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Andritsaina

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Andritsaina
Ανδρίτσαινα
Settlement
Map
CountryGreece
Administrative regionWest Greece
Regional unitElis
MunicipalityAndritsaina-Krestena
Area
 • Municipal unit131.2 km2 (50.7 sq mi)
Elevation
705 m (2,313 ft)
Population
 (2001)[1]
 • Municipal unit
2,152
 • Municipal unit density16/km2 (42/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
270 61
Area code(s)26260
Vehicle registrationΗΑ

Andritsaina (Greek: Ανδρίτσαινα) is a town and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Andritsaina-Krestena, of which it is a municipal unit.[2]

Geography

Andritsaina is situated in mountainous southeastern Elis, on the borders with Arcadia and Messenia. The town is built on a hillside, northwest of mount Lykaion. The river Alfeios forms the northeastern border of the municipal unit. The predominant land uses in the municipal unit are forestry and small scale farming. Andritsaina is 22 km northwest of Megalopoli, 28 km southeast of Krestena, 41 km west of Tripoli and 46 km southeast of Pyrgos. The Greek National Road 76 (Krestena - Karytaina - Megalopoli) runs through Andritsaina.

History

According to tradition, Andritsaina owes its name to the wife of a Cretan shepherd named Andrikos, who -chasing his runaway sheep- came to a spring on mount Lykaion. There he built an inn that after his death was kept by his wife Andrikaina (meaning "the wife of Andrikos"). From her name and from the local pronunciation of "kai" as "tsai", the inn was named "the hostel of Andritsaina". When houses were built in the surrounding area, the settlement was named "Andritsaina".

The area was part of ancient Arcadia. Andritsaina flourished during the Frankish rule (13th-14th centuries AD) and is mentioned in the Chronicle of the Morea. The village played a crucial role during the Orlov Revolt and the Greek War of Independence. In 1826, Andritsaina was destroyed by Ibrahim Pasha's troops.

Sights

View of the town

Today, the village has impressive old mansions, cobblestone streets, a square surrounded by tall trees and magnificent views. The fountain in the square (I Trani Vrysi) is the Peloponnese's oldest fountain, built in 1724. The famous Nikolopouleios library was founded in 1840 from donations of the humanist Agathofron Nikolopoulos, whose family came from Andritsaina. Its collection comprises rare 16th- and 17th-century manuscripts, in Greek and in foreign languages, important documents from the period of the Greek War of Independence and rich folklore material. Today, the library has more than 40000 volumes. The famous Temple of Epicurian Apollo at Bassae is 6 km south of Andritsaina, in Messenia.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit Andritsaina is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):

The community Andritsaina consists of the main village Andritsaina and the small mountain villages Karmio (3 km to the northeast), Myloi (4 km to the northwest) and Sykies (5 km to the north).

Population

Year Village Community Municipal unit
1981 - 1,034 -
1991 660 - 2,511
2001 575 663 2,152

People

References

  1. ^ De Facto Population of Greece Population and Housing Census of March 18th, 2001 (PDF 39 MB). National Statistical Service of Greece. 2003.
  2. ^ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior Template:El icon
  • "Mount Lykaion throughout the centuries", K. Potamianos, Kotylion Association edition, Athens 2005.

See also

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