Leonidio
Encyclopedia
Leonidio is a town and a former municipality in Arcadia
, Peloponnese, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality South Kynouria
, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 6,294 (2001).
region, notable for its cultural and linguistic particularities
, and the settlement itself offers striking and picturesque architecture; now a protected architectural site, there are very strict regulations for building within the town's limits.
and achieving ever-growing popularity.
Leonidio is situated near the ancient city of Prasiae, which was an important harbour for Sparta
until its ruin
by the Athenians
during the Peloponnesian War
. The ancient Greek traveller Pausanias
describes the area as the "garden of Dionysus
", because of the fertility of its plain, and in ancient myth the young Dionysus was found on its beach and later brought up in a cave emerging from it. There is also a second variant of the story, influenced by Christian tradition, recounting the finding of the relics of Saint Leonides atop the beach of Leonidio, where a church was to be built in his honour, remaining to this day; this is a common suggestion for the derivation of the area's name. During the Middle Ages
, Leonidio found itself used only as a winter refuge for the inhabitants of Prastos
, the former capital of Tsakonia
. When Prastos was burned to the ground by Ibrahim Pasha
during the Greek Revolution, however, its refugees found shelter in Leonidio, protected by the morphology of the landscape. In ensuing years the town flourished and thrived, counting among its residents wealthy merchants and seamen, closely associated with Constantinople
and Odessa
; during this period beautiful neo-classical house and tower house structures were built within its limits, including the "Tsikaliotis Tower". On January 21, 1949, a major battle of the Greek civil war
took place here.
celebration, when the custom of aerostata ("air balloons") attracts spectators; the well-known Greek comedy writer Dimitrios Psathas once recommended the virtues of passing: "..carnival in Patras
, and Easters in Leonidio".
and, although coastal, opening on to the Myrtoon Sea, it is also mainly mountainous, punctuated by the Parnon
. Leonidio town itself, however, is to be found on the areas's plain, which proves fertile and very important for the local economy, with its high level of agricultural employment. Apart from citrus fruit, tomatoes and olives, the area's most famous and widely-distributed product is the Tsakonian eggplant, characteristic in its sweet taste, and acknowledged and protected by the European Union
.
, the Leonidio municipality is home to a number of stunning geological formations, such as the Peleta Sinkhole, and the Propantes
pothole (a vertical cave
).
, and the Tsakonian language
is still spoken in some areas. Its communities take in the following: Leonidio, Agios Vasileios, Kounoupia, Mari, Paliochori, Peleta, Pigadi, Platanaki, Poulithra
, Pragmatefti, Tsitalia, and Vlisidia.
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
, Peloponnese, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality South Kynouria
South Kynouria
South Kynouria is a municipality in the Arcadia peripheral unit, Peloponnese Periphery, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Leonidio...
, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 6,294 (2001).
Landscape
Leonidio, with a population of 6,294 (according to the 2001 census), emerges from a spectacular landscape, bound by two abrupt mountainsides enclosing the town from the north and south. The River Dafnon passes through the town, and its banks are linked with three bridges. The town is capital of the TsakoniaTsakonia
Tsakonia or the Tsakonian region describes the area of the eastern Peloponnese where the Tsakonian language is presently spoken...
region, notable for its cultural and linguistic particularities
Tsakonian language
Tsakonian, Tsaconian, Tzakonian or Tsakonic is a Hellenic language, spoken in the Tsakonian region of the Peloponnese, Greece....
, and the settlement itself offers striking and picturesque architecture; now a protected architectural site, there are very strict regulations for building within the town's limits.
Plaka
Plaka is the picturesque port of Leonidio, situated 4km from the town. It functions mainly with the help of tourism, but a small fishing fleet is also to be found; a well-regarded beach lies 4km across the shore. The port takes in a number of taverns and bars immediately adjacent to the sea, while every August, it also hosts the "Tsakonian Eggplant Festival", attracting well-known chefs from across EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and achieving ever-growing popularity.
