipal unit. population of 6,246 . The seat of the municipality was in Milia.... |
||
| Pierion Pierion Pierioi is a former municipality in Pieria, Greece. Population 2,811 . The seat of the municipality was in Ritini. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Katerini, of which it is a municipal unit.... |
||
| Pydna-Kolindros | Aiginio Aiginio Aiginio is a town and a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pydna-Kolindros, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Population 5,264 .-External links:**... |
Aiginio |
| Kolindros Kolindros Kolindros is a town and a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pydna-Kolindros, of which it is a municipal unit. Based on a 2001 census, the municipal unit contained 5,223 inhabitants.-External links:**... |
||
| Methoni Methoni, Pieria Methoni is a village and a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pydna-Kolindros, of which it is a municipal unit... |
||
| Pydna Pydna Pydna was a Greek city in ancient Macedon, the most important in Pieria. Modern Pydna is a small town and a former municipality in the northeastern part of Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pydna-Kolindros, of which it is a... |
History
The region, known as Pieria or Pieris (Ancient GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
: Πιερία/Πιερίς) in Antiquity, took its name from the Pieres (Πίερες),a Thracian tribe that was expelled by the 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....
ians in the 8th century BC
8th century BC
The 8th century BC started the first day of 800 BC and ended the last day of 701 BC.-Overview:The 8th century BC was a period of great changes in civilizations. In Egypt, the 23rd and 24th dynasties led to rule from Nubia in the 25th Dynasty...
from their original seats, and driven to the North beyond the Strymon
Struma River
The Struma or Strymónas is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. Its ancient name was Strymōn . Its catchment area is 10,800 km²...
river and Mount Pangaeus
Pangaion hills
The Pangaion Hills , ancient forms: Pangaeon, Pangaeum, Homeric name: Nysa are a mountain range in Greece, approximately 40 km from Kavala. The highest elevation is 1,956 m and the mountaintop name is Koutra...
, where they formed a new settlement. The name Pieria has been connected to Homeric "fat", "fertile land" in a metaphorical sense.
Since before the archaic period Pieria was incorporated in the Kingdom of Macedon (808 BC, see below) whereas it was the second province of the ancient kingdom, following its fate through the rule of the Antipatrid dynasty
Antipatrid dynasty
The Antipatrid dynasty was a Macedonian dynasty founded by Cassander, the son of Antipater, who declared himself King of Macedon in 302 BC. This dynasty did not last long; in 294 BC it was overthrown by the Antigonid dynasty, whose members proved to be more effective rulers.Members of the...
(302 BC - 277 BC) and the Antigonid dynasty
Antigonid dynasty
The Antigonid dynasty was a dynasty of Hellenistic kings descended from Alexander the Great's general Antigonus I Monophthalmus .-History:...
(306 BC - 168 BC). It became part of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
after the Fourth Macedonian War
Fourth Macedonian War
The Fourth Macedonian War was the final war between Rome and Macedon. It came about as a result of the pretender Andriscus's usurpation of the Macedonian throne, pretending to be the son of Perseus, the last King of Macedon, deposed by the Romans after the Third Macedonian War in 168 BC...
, and remained part of the Roman Empire
Roman 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....
and its successor, 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...
.
It was later invaded and became a part of 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...
. During 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 1821, Pieria took up arms along with the rest of Greece, but their struggle failed and Pieria did not join the rest of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
until the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
in 1913. Until 1947, Pieria was part of the Thessaloniki Prefecture
Thessaloniki Prefecture
Thessaloniki is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Region of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the city of Thessaloniki. It is the second most populous regional unit in Greece, behind Central Athens.-Geography:...
(at that time the largest Greek prefecture), as a province
Provinces of Greece
The provinces of Greece were sub-divisions of some the country's prefectures. From 1887, the provinces were abolished as actual administrative units, but were retained for some state services, especially finance services and education, as well as for electoral purposes...
. Pieria saw an economic boom in agriculture and business. During the Greco-Turkish War, it saw an influx of 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...
, now a part of 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 several places were named after their former homelands including Nea Trapezounta from Trezibond (now Trabzon
Trabzon
Trabzon is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road, became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast and the Caucasus to the northeast...
) and Nea Efesos
Nea Efesos
Nea Efesos is a big settlement of the former Municipality of Dio, which is part of the municipality of Dio-Olympos, in the Pieria regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece....
from Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
(now Efes
Efes
Efes can refer to the following:* Efes is the Turkish name for the ancient Greek city of Ephesus.* Efes Beverage Group is a Turkish beer company.* Anadolu Efes S.K. is a basketball club in İstanbul sponsored by the above company....
). Roads were being paved, Katerini saw electricity. 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...
, Pieria was rebuilt and its population was emigrating. The village of Elafos in the municipal unit Elafina
Elafina
Elafina is a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Katerini, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,378 . The seat of the municipality was in Palaio Keramidi....
, formerly a community in the Imathia prefecture, was united with Pieria in 1974.
The GR-1 was under construction in the late-1960s and was opened to traffic in 1972 with two lanes, in the 1980s, it became two-laned in the northern part, in the 1990s, it became two laned as far as the prefectural boundary with Larissa in the early-2000s.
On June 8, 2007, a low pressure weather system from Southern and Central Europe resulted in heavy rainfall that ravaged the prefecture and caused great damage in fruit and vegetable production. The worst hit area was Korinos
Korinos
Korino is a town and a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Katerini, of which it is a municipal unit. Korinos has approximately 5000 citizens and it's located 5 km northeast of the city of Katerini , the...
.
Transport
- GR-1Greek National Road 1The Greek Motorway 1 is a motorway, partly under construction, and the 2nd longest in Greece. It is the principal north-south road connection in Greece, connecting the country's capital Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second largest city,...
/E75European route E75European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
, both the old and the new highways - GR-13Greek National Road 13Greek National Road 13 is a highway that links Katerini with the GR-3 at Mikro Eleftherohori . Traffic usually has between low and moderate use including its highways in the Greek islands.-Places:...
Persons
According to various sources, Alexis Zorba (1867–1942), the person who inspired the GreekGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
novelist Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was a Greek writer and philosopher, celebrated for his novel Zorba the Greek, considered his magnum opus...
to write the famous novel Zorba the Greek
Zorba the Greek (novel)
Zorba the Greek is a novel written by the Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek intellectual who ventures to escape his bookish life with the aid of the boisterous and mysterious Alexis Zorba...
, was born in the village of Katafigi, near Kolindros
Kolindros
Kolindros is a town and a former municipality in Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pydna-Kolindros, of which it is a municipal unit. Based on a 2001 census, the municipal unit contained 5,223 inhabitants.-External links:**...
. His original name was Georgios Zorbas.
- Patriarch Callinicus of AlexandriaPatriarch Callinicus of AlexandriaCallinicus served as Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1858 and 1861. He was a Greek cleric from the Historical family of "Kyparissis" from Macedonia. His name was Konstantinos Kyparissis. Born in Skotina, Pieria, in 1800 and died in Mytilini 1889....
- Giorgakis OlympiosGiorgakis OlympiosGiorgakis Olympios was a Greek armatolos and military commander during the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. Noted for his activities with the Filiki Eteria in the Danubian Principalities, he is considered to be a leading figure of the Greek Revolution.-Early activities:He was...
External links
- http://www.culture.gr/maps/macedon/pieria/pieria.html
- http://www.mpa.gr/specials/olympus/pieria.html
- http://users.pie.sch.gr/amgr1/pieria_photos.htm