Lepreo
Encyclopedia
Lepreo is a village in the municipality of Zacharo
, Elis, Greece
. Its 2001 population was 388 for the village and 532 for the municipal district.
, west of Andritsaina
and Megalopoli, northwest of Kalamata
, northeast of Kyparissia
and southeast of Pyrgos. It is 8 km east of the old GR-8
(Patras - Pyrgos - Methoni) and is connected with the road linking Neochori and Andritsaina
.
The village has about 3 km of paved road and about 4 km of gravel road. It has about 4 km of hydro lines, phone lines are around 3 km.
built in the foot of the Minthe
mountains, it is named after the founder Lepreus
, the son of Pyrgeus. The next and the ruler of the city was the Achaean League
during the Peloponnesian War
. It was also affected by the Second Messenian War
. In 146 BC
, it was sacked by the Romans in Ilia
200 Lepreans fought in Plataeae and their names were honoured in the statue of Zeus
in Olympia
and in the oracle of Delphi.
It also had the temple of Demeter
built with sided edges, Pausanias
visited the temole and it did not had a holy statue inside.
The ancient city was excavated in 1982 by Konstantinos Zahos. Located near the modern village, it features the ancient acropolis and ruins of buildings.
Lepreo lost its fame after the Gothic Invasion, Lepreo became a part of Greece after the revolution
which ended the Ottoman rule. Its village name was Strovitsi (Στροβίτσι) and is mainly of Slavic origin, it adopted its current name and revived the ancient name in the early to mid 20th century.
After World War II
and the Greek Civil War
, most of its buildings were rebuilt. Electricity, radio and automobiles were introduced in the mid-20th century, television in the late-20th century and computer and internet at the turn of the millennium. During the creation and recreation of the municipalities under the Capodistrian Plan in 1997, it became a part of the municipality of Zacharo and its commune or community was transformed into a municipal district. Lepreo was affected by the furious forest fire
, and occurred on Saturday August 15 and Sunday August 26, 2007, firefighters battled the blazed along with hydroplanes and choppers. Most of the area were affected. The affected areas are uncertain and a portions including the southwest escaped that furiosity.
Lepreon was hit by the devastating forest fires of the August 2007, which they destroy most of the olive trees plantations around the village and many other agricultural activities on the area (citrus and green houses plantations), resulting major economic setback for the last year (2008).
). Its nearest lyceum (middle school) and gymnasium (secondary school) are in Zacharo.
Zacharo
Zacharo is a town and municipality in southwestern Greece. Administratively, it belongs to the Elis peripheral unit, in the Periphery of West Greece. Zacharo is situated on the Ionian Sea coast, in the area of the Gulf of Kyparissia. The town is crossed by the highway named GR-9/E55, that links...
, Elis, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Its 2001 population was 388 for the village and 532 for the municipal district.
Settlements
- Agrapidia
- Drakos
- Panagies
- Reveleika or Revelaiika
- Skoupa
Nearest places
- Taxiarches, north (distance: 5 km)
- Faskomilia, east (distance: 8 km)
- Kato Taxiarches, west (distance: 4 km)
Population
| Year | Population | Municipal district population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 615 | - |
| 1991 | 499 | - |
| 2001 | 329 | 532 |
Location and transportation
Lepreo is located south of OlympiaOlympia, 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...
, west of Andritsaina
Andritsaina
Andritsaina 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...
and Megalopoli, northwest of Kalamata
Kalamata
Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
, northeast of Kyparissia
Kyparissia
Kyparissia is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trifylia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The town proper has around 5,708 inhabitants. The town is located on Greek National Road 9,...
and southeast of Pyrgos. It is 8 km east of the old 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...
(Patras - Pyrgos - Methoni) and is connected with the road linking Neochori and Andritsaina
Andritsaina
Andritsaina 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...
.
The village has about 3 km of paved road and about 4 km of gravel road. It has about 4 km of hydro lines, phone lines are around 3 km.