History
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
until its ruin
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
by the Athenians
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...
during the Peloponnesian War
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
. The ancient Greek traveller Pausanias
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
describes the area as the "garden of Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
", because of the fertility of its plain, and in ancient myth the young Dionysus was found on its beach and later brought up in a cave emerging from it. There is also a second variant of the story, influenced by Christian tradition, recounting the finding of the relics of Saint Leonides atop the beach of Leonidio, where a church was to be built in his honour, remaining to this day; this is a common suggestion for the derivation of the area's name. During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Leonidio found itself used only as a winter refuge for the inhabitants of Prastos
Prastos
Prastos is a settlement in Arcadia prefecture in Greece. Formerly, Prastos was the premier town of the Tsakonian region, but declined in importance after its devastation by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt during the Greek War of Independence and a general economic migration to urban areas that occurred in...
, the former capital of Tsakonia
Tsakonia
Tsakonia or the Tsakonian region describes the area of the eastern Peloponnese where the Tsakonian language is presently spoken...
. When Prastos was burned to the ground by Ibrahim Pasha
Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
Ibrahim Pasha was the eldest son of Muhammad Ali, the Wāli and unrecognised Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. He served as a general in the Egyptian army that his father established during his reign, taking his first command of Egyptian forces was when he was merely a teenager...
during the Greek Revolution, however, its refugees found shelter in Leonidio, protected by the morphology of the landscape. In ensuing years the town flourished and thrived, counting among its residents wealthy merchants and seamen, closely associated with Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
; during this period beautiful neo-classical house and tower house structures were built within its limits, including the "Tsikaliotis Tower". On January 21, 1949, a major battle of 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...
took place here.
Modern Era
Today, Leonidio is a lively and colourful town, especially in summer months, as a result of newly developing tourism. Agriculture, nevertheless, remains a main source of income for its residents, and the benefits of the exploitation of the plain are irreplaceable. The town is also famous for its unusual EasterEaster
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
celebration, when the custom of aerostata ("air balloons") attracts spectators; the well-known Greek comedy writer Dimitrios Psathas once recommended the virtues of passing: "..carnival in Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
, and Easters in Leonidio".
Geography
The municipality is situated on the eastern coast of the PeloponnesePeloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
and, although coastal, opening on to the Myrtoon Sea, it is also mainly mountainous, punctuated by the Parnon
Parnon
Parnon or Parnonas or Malevo is a mountain range, or massif, on the east of the Laconian plain and the Evrotas valley. It is visible from Athens above the top of the Argive mountains. The western part is in the Laconia prefecture and the northeastern part is in the Arcadia prefecture. The Parnon...
. Leonidio town itself, however, is to be found on the areas's plain, which proves fertile and very important for the local economy, with its high level of agricultural employment. Apart from citrus fruit, tomatoes and olives, the area's most famous and widely-distributed product is the Tsakonian eggplant, characteristic in its sweet taste, and acknowledged and protected by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Geology
Thanks to its position on the mountain of ParnonParnon
Parnon or Parnonas or Malevo is a mountain range, or massif, on the east of the Laconian plain and the Evrotas valley. It is visible from Athens above the top of the Argive mountains. The western part is in the Laconia prefecture and the northeastern part is in the Arcadia prefecture. The Parnon...
, the Leonidio municipality is home to a number of stunning geological formations, such as the Peleta Sinkhole, and the Propantes
Propantes
Propantes is a pothole on the mountain of Parnon within the borders of the Paliochori community of the Municipality of Leonidio in Greece. The entrance is about three by seven meters wide. The entrance shaft drops to -289m without the need for a re-belay, making it the deepest daylight shaft in...
pothole (a vertical cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
).
Demographics
Newly developing tourism is also a vital part of the area, with its scenic, clean beaches and breathtaking mountain scenery. Notably, the area is part of TsakoniaTsakonia
Tsakonia or the Tsakonian region describes the area of the eastern Peloponnese where the Tsakonian language is presently spoken...
, and the Tsakonian language
Tsakonian language
Tsakonian, Tsaconian, Tzakonian or Tsakonic is a Hellenic language, spoken in the Tsakonian region of the Peloponnese, Greece....
is still spoken in some areas. Its communities take in the following: Leonidio, Agios Vasileios, Kounoupia, Mari, Paliochori, Peleta, Pigadi, Platanaki, Poulithra
Poulithra
Poulithra is a village in the municipal unit of Leonidio, southeastern Arcadia, Greece. As of 2001, it had a population of 598 for the village and 600 for the municipal district.-Nearest places:*Amygdalia, nearly south*Pyrgoudi, west*Plaka, north...
, Pragmatefti, Tsitalia, and Vlisidia.