Parasyros is a town in Mani

Mani Peninsula

The Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...

, Laconia

Laconia

Laconia , also known as Lacedaemonia, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti...

, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

. Paraasyros is part of the community of Skoutari within the municipal unit of Gytheio

Gytheio

Gytheio , the ancient Gythium or Gytheion , is a town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality East Mani, of which it is a municipal unit. It was the seaport of Sparta, some 40 km north...

. Parasyros is located SE of Areopoli

Areopoli

Areopoli is a town on the Mani Peninsula, Laconia, Greece. The word Areopoli means "city of Ares", the ancient Greek god of war. It was the seat of Oitylo municipality. Areopoli was called Tsimova by the invading Slavs during the 7th century AD...

, N of Gerolimenas

Gerolimenas

Gerolimenas , also Yerolimenas, is a picturesque small coastal village at the southern end of the Mani Peninsula, in the prefecture of Laconia, in the Peloponnese, Greece. Τhe name, which means "Old Harbour", is thought to derive from the ancient "Ιερός Λιμήν" , meaning "Sacred Harbor"...

 and S of Gythio. Parasyros is situated in a dry-grass and a mountainous setting, farmlands are in valley areas and are rarely founded.

Population

In around 1900 it boasted a population of around 500. Now Parasyros has a population of 152 during summer.

Geography

• Postal code: 232 00
• Elevation:
  • Centre: about 160 m
• Dialing code: 030-27330

Parasyros was built on a hill to escape pirate raids

Raids

Raids is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France....

 which threatened its coastal neighbour Skoutari.

Historical population

Year	Population	Change
1830	50-100	-
1910	250-500	-
1991	62
2001	152

History

In 1770 Parasyros sent men to contribute to the Maniot army in the Battle of Vromopigada

Battle of Vromopigada

The Battle of Vromopigada was fought between the Ottoman Turks and the Maniots of Mani in 1770. The location of the battle was in a plain between the two towns of Skoutari and Parasyros. The battle ended in a Greek victory.-Prelude:...

. The Maniot army assembled in the mountains behind Parasyros called tria kefalia (Three Heads). In the battle that ensued the Maniot army annihalted a much superior Ottoman

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...

 army. Parasyros was occupied by 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...

's 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...

. After WWII Parasyros population began to decreased down because of the area devastation by the Germans

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

.

Other

Parasyros formerly had a small school but it closed down due to a small population and was poorer than Gytheio that time. Parasyros never had a lyceum (middle school) Parasyros also has an abandoned square (plateia

Plateia

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...

), the nearest is in Skoutari.

See also

• List of communities of Laconia