Geography
Its geography compromises of groves and almost the whole crop, farmlands that covers the western portions including some hills, forests are to the west near the municipal district boundary and the remains of a swamp area that once covered the flat part of northern Elis. They are made up of grasses, marshes and bushes lie to the northeast.History
Lepreo was an ancient city during that time. It was settled during the prehistoric era and became one of the safest Elean cities. Founded in Triphyllia near SamikoSamiko
Samiko is a small village in the municipality of Skillounta, Elis, Greece. Its 2001 population was 544.-Nearest places:*Kaiafa, southeast*Raches, northwest*Kato Samiko, west-Population:-Location:...
built in the foot of the Minthe
Minthi
Minthi is a village in the municipality of Zacharo, Ilia Prefecture, Greece. Its 2001 population was 144 for the village and 221 for the municipal district, including the village Kotroni. It is 15 to 20 km east of the GR-9/E55 and overlooks the Anydro River. Its elevation is 760 m...
mountains, it is named after the founder Lepreus
Lepreus (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Lepreus was a son of Caucon or Pyrgeus, and grandson of Poseidon; one account calls him son of Poseidon. His mother was Astydameia, daughter of Phorbas....
, the son of Pyrgeus. The next and the ruler of the city was the Achaean League
Achaean League
The Achaean League was a Hellenistic era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese, which existed between 280 BC and 146 BC...
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...
. It was also affected by the Second Messenian War
Second Messenian War
The Second Messenian War was a war between the Ancient Greek states of Messenia and Sparta. It started around 40 years after the end of the First Messenian War with the uprising of a slave rebellion. This war lasted from 685 to 668.-Prelude:...
. In 146 BC
146 BC
Year 146 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Achaicus...
, it was sacked by the Romans in Ilia
200 Lepreans fought in Plataeae and their names were honoured in the statue of Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
in 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...
and in the oracle of Delphi.
It also had the temple of Demeter
Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
built with sided edges, 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...
visited the temole and it did not had a holy statue inside.
The ancient city was excavated in 1982 by Konstantinos Zahos. Located near the modern village, it features the ancient acropolis and ruins of buildings.
Lepreo lost its fame after the Gothic Invasion, Lepreo became a part of Greece after the revolution
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...
which ended the Ottoman rule. Its village name was Strovitsi (Στροβίτσι) and is mainly of Slavic origin, it adopted its current name and revived the ancient name in the early to mid 20th century.
After 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 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...
, most of its buildings were rebuilt. Electricity, radio and automobiles were introduced in the mid-20th century, television in the late-20th century and computer and internet at the turn of the millennium. During the creation and recreation of the municipalities under the Capodistrian Plan in 1997, it became a part of the municipality of Zacharo and its commune or community was transformed into a municipal district. Lepreo was affected by the furious forest fire
2007 Greek forest fires
The 2007 Greek forest fires were a series of massive forest fires that broke out in several areas across Greece throughout the summer of 2007. The most destructive and lethal infernos broke out on August 23, expanded rapidly and raged out of control until August 27, until they were put out in early...
, and occurred on Saturday August 15 and Sunday August 26, 2007, firefighters battled the blazed along with hydroplanes and choppers. Most of the area were affected. The affected areas are uncertain and a portions including the southwest escaped that furiosity.
Economy
Its main economy is agriculture, its main production includes olives, citrus and cattle.Lepreon was hit by the devastating forest fires of the August 2007, which they destroy most of the olive trees plantations around the village and many other agricultural activities on the area (citrus and green houses plantations), resulting major economic setback for the last year (2008).
Other
Lepreo has a school, a church, a post office, and a square (plateiaPlateia
Plateia or platia is the Greek word for town square. Most Greek and Cypriot cities have several town squares which are a point of reference in travelling and guiding...
). Its nearest lyceum (middle school) and gymnasium (secondary school) are in Zacharo.