Preveza
Encyclopedia
Preveza is a town in the region of Epirus
, northwestern Greece
, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf
. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus
. An immersed tunnel
, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium
, connects the town Preveza to western Acarnania
in Aetolia-Acarnania
region. The ruins of the ancient city of Nicopolis
lie 7 km north of the city.
In antiquity, the area of Preveza was inhabited by the Greek
tribe of the Cassopeans, part of Thesprotians
. Their capital city was Cassope
(near today's village of Kamarina). In the Louros District also exists a spectacular city, the Trikastron Citadel, built on three lines of defence walls of 9m heigh, published for first time in 2008.
Near the site of modern Preveza in 290 BC King Pyrrhus of Epirus
founded the town of Berenikia or Berenike
, after his mother-in-law Berenice I of Egypt
., Today it is widely accepted, that Berenike city lies on the hills of Michalitsi village, after Sotirios Dakaris excavations in 1965, and research and publications of Harry Gouvas in 2006, and 2009,.
The Ambracian Gulf near Verenikia and the near part of Ionian sea, was the site of the Naval Battle of Actium
, on 2 September 31 BC, in which Octavian's (later Augustus) forces defeated those of Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. Ancient Nicopolis
(Νικόπολις, "Victory City") was built nearby to commemorate Augustus' victory, and today it is believed that had a total population of 150.000.
n rule in the 10th century (920-922, 977-983, 996-997). According to one theory, modern Preveza grew around a military outpost built in the 9th century by the Bulgarians, following their conquest of Nicopolis.
The city was first attested in the Chronicle of Morea
(1292). However, Hammond places the foundation of Preveza much later, at the end of 14th century, possibly by Albanians
.
After 1204, it came under the Despotate of Epirus
(1204–1230, 1241–1338, 1356–1358), the Second Bulgarian Empire
(1230–1241), the Serbian Empire
(1348–1356), and the Despotate of Arta
(1358–1401).
It then came under Venetian
rule until captured by the Ottomans.
The Turkish refounding of Preveza probably occurred in 1477 and Preveza was re-founded by the Ottomans in the late 15th century, with a subsequent strengthening of the fortifications in 1495.
During Ottoman rule, it was the capital of the Karli İli sanjak
(derived from Carlo II Tocco
, Despot of Epirus
) which comprised Aetolia-Acarnania
), initially as part of the vilayet of Rumelia
(1499–1670) and afterwards of the vilayet of Yannina (Ioannina
).
The Naval Battle of Preveza
was fought off the shores of Preveza in September 29, 1538, where the Ottoman fleet of Hayreddin Barbarossa defeated a united Christian fleet under the Genovese captain Andrea Doria
. This day is a Turkish Navy National Holiday, and also some of today Turkish Submarines called "Preveze".
Ottoman rule was interrupted twice by periods of Venetian control, during the Morean War
(1684–1699) and between 1717 and 1797.
In 1779, the Orthodox missionary Kosmas visited Preveza where it is said he founded a Greek school, which would be the only school of the city during the 18th century. At the end of the 18th century, Preveza became a transit center of trade with western Europe (particularly France), which resulted in the increase of its population to approximately 10,000-12,000.
, where General Napoleon Bonaparte decreed the final dissolution of the Venetian Republic, Preveza - like other Venetian possessions in Greece and Albania - was ceded to Revolutionary France. Small French Army forces, consisting of about 280 Grenadiers, arrived in Preveza under the commands of General La Salchette. The people of Preveza welcomed French troops as friendly, as we see in letters of this period, when they wrote "ΠΕΑ" (First Year of Liberation) and formed a pro-French civic militia. (It is noteworthy that at this same time the poet Rigas Feraios
was combining support for the ideas of the French Revolution with calls for a Greek uprising against Ottoman rule, and that he was intercepted and killed by the Ottoman authorities when en route to meet Napoleon and directly ask for his help for the Greek cause).
Napoleon, however, focused his attention in another direction, launching the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria, placing France at war with the Ottoman Empire and giving little thought to the fate of the exposed small Preveza garrison on the edge of Ottoman territory. In October 1798, the local Ottoman governor Ali Pasha Tepelena - having great ambitions to make himself a semi-independent ruler - attacked Preveza with an overwhelming force.
In the Battle of Nicopolis on October 12, 1798 the 7000 Turkish and Albanian troops of Ali Pasha and his son Mukhtar completely overwhelmed the 280 French Grenadiers and their local allies - 200 Prevezian Civil Guards and 60 Souliote
Warriors under Captain Christakis.
On the next two days, 13–14 October 1798, a major massacre of the French troops and the local Greek population which defended the city took place in Preveza and the Port Salaora on the Ambracian Gulf
, starting before Ali Pasha entered Preveza on October 13 but continuing also in his presence. The so-called "Hubbub of Preveza" ("Χαλασμός της Πρέβεζας") is still remembered as a notorious event in Greek history (:el:Χαλασμός της Πρέβεζας).
