Missolonghi
Missolonghi
Μεσολόγγι | |
---|---|
UTC+3 (EEST) | |
Postal code | 302 00 |
Area code(s) | 26310 |
Vehicle registration | ΜΕ |
Website | www |
Missolonghi or Mesolongi (
Geography
The town is located between the Achelous and the Evinos rivers and has a port on the Gulf of Patras. It trades in fish, wine, and tobacco. The Arakynthos mountains lie to the northeast. The town is almost canalized but houses are within the gulf and the swamplands. The Missolonghi–Aitoliko Lagoons complex lies to the west. In the ancient times, the land was part of the gulf.
Climate
Summers are long, hot and humid, with temperatures rarely surpassing 40 °C and sometimes remaining above 25 °C at night. Winters are short, mild and humid with frequent rainfalls.
Transport
National Transport
The new Greek National Motorway 5 (Ionia Odos) passes north of Missolonghi.
The town had a railway station on the Hellenic Railways Organisation line from Krioneri to Agrinio but this has been abandoned since the 1970s.
The Intercity Buses Of Aitoloakarnania
The local airport has a hard runway but no scheduled services. The closest airport with scheduled services is Aktion National Airport just an hour and half away.
Two new ferry connections towards Zakynthos, Cephalonia, and Ithaca are to be launched by the next summer season (2019 - 2020).
Education
Three departments of the University of Patras are based in the city.
Administration
The municipality Missolonghi (official name: Greek: Δήμος Ιεράς Πόλεως Μεσολογγίου) was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[3]
The municipal unit Missolonghi is subdivided into 8 communities:[3]
- Agios Georgios
- Agios Thomas
- Ano Koudouni
- Ellinika
- Evinochori
- Missolonghi
- Mousoura
- Retsina
The municipality has an area of 680.372 km2, the municipal unit 280.168 km2.[4]
Province
The province of Missolonghi (Greek: Επαρχία Μεσολογγίου) was one of the provinces of the Aetolia-Acarnania Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Missolonghi (except part of the municipal unit Oiniades) and the municipal units Angelokastro, Arakynthos and Makryneia.[5] It was abolished in 2006.
History
Early history
North-west of Missolonghi are the remains of
The modern settlement of Missolonghi was first mentioned by a
The town grew as a fishing and trading hub. It was captured in 1684 by the
Greek War of Independence
When the
Its location made it a vital bastion to the Greeks in the War of Independence: protected by a chain of small islands and its lagoon from the sea, and by a wall and the marshy terrain from the landward side, it was strategically located near the
The town's fortifications were initially limited to a ditch 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide and 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) deep, in many places filled up with rubbish, as well as by a small wall, not higher than 1 metre (3.3 ft) and in need of repair, with fourteen guns.
A
Another siege started on 15 April 1825
Due to the heroic stance of the population and the subsequent massacre of its inhabitants by the Turkish-Egyptian forces, the town of Missolonghi received the honorary title of Hiera Polis (the Sacred City), unique among other Greek cities. The famous British poet and philhellene Lord Byron, who supported the Greek struggle for independence, died in Missolonghi in 1824. He is commemorated by a cenotaph,[14] containing his heart,[15] and a statue located in the town.[14]
Modern era
The town itself is very picturesque but also modern with functional, regular urban planning. Some very interesting buildings representative of traditional architecture can be seen here. People whose names were related to modern
Today, the Entrance Gate remains intact and so does part of the fortification of the Free Besieged which was rebuilt by King Otto. Past the gate, there is the Garden of Heroes where several famous and some anonymous heroes who fought during the Heroic Sortie are buried. The Garden of Heroes is the equivalent of the Elysian Fields for modern Greece. Every year the Memorial Day for the Exodus is celebrated on Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter); the Greek State is represented by high-ranking officials and foreign countries by their ambassadors.
