Kalavryta
Encyclopedia
Kalavryta is a town and a municipality in the eastcentral part of the peripheral unit of Achaea
, Greece
. It is the southern terminus of the Kalavryta - Diakopto Road and the eastern terminus of the Patras - Kalavryta Road. It is located approx. 40 km S of Aigio
, 38 km S of GR-8
/E65
, about 190 km W of Athens
, about 85 km NNW of Tripoli
and about 130 km NE of Olympia
.
. On this day the Greek flag was raised at the monastery of Agia Lavra.
, allegedly in retribution for the killing of 81 German soldiers captured by partisans during the Nazi
occupation in World War II
, German troops ordered all male residents of Kalavryta, aged 14 years and up, to gather in a field just outside the village. There, they machine-gunned down 696 of them. Only 13 survived. After that they burnt down the town before they left and the next day they burnt down the Monastery
of Agia Lavra
, birth place of the Greek War of Independence
. Post-war, the federal Government of Germany offered gestures of atonement in the form of free school books for the high school, scholarships for orphans of the massacre and built an old peoples' home. No German commanders, (e.g. Major Ebersberger who carried out the destruction of Kalavryta; Hauptmann Dohnert who led the firing party), were ever brought to book for these events
was built by Italian engineers between 1885 and 1895. It is the southern terminus. The railway runs through a gorge but for the southern part runs within the road linking Kalavryta and Trapeza. Its length is 22 km and the journey is 68 min long. In Kastria, near to Kalavryta, there is a famous cave system which is filled with beautiful lakes and strange rock formations. Kalavryta also has the Kalavryta Ski Centre which is located east of town, situated on the slopes of Mount Aroania (Chelmos), which at 2,341 m is the tallest mountain in Achaia. The monastery of Agia Lavra is located on a hill approximately 3.5 km SW via the road from Kalavryta. Its elevation is about 940 m. Another famous monastery nearby is Mega Spilaion which is located around 8 km northeast.
Achaea
Achaea is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The capital is Patras. The population exceeds 300,000 since 2001.-Geography:...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is the southern terminus of the Kalavryta - Diakopto Road and the eastern terminus of the Patras - Kalavryta Road. It is located approx. 40 km S of Aigio
Aigio
Aigio is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aigialeia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Its population is around 30,000. Aigio is surrounded by trees in the north and cliffs in the...
, 38 km S of GR-8
Greek National Road 8
The National Road 8 in Greece is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the Attica and Peloponnese regions. It links the cities of Patras, Corinth and Athens. Until the 1960s when the National Road 8A, a toll road, replaced it as a major route, it was the only road linking Athens and...
/E65
European route E65
European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...
, about 190 km W of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, about 85 km NNW of Tripoli
Tripoli, Greece
Tripoli is a city of about 25,000 inhabitants in the central part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. It is the capital of the prefecture of Arcadia and the centre of the municipality of Tripolis, pop...
and about 130 km NE of Olympia
Olympia, Greece
Olympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...
.
History
Kalavryta is famous for developments that occurred on the 21 March 1821, which ignited the Greek War of IndependenceGreek 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...
. On this day the Greek flag was raised at the monastery of Agia Lavra.
Modern
On 13 December 1943, in what is commemorated as the Holocaust or Massacre of KalavrytaMassacre of Kalavryta
The Holocaust of Kalavryta , or the Massacre of Kalavryta , refers to the extermination of the male population and the subsequent total destruction of the town of Kalavryta, in Greece, by German occupying forces during World War II on 13 December 1943...
, allegedly in retribution for the killing of 81 German soldiers captured by partisans during the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
occupation in 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...
, German troops ordered all male residents of Kalavryta, aged 14 years and up, to gather in a field just outside the village. There, they machine-gunned down 696 of them. Only 13 survived. After that they burnt down the town before they left and the next day they burnt down the Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Agia Lavra
Agia Lavra
Agia Lavra is a monastery near Kalavryta, Achaea, Greece. It was built in 961 AD, on Helmos Mountain, at an altitude of 961 meters, and can be described as the symbolic birth-place of modern Greece. It stands as one of the oldest monasteries in the Peloponnese.It was built in 10th century but was...
, birth place of 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...
. Post-war, the federal Government of Germany offered gestures of atonement in the form of free school books for the high school, scholarships for orphans of the massacre and built an old peoples' home. No German commanders, (e.g. Major Ebersberger who carried out the destruction of Kalavryta; Hauptmann Dohnert who led the firing party), were ever brought to book for these events
Historical population
| Year | Municipal district | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 2,015 | - |
| 1991 | 2,111 | 8,306 |
| 2001 | - | 8,609 |
Landmarks
The famous Diakopto-Kalavryta RailwayDiakofto Kalavrita Railway
The Diakofto–Kalavryta Railway is a historic gauge rack railway in Greece. Located on the northern Peloponnese, it runs 22 km from Diakofto through the Vouraikos Gorge and the old Mega Spilaion Monastery and up to Kalavryta, stopping en route at Zachlorou.The line was built by the Piraeus,...
