Penteli, Greece
Encyclopedia
Penteli is a town and a municipality in the North Athens regional unit, Attica, Greece
. It belongs to the Athens
metropolitan area and Athens' Megalo Daktylo. One of its city halls is located next to the central square. About 80% of the non-urban land consists of Penteliko Mountain. The suburb's main streets are divided into two one-way thoroughfares, one going to Kifissia and to Vrilissia, and the other going north to Dionysos and Rea.
, antelope
, and giraffe
, along with giant turtle
s, hyena
s and other animals no longer extant in the area--have been found among the limestone crags of the mountain that looms over the present suburb of Athens. Dominated by Mt. Penteli, the source of the marble used to build the Parthenon, Penteli was renowned in Classical Greece
as well as in the Roman Empire
. The Romans, in fact, constructed a 140-foot water tower and aqueduct to supply water to the city of Athens. When Attica was later governed by the Byzantine Empire
and subsequently the Frankish Empire
's Duchy of Athens
, Penteli fell into the hands of the Ottoman Empire
, and, for a short time, the Venetian Republic, until it was reconquered by the Ottomans in the early 17th century. During the Greek War of Independence
, the Bourbon Duke of Piacenza arrived in Greece to assist the revolutionary leaders. Significant landmarks are the Kastello tis Rododafnis, built in the 1840s, and an observatory, which was completed in 1936.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It belongs to the 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...
metropolitan area and Athens' Megalo Daktylo. One of its city halls is located next to the central square. About 80% of the non-urban land consists of Penteliko Mountain. The suburb's main streets are divided into two one-way thoroughfares, one going to Kifissia and to Vrilissia, and the other going north to Dionysos and Rea.
Municipality
The municipality Penteli was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- MelissiaMelissiaMelissia , is a suburb in the northeastern part of Athens, Greece. The origin of the name comes from its beehives. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Penteli, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit....
- Nea PenteliNea PenteliNea Penteli is a suburb in the northeastern part of Athens, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Penteli, of which it is a municipal unit....
- Penteli
Geography
The area in the western and the northern portion of Nea Penteli once constituted farmland, whereas today it is covered with suburban developments. Much of the population, which varies from low to mid-density, dwells in large suburban villas. These sprawl to the northern and eastern slopes, which are also forested.History
The bones of prehistoric animals--mastodons, rhinocerosRhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
, antelope
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
, and giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
, along with giant turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s, hyena
Hyena
Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
s and other animals no longer extant in the area--have been found among the limestone crags of the mountain that looms over the present suburb of Athens. Dominated by Mt. Penteli, the source of the marble used to build the Parthenon, Penteli was renowned in Classical Greece
Classical Greece
Classical Greece was a 200 year period in Greek culture lasting from the 5th through 4th centuries BC. This classical period had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire and greatly influenced the foundation of Western civilizations. Much of modern Western politics, artistic thought, such as...
as well as in the Roman Empire
Roman 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....
. The Romans, in fact, constructed a 140-foot water tower and aqueduct to supply water to the city of Athens. When Attica was later governed by 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...
and subsequently the Frankish Empire
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...
's Duchy of Athens
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
, Penteli fell into the hands of 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...
, and, for a short time, the Venetian Republic, until it was reconquered by the Ottomans in the early 17th century. During 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 Bourbon Duke of Piacenza arrived in Greece to assist the revolutionary leaders. Significant landmarks are the Kastello tis Rododafnis, built in the 1840s, and an observatory, which was completed in 1936.
Wildfires
In July 1995, Penteli was ravaged by a large forest fire which damaged several homes that encroached on the forest. A similar disaster occurred on August 16, 2007, when another forest fire damaged many properties in the area. The conflagration, which was kindled during the afternoon, spread rapidly through the forest, where it raged out of control for hours due to the large amounts of dry grass and shrubbery that had not been cleared away.Settlements
- Agia Triada
- Agios Dimitrios
- Daou
- Kallithea
- Mikri Kallithea
Historical population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 2,286 |
| 1991 | 3,197 |
| 2001 | 4,829 |