Pelion

In Greek mythology, Mount Pelion (which took its name from the mythical king Peleus, father of Achilles) was the homeland of Chiron the Centaur, tutor of many ancient Greek heroes, such as Jason, Achilles, Theseus and Heracles. On Mount Pelion, near Chiron's cave, the marriage of Thetis and Peleus took place. The uninvited goddess Eris, to take revenge for having been kept outside the party, brought a golden apple with the inscription "To the Fairest". The dispute that then arose between the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena resulted in events leading to the Trojan War.

When the twins Otus and Ephialtes attempted to storm Olympus, they piled Mount Pelion upon Mount Ossa (whence the idiom, to "pile Pelion on Ossa").^[2]

In Literature

William Shakespeare references the mountain in Act II, scene i of The Merry Wives of Windsor: "He will print them, out of doubt; for he cares not what he puts into the press, when he would put us two: I had rather be a giantess, and lie under Mount Pelion."

Recent history

The Pelion railway, dating back to 1892–1903, was the first serious public investment in the area. Electricity, radio and automobiles were first introduced in the 1950s except for Volos, which had those utilities from earlier times. Television arrived in the 1970s and the 1980s and computers and Internet in the late 1990s. The northern part of the Pelion mountains was struck by a forest fire (see

Communications

The mountain has a telecommunications tower that broadcasts radio and television including

A panorama from Pelion offers a views of the valley, the mountains of western Magnesia, Mount Olympus, the plain of Thessaly and its nearby mountains, Mavrovouni, Euboea, Central Greece and the northern Sporades islands. Depending on the humidity of the atmosphere, visitors can view the mountains of Agio Oros.

Places

Modern Pelion's twenty-four villages retain traditional Pelian architecture and construction, with stone buildings made out of expertly carved local grey, blue, or green slate and red clay. They are built on terraces on the slopes and offer stunning vistas of the surrounding slopes and the sea. Houses are usually multi-storied and feature the characteristic Pelian oriel construction, with tall windows and abundant painted ornamentation. Pelian tradition calls for three-level houses, with the ground floor used for work (tools, kitchen, storage, washing, weaving), the middle floor used for socializing (common rooms), and the top floor for private rooms (bedrooms). Heat is provided by fireplaces, the chimneys of which run through the walls to provide heat to the upper levels, whereas the top level, being well ventilated, provides for summertime cooling. Interior construction is usually of chestnut timber, stained dark brown and often elaborately carved. Many of the larger Pelian mansions (the arkhontiká or "lordly mansions") have been converted into boutique hotels and hostels. The largest of all the stone buildings, which serve as points of reference for the locals, are the Pelion Towers. These are huge 300-year-old buildings with exquisite visual characteristics that combine building elements of Mountain Pelion of the 17th, 18th and 19th century.

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  Mt.Pelion is covered in forest
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  Beach of Agios Ioannis
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  The Pelion towers (Olympiou tower-Russian consulate during Ottoman era)
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  Pinakates
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  Makrinitsa

Today, Mt. Pelion is part of the Magnesia regional unit (capital city: Volos) and embraces twenty-six villages including:

See also

• Drakeia massacre
• Museum of Folk Art and History of Pelion
• Pelion railway

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pelion.

• Prefecture of Magnesia, capital city of Volos, and Mt. Pelion
• Pelion travel guide
• Pelion hiking guide
• Pelion Informations and photos