On October 14, Ali Pahsa called upon Prevezian citizens who had escaped to the Acarnanian Mountains
to return to the city, and declared that they would be in no danger. However, upon their return 170 of them were executed by the sword at the Salaora Port Customs.
Many prisoners who survived the massacre died from the hardships on the road to Ioannina
. In the grand return and reception of for his victorious troops, which Ali Pasha organized at Ioannina, surviving Greek and French prisoners were given the unpleasant role of walking at the head of the procession, holding the cut and salted heads of their companions, under the shouts and jeers of Ioannina's Turkish and Albanian residents.
From Ioannina, nine captured French grenadiers, and two officers were sent chained to Istanbul
for questioning. One of them, Captain Louis-Auguste Camus de Richemont, was later released, possibly mediated by the mother of Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie Letitsia Bonaparte, and eventually became a General. Some popularly circulating tales, of doubtful historical authenticity, link this incident with the origins of the Spoonmaker's Diamond
, one of the most closely guarded treasures of Istanbul's Topkapı Palace
.
Though Preveza would remain under Ottoman rule for more than a century, this event - both the short period of Greek militias active in the city, and influenced by the ideas of the French Revolution
, and the shock of the massacre which followed - had a part in the development of Greek nationalism
towards the Greek War of Independence
which broke out three decades later.
In 1835 educational activity in the city revived with the foundation of a new Greek
school, the Theophaneios, named after its sponsor, Anastassios Theophanis. In the following decades this school became a center of education in the surrounding area and in 1851 it also hosted a female and a secondary school.
In the later part of the 19th Century Preveza - like the whole of Epirus
- became embroiled in the conflicting claims of Greek and Albanian nationalists. This came to a head which came to a head in the wake of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878, when territorial changes in the hitherto Ottoman parts of the Balkans were put on the agenda.
The 1878 Congress of Berlin was inclined to ignore the demands of the newborn Albanian nationalism - Germany's Otto von Bismarck
even proclaimed that an Albanian nation did not exist. Greek nationalism was far longer established on the European scene, and according to the treaty of Berlin in 1878 Preveza was to be ceded by the Ottoman Empire to the Kingdom of Greece
.
On the other hand, the Albanian League of Prizren
strongly objected to the Greek positions through its local branch, the Albanian Committee of Preveza. In 11 to 13 January 1879, 400 Albanian representatives - 200 Cham
and Lab
Albanian leaders jpined on the last day by 200 Northern Albanians - gathered in Preveza to attend the "Assembly of Preveza
" organized by the League of Prizren and its local committee. The assembly resolved to create lobbying committees to would halt the Ottoman Empire ceding Epirus (or Chameria
, as Albanians named the region) to Greece
The final demarcation of the border was to take place at Preveza, with delegates of Greece and the Ottoman Empire meeting at Preveza on February 6, 1879. Part of the population demonstrated, demanding that there be no such demarcation inside Epirus. On February 28, 1879, forty-nine delegates representing the Albanian population of the Ottoman Empire signed a petition in Preveza, with a threat to take arms to prevent an annexation of Preveza to Greece.
In the event, Albanian protests prevailed and only Arta
was incorporated in Greece, leaving Preveza and the rest of Epirus under the Ottoman Empire for the time being. Greek national ambitions were mollified by the Ottomans ceding Thessaly
, in which Albanians had no interest. Greek claims to Preveza remained in force, however, and would come to the fore again in the Balkan Wars
three decades later.
After the delineation of borders, the Ottoman empire changed the governor of Preveza and appointed one from Gjirokastër
, in order to deal with the spreading nationalist activities of the Albanian population of Preveza, led by Abdyl Frashëri
. On the other hand the Greek organization, Epirote Society, founded at 1906 by members of the Epirote diaspora, Panagiotis Danglis
and Spyros Spyromilios
, aimed at the annexation of the region to Greece by supplying local Greeks with firearms.
Later on in the same war, on 8 February, 1913, Preveza inhabitants were involved in the first case in world history of a combat pilot being shot down in combat. The Russian pilot N. de Sackoff, flying for the Greeks, had his biplane hit by ground fire following a bomb run on the walls of Fort Bizani
. He came down near Preveza, and with the help of local townspeople repaired his plane and resumed flight back to base. In the following months arrived in Preveza the famous Swiss photographer Frederic Boissonnas, and a lot of photographs of this period are available today. Preveza along with the rest of southern Epirus
formally became part of Greece via the Treaty of London.
