Agrinio

During the Interwar period, in spite of economical crisis, works of infrastructure took place in the city, like the paving of streets and the installation of electricity, and a water tower was installed in 1930. At the same time excavations revealed the ancient city of Agrinion. Growth and prosperity returned after World War II and the Greek Civil War. This growth was boosted by the building of two major hydroelectric dam installations at Kremasta and Kastraki, on the north of the city. The tobacco industry and olive tree cultivation became the main income sources of the city.

Geography

Geology

The area, like nearly all of

Climate

The climate of Agrinio is Mediterranean (Csa) according to the Köppen climate classification, with a large amount of rainfall during the winter, just as the rest of Western Greece, and high daytime temperatures during the relatively dry summer, sometimes over 40 °C (104 °F).

Transportation

The main roads passing through Agrinio are the Greek National Road 5/E55 (Arta – Agrinio – Missolonghi) and the Greek National Road 38/E952 (Thermo – Agrinio – Karpenisi). Since 2009 the new Motorway 5 bypasses Agrinio to the west.

Agrinio's airport is located near the city, in the area of Dokimi. IATA code: AGQ, ICAO: LGAG. The airport hosts the Agrinion aeroclub Agrinion Aeroclub, website.

Municipality

The extended municipality Agrinio was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 10 former municipalities, that became municipal units:^[5]

• Agrinio
• Angelokastro
• Arakynthos
• Makryneia
• Neapoli
• Panaitoliko
• Parakampylia
• Paravola
• Stratos
• Thestieis

The municipality has an area of 1229.330 km², the municipal unit 162.728 km².^[6]

Subdivisions

The municipal unit (former municipality) of Agrinio consists of the following communities:

• Agios Konstantinos
• Agios Nikolaos Trichonidos
• Agrinio
• Dokimi
• Kalyvia
• Kamaroula
• Skoutesiada

The city of Agrinio consists of the main city and the outlying villages Agios Ioannis Riganas, Akropotamos, Bouzi, Giannouzi, Diamanteika, Eleftheria, Lefka, Liagkaiika, Pyrgi, Schinos and Strongylaiika.

City Seal

The city's official seal includes a characteristic moment of the ancient Greek mythology. More specifically, the seal depicts Hercules fighting the river-god Achelous. According to the myth, Hercules fought against the river-god for the sake of Diianira, the princess of Calydon, which both of them wanted as a wife. Despite Achelous' transformations, Hercules managed to win the battle and married the princess. According to Strabo, the myth symbolises the struggle of ancient Aetolians to control the river's power with embankments, by which the river was confined to its bed and thus the area gained large tracts of land for cultivation.

Historical population

Landmarks

• The
  Archaeological Museum of Agrinion, located in the city center, at 1-2 Diamantis Street. website
• The neoclassical buildings of the tobacco storehouses Papastratos and Papapetrou, which date from the early 20th century.
• The Papastrateio Municipal Park.
• The Papastratios Municipal Library.
• The Dimokratias Square, the main square of the city.
• The remains of the Church of the Holy Trinity of Mavrika (8th-9th century), situated at the banks of lake Lysimachia.
• Lakes Trichonida and Lysimachia.
• The ancient city of Stratos.
• The gorge of Kleisoura, on the old national road, 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of the city.
• The hydroelectric dams of
  Stratos
  .

Mayors

• Georgios Baibas (1899–1907)
• Andreas Panagopoulos (1925–1934 and 1951–1952)
• Dimitrios Votsis (1934–1941)
• Anastasios Panagopoulos (1964–1967)
• Stelios Tsitsimelis (1975–1986)
• Giannis Vainas (1986–1994)
• Thimios Sokos (1994–2006)
• Pavlos Moscholios (2006–2014)
• Georgios Papanastasiou (2014–present)

Famous citizens

• Stratos Apostolakis (1964) – footballer
• Petros Michos (1959) – footballer
• Kostas Chatzopoulos (1868–1920) – poet
• Christos Garoufalis (1959) – writer
• Katia Gerou – actress
• Panagiotis Danglis (1853–1924) – general and politician
• Filipos Darlas
  (1983) – footballer
• Maria Dimadi (1907–1944) – resistance fighter
• Petros Fyssoun (1933) – actor
• Panos Kaponis (Caponis) (1947) – poet & writer
• Christos Kapralos (1909–1993) – artist
• Michalis Kousis (1953–2005) – Marathon runner
• Aristidis Moschos (1930–2001) – musician
• Pythagoras Papastamatiou (1930–1979) – writer
• Thodoros (1931–2018) – sculptor
• Evangelos Papastratos (1910–1988) – industrialist and benefactor of Agrinio
• Loukia Pistiola – actress
• Yiannis Yfantis (1949) – poet
• Kostis Maraveyas (1974) – singer and composer
• Spiros and Eleni Tsiknia – Benefactors of Agrinio

Sporting teams

• Panetolikos FC – Super League Greece
• Gymnastiki Etairia Agriniou (G.E.A.)
• A.O. Agriniou
• Ionikos 80 Volleyball
• Nautikos Omilos
• Asteras Agriniou
• PAO Agriniou
• Panagriniakos

• 
  The ancient theatre of Calydon near Evinochori
• 
  Agia Triada Maurika Byzantine church
• 
  Central square, Κεντρική Πλατεία Αγρινίου (Dimokratias square)
• 
  Charilaou Trikoupi street
• 
  Agrinio Archaeological museum
• 
  Old railway station
• 
  Rural area in the municipality of Agrinio
• 
  Trichonida Lake
• 
  Voukatio castle, Paravola
• 
  Hatzopoulou Square
• 
  Saint John church, Dafnias
• 
  Annunciation church
• 
  Agia Triada Maurika (another angle)

See also

• List of settlements in Aetolia-Acarnania
• List of ancient Greek cities

References

External links

Look up agrinio in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Agrinio.

• Official site
• Richard Stillwell, ed. Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, 1976: "Agrinion Greece"
• www.agriniovoice.gr, local news
• Agrinio City Guide