was built by Italian engineers between 1885 and 1895. It is the southern terminus. The railway runs through a gorge but for the southern part runs within the road linking Kalavryta and Trapeza. Its length is 22 km and the journey is 68 min long. In Kastria, near to Kalavryta, there is a famous cave system which is filled with beautiful lakes and strange rock formations. Kalavryta also has the Kalavryta Ski Centre which is located east of town, situated on the slopes of Mount Aroania (Chelmos), which at 2,341 m is the tallest mountain in Achaia. The monastery of Agia Lavra is located on a hill approximately 3.5 km SW via the road from Kalavryta. Its elevation is about 940 m. Another famous monastery nearby is Mega Spilaion which is located around 8 km northeast.
Municipality
The municipality Kalavryta was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- AroaniaAroaniaAroania is a village and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalavryta, of which it is a municipal unit. The population is 2,551 . The seat of administration was in the town Psofida...
- Kalavryta
- LefkasioLefkasioLefkasio is a village and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalavryta, of which it is a municipal unit. Its seat of administration was the village Kleitoria, near the site of the ancient village of Kleitor...
- PaionPaionPaion is a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalavryta, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 2,579. The seat of the municipality was in Dafni. The municipality was created after the Greek...
Subdivisions
The municipal unit of Kalavryta is divided into the following communities:- Ano Vlasia
- Ano Lousoi
- Doumena
- Drosato
- Flampoura (Flampoura, Neochori, Ortholithi)
- Goumenissa
- Kalavryta (Kalavryta, Avlonas, Vrachni, Krastikoi, Moni Agias Lavras, Souvardo)
- Kallifoni
- Kandalos
- Kato Lousoi (Kato Lousoi, Lousiko)
- Kato Vlasia (Kato Vlasia, Menychtaiika, Metochi)
- Kato ZachlorouZachlorouAno and Kato Zachlorou is a Greek village built on a mountain slope south of the Vouraikos Gorge. Zachlorou is located about 20 to 25 km south of Diakopto, west of Corinth,about 15 to 20 km north of Kalavryta, east-southeast of Patras and south-southeast of Aigio...
- KerpiniKerpiniKerpini , is a small village in the north of the municipality of Kalavryta in Achaea, Greece. Its 2001 population was 209 for the village. Kerpini was the home of the Zaimis family which produced several Greek revolutionary leaders, president of the Greek Parliament, two Prime Ministers, President...
- KerteziKerteziKertezi is a small village in the municipality of Kalavryta, Achaea, Greece. It is built on the slopes of Mount Chelmos which are covered with pines, fir trees and rigani or Oregano. Many residents of the post-war generation dispersed to larger Greek cities or other countries. However many return...
- Korfes
- Kouteli
- Kryoneri
- Lagovouni
- LapanagoiLapanagoiLapanagoi is a village in Greece.The village, on the border of the provinces of Aigeialeias and Kalavryta, is located SE of the Leonteio and across from the Makellarias Monastery. It has a castle in height 750 m. protected north of Lagos, west of Selinus and east of Gerakovouni...
- Manesi Kalavryton (Manesi, Boumpoukas)
- Mikros Pontias (Mikros Pontias, Karousi, Lompokas, Megas Pontias)
- Petsakoi (Petsakoi, Bosi)
- Plataniotissa (Plataniotissa, Digela, Spartinou)
- Priolithos
- Profitis Ilias (Profitis Ilias, Mouriki)
- Rogoi
- Sigouni (Sigouni, Lefki)
- Skepasto
- Trechlo (Trechlo, Lapatheia)
- Valta
- Vilivina
External links
| Northwest: Leontio Leontio Leontio , older form: -on, is a community former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Erymanthos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is built on the foot of the Panachaiko. Its 2001 population was 373 for the village,... |
North: Aigio Aigio Aigio is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aigialeia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Its population is around 30,000. Aigio is surrounded by trees in the north and cliffs in the... |
Northeast: Diakopto Diakopto Diakopto is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aigialeia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population app. 7,005 . The town of Diakopto is situated on the Gulf of Corinth, and at the lower end of... |
| West: Farres Farres Farres is a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Erymanthos, of which it is a municipal unit. Its seat of administration was in the town Chalandritsa. It is on a road connecting Patras and Kalavryta... |
Kalavryta | East: Akrata Akrata Akrata, is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aigialeia, of which it is a municipal unit. The location is in a valley with two mountaintops. The river named Krathi flows near the center of Akrata. ... |
| Southwest: Aroania Aroania Aroania is a village and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalavryta, of which it is a municipal unit. The population is 2,551 . The seat of administration was in the town Psofida... , |
South: Lefkasio Lefkasio Lefkasio is a village and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kalavryta, of which it is a municipal unit. Its seat of administration was the village Kleitoria, near the site of the ancient village of Kleitor... |