Agrafa (Municipality)
Encyclopedia
- For the wider Agrafa region, see AgrafaAgrafaAgrafa is a mountainous region in Evrytania and Karditsa prefectures in mainland Greece, consisting mainly of small villages. It is the southernmost part of the Pindus range...
.
Agrafa is a village and a municipality in Evrytania
Evrytania
Evrytania is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Karpenisi .-Geography:...
, Central Greece
Central Greece
Continental Greece or Central Greece , colloquially known as Roúmeli , is a geographical region of Greece. Its territory is divided into the administrative regions of Central Greece, Attica, and part of West Greece...
. Its administrative center is the village Kerasochori. It is named after the wide mountainous region of Agrafa
Agrafa
Agrafa is a mountainous region in Evrytania and Karditsa prefectures in mainland Greece, consisting mainly of small villages. It is the southernmost part of the Pindus range...
, of which it occupies only the SW part.
It consists merely of villages and hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
spread on the mountain slopes around the river Agrafiotis
Agrafiotis
The Agrafiotis River is a river/stream that flows entirely in the Evrytania prefecture in Greece. The river owes its name to Agrafa, the mountainous region where it flows. The river begins in the North of the prefecture and passes into a valley filled with only traces of farmlands, beautiful pine...
. Likewise the rest of Agrafa area, they are famous for their complete autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
throughout the four centuries
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
of Ottoman occupation
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...
of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, being home to many bands
Band society
A band society is the simplest form of human society. A band generally consists of a small kin group, no larger than an extended family or clan; it has been defined as consisting of no more than 30 to 50 individuals.Bands have a loose organization...
of fighters against the Ottoman rule; most notably of Antonis Katsantonis
Antonis Katsantonis
Antonis Katsantonis was a notable Greek klepht who lived in the era before the Greek War of Independence.-Early life:According to the local historical tradition of the Evrytania Prefecture, he was a Sarakatsanos klepht leader born in the village of Marathos, Agrafa...
who is considered as the local hero.
The educational infrastructure consists of a primary and secondary school (see Education in Greece
Education in Greece
The Greek educational system is mainly divided into three levels, namely primary, secondary and tertiary, with an additional post-secondary level providing vocational training. Primary education is divided into kindergarten lasting one or two years, and primary school spanning six years...
) located in Agrafa. The central road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
of the municipality is unpaved and winding. It extends from GR-38
Greek National Road 38
Greek National Road 38 is a highway linking the cities of Agrinio, Karpenisi and Lamia. It is the only highway linking Agrinio and Larissa because GR-30 is narrow. The highway passes into the reservoir of the Acheloos river and into the Pindus ranges. It later passes through Karpenisi and into...
(Karpenisi
Karpenisi
Karpenisi is a town in central Greece. It is the capital of the peripheral unit of Evrytania. The area around Karpenisi is mountainous while farmlands are mainly in valley areas....
-Agrinio
Agrinio
Agrinion is the largest city and municipality of the Aetolia-Acarnania peripheral unit of Greece, with 96,321 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its capital is the town of Mesolonghi. The settlement dates back to ancient times...
, intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
near Krentis) to the south, as far GR-30
Greek National Road 30
The Greek National Road 30 is a highway or route that links the cities of Volos, Karditsa, Trikala and Arta.-Information:...
(Karditsa
Karditsa
Karditsa is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa peripheral unit.Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BCE. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the road to Karpenisi, and the road to Palamas and Larissa...
-Arta
Arta, Greece
Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
, intersection in Mouzaki
Mouzaki
Mouzaki is a town and a municipality in the northwestern part of the Karditsa Prefecture, Greece. Mouzaki is located 50 km from Anthiro, 75 km northeast from Vragkiana, 34 km from Petrilo and 28 km west of Karditsa. It is also located 20 km from Trikala and 180 km east of Arta...
) to the north, passing through Tria Synora (the boundary between Evrytania and Karditsa Prefecture
Karditsa Prefecture
Karditsa is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Thessaly. Its name is derived from its capital Karditsa, a small city of approximately 35,000 people.-Geography:...
). Because of heavy snowfall, its central parts are often inaccessible in January and February.
Despite their natural beauty, the villages are still virgin from touristic exploitation. There are some basic facilities in the bigger villages - family-run hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
s and tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
s.
Municipality
The municipality Agrafa was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):- Agrafa (Agrafa, Epiniana, Marathos, Monastiraki, Tridendro, Trovato, Vrangiana)
- AperantiaAperantiaAperantia is a former municipality in Evrytania, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrafa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,213 . The seat of the municipality was in Granitsa. Ancient Aperantia was a small region of Thessaly, south of...
(Granitsa, Limeri, Lithochori, Sivista, Topoliana, Valaora, Voulpi) - AspropotamosAspropotamos, EvrytaniaAspropotamos is a former municipality in the northwestern part of Evrytania, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrafa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,729 . The seat of the municipality was in Raptopoulo. Aetolia-Acarnania is to the west...
(Kedra, Lepiana, Neo Argyri, Prasia, Raptopoulo) - FragkistaFragkistaFragkista is a former municipality in Evrytania, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrafa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,533 ....
(Anatoliki Fragkista, Dytiki Fragkista, Episkopi, Marathia, Palaiochori, Palaiokatouna, Tripotamo) - VinianiVinianiViniani is a village and a former municipality in Evrytania, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrafa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,438 . The seat of the municipality was in Kerasochori....
(Agios Dimitrios, Chryso, Dafni, Kerasochori, Mavrommata, Viniani)