Media
- Radiofonikos Stathmos Mesolongiou,(Radio Missolonghi 92FM),Website
Landmarks
- Museum of the History and the Art of the Sacred City of Messolonghi, Website
- Centre of Culture and Art, Diexodos,Website
- Christos and Sophia Mosxandreou Gallery of Modern Art
- The Messolonghi Byron Society-International Research Center for Lord Byron and Philhellenism,Website
Notable people
- Lord Byron died here in 1824 and is commemorated by a cenotaph and a statue[14]
- Epameinontas Deligeorgis (1829–1879), former Prime Minister of Greece
- John Lykoudis (1910–1980), major and medical doctor involved in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease
- Miltiadis Malakasis (1869–1943), poet
- Spyros Moustaklis, Army officer, democracy activist during the junta
- Thanasoulas Valtinos (1801 or 1802-1870 or 1877), revolutionary of the Greek War of Independence
- Kostis Palamas (1859–1943), Greek poet, co-author of the Olympic Hymn
- Anastasios Papoulas (1859–1935), Greek general and commander-in-chief in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)
- Antonis Travlantonis (1895–1896), Greek educator, former director of Zosimaia School
- Charilaos Trikoupis (1832–1896), Prime Minister of Greece
- Nikolaos Trikoupis (1869–1956), Greek general
- Spyridon Trikoupis (1788–1873), Prime Minister of Greece, father of Charilaos Trikoupis
- Charalambos Tseroulis (1879–1929), Greek general
- Dimitrios Valvis (1814–1886), Prime Minister of Greece
- Zinovios Valvis (1800–1872), Prime Minister of Greece
- Sperantza Vrana (1926–2009), actress
Historical population
Year | City | Municipal unit | Municipality |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | 11,375 | - | - |
1991 | 10,916 | 16,859 | - |
2001 | 13,791 | 17,988 | - |
2011 | 14,386 | 18,482 | 34,416 |
2021 | 13,965 | 17,440 | 32,048 |
International relations
Twin towns—sister cities
Missolonghi is
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See also
References
- ^ a b "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Κτελ Αιτωλ/Νιασ".
- ^ a b "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
- ^ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-21.
- ^ "Detailed census results 1991" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. (39 MB) (in Greek and French)
- ^ a b c Brooks 2013, p. 64.
- Old Style.
- ^ Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, pp. 112–113.
- ^ a b c Doganis 1929, p. 505.
- ^ Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, p. 139.
- ^ Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, pp. 194–195.
- ^ Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, pp. 272–275.
- ^ Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, pp. 304–305.
- ^ a b c d Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 607.
- ^ Reynolds, Francis J., ed. (1921). Collier's New Encyclopedia. New York: P. F. Collier & Son Company. .
Sources
- Brooks, Allan (2013). Castles of Northwest Greece: From the Early Byzantine Period to the Eve of the First World War. Huddersfield: Aetos Press. ISBN 978-0-9575846-0-0.
- Christopoulos, Georgios A. & Bastias, Ioannis K., eds. (1975). Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, Τόμος ΙΒ΄: Η Ελληνική Επανάσταση (1821 - 1832) [History of the Greek Nation, Volume XII: The Greek Revolution (1821 - 1832)] (in Greek). Athens: Ekdotiki Athinon. ISBN 978-960-213-108-4.
- Doganis, Th. (1929). Μεγάλη Στρατιωτικὴ καὶ Ναυτικὴ Ἐγκυκλοπαιδεία. Tόμος Τέταρτος: Καβάδης–Μωριάς [Great Military and Naval Encyclopaedia. Volume IV: Kavadh–Morea] (in Greek). Athens: Ἔκδοσις Μεγάλης Στρατιωτικῆς καὶ Ναυτικῆς Ἐγκυκλοπαιδείας. pp. 503–507. OCLC 31255024.
External links
- Cultural Centre Of Messolonghi (in Greek)
- Municipality of Messolonghi (in Greek)
- Information about Mrssolonghi (in English)
- News from Messolongi (in Greek)
- Messolonghi Travel and Business Guide (in Greek)
- The Acheloos delta forms the Messolongi Lagoon
- Sights and Activities in Messolongi