Evrytania
Encyclopedia
Evrytania is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Karpenisi
(approx. 8,200 inhabitants).
and the Panaitoliko
in the south. Its rivers include the Acheloos
in the west, Agrafiotis
to the east, and Megdova
in the east flowing down to the Ionian Sea
. It is one of the least populated regional units in Greece. The area borders Aetolia-Acarnania
to the west, southwest and south (west over the Acheloos
river), Karditsa
to the north, and Phthiotis
to the east. Evrytania also features a famous skiing resort located near Karpenisi on the Tymfristos mountain.
from Agrinio
to Lamia
passes through the southern part of Evrytania and the town Karpenisi
. On the border with Phthiotis
, the GR-38 passes through the 1.4 km-long Tymfristos Tunnel since 2004.
hands, and was later incorporated into the Byzantine Empire
. Later it was a Frankish
possession but with full autonomy. It was later part of the Despotate of Epirus
and lastly the Ottoman Empire
. Unlike other parts of Greece at the time, while the eastern and the southern parts were definitively ruled by the Ottomans, the area around Agrafa
managed to sustain complete autonomy due to the difficulties experienced in conquest of the region. After 400 years, Evrytania finally became part of Greece
following the Greek War of Independence
. The economy boomed with agriculture, while its village economy has been poor. As in all of Greece, the area was affected by World War II
, and later the Greek Civil War
. Peace finally returned to Evrytania at the end of the 1940s and its economy expanded, though there was significant migration from the villages to cities. It received electricity, radio communications, motor transport and fuller roads in the 1950s, the GR-38 became paved, and the prefecture's only ski resort opened. Computer and Internet connections were put in place in the 1990s.
in 1947 out of the Aetolia-Acarnania
prefecture. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Evrytania was created out of the former prefecture Evrytania . The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
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....
(approx. 8,200 inhabitants).
Geography
Evrytania is almost entirely formed of mountains, including the TymfristosTymfristos
Tymfristos is a village and a former community in Phthiotis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Makrakomi, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 566 ....
and the Panaitoliko
Panaitoliko
Panaitoliko is a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrinio, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,853 . The seat of the municipality was in Skoutera....
in the south. Its rivers include the Acheloos
Acheloos River
The Achelous , also Acheloos, is a river in western Greece. It formed the boundary between Acarnania and Aetolia of antiquity. It empties into the Ionian Sea...
in the west, 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...
to the east, and Megdova
Megdova
The Megdovas also known as Tavropos , is a river that flows through the Karditsa and Evrytania prefectures, Greece.-Geography:The river begins in the mountains of the western part of Karditsa Prefecture and passes since the late-1950s into Lake Plastiras, a reservoir that supplies electricity and...
in the east flowing down to the Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
. It is one of the least populated regional units in Greece. The area borders Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is located in the western part of Greece; the regional unit is a combination of the geographic regions Aetolia and Acarnania. Its capital is Missolonghi for historical reasons, with its biggest...
to the west, southwest and south (west over the Acheloos
Acheloos
Acheloos may refer to:* Acheloos River, in Greece* Achelous, a river deity in Greek mythology* Acheloos , a municipality in the Karditsa prefecture, Greece...
river), Karditsa
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:...
to the north, and Phthiotis
Phthiotis
Phthiotis is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. The capital is the city of Lamia. It is bordered by the Malian Gulf to the east, Boeotia in the south, Phocis in the south, Aetolia-Acarnania in the southwest, Evrytania in the west,...
to the east. Evrytania also features a famous skiing resort located near Karpenisi on the Tymfristos mountain.
Climate
Its climate is a mixture of Mediterranean and mountainous in the western portion. Much of the area receives snow in winter and is warm during the summer months.Transport
The Greek National Road 38Greek 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...
from 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...
to Lamia
Lamia (city)
Lamia is a city in central Greece. The city has a continuous history since antiquity, and is today the capital of the regional unit of Phthiotis and of the Central Greece region .-Name:...
passes through the southern part of Evrytania and the town 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....
. On the border with Phthiotis
Phthiotis
Phthiotis is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. The capital is the city of Lamia. It is bordered by the Malian Gulf to the east, Boeotia in the south, Phocis in the south, Aetolia-Acarnania in the southwest, Evrytania in the west,...
, the GR-38 passes through the 1.4 km-long Tymfristos Tunnel since 2004.
History
Evrytania dates to ancient times, the area was first settled around 6000 to 5000 BC. In classical times, the Greek Eurytanes resided in the region. It then fell into RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
hands, and was later incorporated into the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. Later it was a Frankish
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
possession but with full autonomy. It was later part of the Despotate of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
and lastly the Ottoman Empire
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...
. Unlike other parts of Greece at the time, while the eastern and the southern parts were definitively ruled by the Ottomans, the area around 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...
managed to sustain complete autonomy due to the difficulties experienced in conquest of the region. After 400 years, Evrytania finally became part of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
following the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. The economy boomed with agriculture, while its village economy has been poor. As in all of Greece, the area was affected by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and later the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
. Peace finally returned to Evrytania at the end of the 1940s and its economy expanded, though there was significant migration from the villages to cities. It received electricity, radio communications, motor transport and fuller roads in the 1950s, the GR-38 became paved, and the prefecture's only ski resort opened. Computer and Internet connections were put in place in the 1990s.
Administration
The regional unit Evrytania is subdivided into 2 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):- AgrafaAgrafa (Municipality)Agrafa is a village and a municipality in Evrytania, Central Greece. Its administrative center is the village Kerasochori. It is named after the wide mountainous region of Agrafa, of which it occupies only the SW part....
(2) - KarpenisiKarpenisiKarpenisi 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....
(1)
Prefecture
Evrytania was created as a prefecturePrefectures of Greece
During the first administrative division of independent Greece in 1833–1836 and then again from 1845 until their abolition with the Kallikratis reform in 2010, the prefectures were the country's main administrative unit...
in 1947 out of the Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is located in the western part of Greece; the regional unit is a combination of the geographic regions Aetolia and Acarnania. Its capital is Missolonghi for historical reasons, with its biggest...
prefecture. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Evrytania was created out of the former prefecture Evrytania . The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
| New municipality | Old municipalities | Seat |
|---|---|---|
| Agrafa Agrafa (Municipality) Agrafa is a village and a municipality in Evrytania, Central Greece. Its administrative center is the village Kerasochori. It is named after the wide mountainous region of Agrafa, of which it occupies only the SW part.... |
Agrafa Agrafa (Municipality) Agrafa is a village and a municipality in Evrytania, Central Greece. Its administrative center is the village Kerasochori. It is named after the wide mountainous region of Agrafa, of which it occupies only the SW part.... |
Kerasochori |
| Aperantia Aperantia Aperantia 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... |
||
| Aspropotamos Aspropotamos, Evrytania Aspropotamos 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... |
||
| Viniani Viniani Viniani 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.... |
||
| Fragkista Fragkista Fragkista 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 .... |
||
| 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.... |
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.... |
Karpenisi |
| Domnista Domnista Domnista is a village and a former municipality in Evrytania, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Karpenisi, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,163 . The seat of the municipality was in Krikello.... |
||
| Fourna Fourna Fourna is a village and a former municipality in Evrytania in central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Karpenisi, of which it is a municipal unit. The population of the municipal unit is 1,542 . The municipal unit consists of the villages Fourna, Vracha... |
||
| Ktimenia Ktimenia Ktimenia is a former municipality in Evrytania, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Karpenisi, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,168 . The seat of the municipality was in Agia Triada.... |
||
| Potamia Potamia, Evrytania Potamia is a former municipality in Evrytania, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Karpenisi, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,933 . The seat of the municipality was in Megalo Chorio.... |
||
| Prousos |
Persons
- Pavlos BakoyannisPavlos BakoyannisPavlos Bakoyannis was a liberal Greek politician who was well known for his broadcasts against the Greek military dictatorship of 1967-1974 on Deutsche Welle radio...
- Markos GioliasMarkos GioliasMarkos Giolias is a historian and writer. He was born in Granitsa, Evrytania and is a professor at Panteios University.-References:...
, artist - Demosthenis Goulas, artist
- Stefanos GranitsasStefanos GranitsasStefanos Granitsas was born in the village of Granitsa in 1880 and died in Athens in 1915. He was a writer and a journalist. His work was historical, about folklore, literary, sociology, and theatre....
, artist - Christos KagarasChristos KagarasChristos Kagaras He was born in Granitsa of Evrytania in 1918. He drew landscapes, topics relevant to nature and sacred pictures. Artists, intellectual people, newspapers and magazines have expressed their enthusiasm about his work.-References:...
, painter - Spyros PaliourasSpyros PaliourasSpyros Paliouras or Spiros Paliouras was a Greek writer. He moved to Athens at a young age where he earned a living. He left Greece and moved to Paris and after to Marseille where he worked and specialized machine factory. That time, he tried as approved selfishly in writing...
, a Greek artist - Zacharias PapantoniouZacharias PapantoniouZacharias Papantoniou was born in Karpenissi of Evrytania in February 1877 and died in Athens in 1940. He spent the first years of his life in Granitsa, where his father was a teacher. Apart from a writer, he was also a journalist. Papantoniou's work was basically the first to promote Evrytania...
, artist - Michael StafylasMichael StafylasMichalis Stafylas was born in Granitsa, Evrytania in Greece in 1920. He has published biographical and critical work about 50 modern Greek writers, essays, novels, anthologies of stories, poetry anthologies and a theatrical play. His work has been translated into many languages.-External links:*...
, artist - Lefteris TheodorouLefteris TheodorouLefteris Theodorou is a Greek painter.He was born in Granitsa in 1945 where he lives and has a remarkable "Museum - Laboratory". He is a genuine local painter and wood carver. He draws, apart from beautiful landscapes and everyday scenes, topics such as saint pictures, portraits, naked people and...
, painter
External links
- Prefecture of Evrytania Official Website: www.evrytania.gr
- Evrytania