In 1928 the famous poet Kostas Karyotakis
lived in Preveza but only for 33 days, as he committed suicide, using a pistol, in the Vathy Margarona Place, Preveza. Along with the rest of Greece, Preveza was occupied by Italy
(1941–1943) and Germany
(1943–1944) during World War II
. After the departure of Wehrmacht
from Preveza, in September 1944, a part of the Greek Civil War
took place in Preveza, lasing 16 days and known as The Combat of Preveza.
At present Today Preveza is a commercial harbor and tourist hub, has a marina, two cinemas, an open theater, 100 Clubs, 100 Taverns, 50 Cafes, benefiting from its proximity to the nearby Aktion National Airport
and the nearby island of Lefkada
, a major tourist destination. The Aktio-Preveza Immersed Tunnel, released on 2002 is an important work of infrastructure for what has traditionally been a remote and underdeveloped region, and links Preveza to Actium
on the southern shore of the Ambracian Gulf
, greatly shortening the distance of the trip to Lefkas.
links Preveza by road to Aetolia-Acarnania
in Central Greece
. Preveza also has a small commercial and passenger port and is served by the nearby Aktion National Airport
, which also serves the island of Lefkada
.
, a unique town twinning
association of 24 towns across the European Union
. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. Discussions regarding membership are also in hand with three further towns (Agros
in Cyprus
, Škofja Loka
in Slovenia
, and Tryavna
in Bulgaria
).
Epirus (region)
Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
, northwestern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf
Ambracian Gulf
The Ambracian Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Arta or the Gulf of Actium, and in some official documents as the Amvrakikos Gulf , is a gulf of the Ionian Sea in northwestern Greece. About long and wide, it is one of the largest enclosed gulfs in Greece...
. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus
Epirus (region)
Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
. An immersed tunnel
Aktio-Preveza Undersea Tunnel
The Aktio–Preveza Undersea Tunnel is an undersea road tunnel across the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf in western Greece. It links Epirus and the city of Preveza on the north shore of the gulf with the cape of Aktio in Aetolia-Acarnania, in Central Greece...
, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium
Actium
Actium was the ancient name of a promontory of western Greece in northwestern Acarnania, at the mouth of the Sinus Ambracius opposite Nicopolis, built by Augustus on the north side of the strait....
, connects the town Preveza to western Acarnania
Acarnania
Acarnania is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary, and north of the gulf of Calydon, which is the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. Today it forms the western part of the prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania. The capital...
in Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is located in the western part of Greece; the regional unit is a combination of the geographic regions Aetolia and Acarnania. Its capital is Missolonghi for historical reasons, with its biggest...
region. The ruins of the ancient city of Nicopolis
Nicopolis
Nicopolis — or Actia Nicopolis — was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium the previous year. It was later the capital of Epirus Vetus...
lie 7 km north of the city.
Name
The name Preveza is of uncertain etymology. There are three versions about the origin of word Πρέβεζα:- It might come from the old Slavic word perevoz meaning "crossing, passage" (Diogenes Charitonos and Fyodor Uspeski) or
- from the old Albanian word prevëzë-za, that means transportation (Petros Fourikis and Konstantinos Amantos), or
- from the Latin word prevesione, that means sustenance (victuals) (Max Vasmer, Peter Schustall, Johannes Conter),
Municipality
The present municipality Preveza was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):- LourosLourosLouros is a town and a former municipality in the Preveza peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Preveza, of which it is a municipal unit. The seat of the municipality was the small town of Louros . The area of the municipal unit is...
(Ano Rachi, Kotsanopoulo, Louros, Neo Sfinoto, Oropos, Revmatia, SkiadasSkiadasSkiadas is a small mountain village in the Preveza Prefecture in the north-western Greece . It is currently under the management of the Louros municipality...
, StefaniStefani, PrevezaStefani is a village in the municipality of Louros, Preveza Prefecture, Greece. Stefani had a 2001 population of 513 for the village. It is located north of the GR-21 and west of the GR-5/E55 and will be linked with the Ionia Odos.-Location:Stefani is located west of Filippiada and Arta,...
, Trikastro, Vrysoula) - Preveza (Flampoura, Michalitsi, Mytikas, NicopolisNicopolisNicopolis — or Actia Nicopolis — was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium the previous year. It was later the capital of Epirus Vetus...
, Preveza) - ZalongoZalongoZalongo is a former municipality in the Preveza peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Preveza, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 5,043 . The seat of the municipality was in Kanali. Nearby is the 18th century Zalongo...
(Cheimadio, Ekklissies, Kamarina, Kanali, Kryopigi, Myrsini, Nea Sampsounta, Nea Sinopi, Riza, Vrachos)
Ancient
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
tribe of the Cassopeans, part of Thesprotians
Thesprotians
The Thesprotians were an ancient Greek tribe of Thesprotis, Epirus, akin to the Molossians. The poet Homer frequently mentions Thesprotia which had friendly relations with Ithaca and Doulichi. On their northeast frontier they had the Chaonians and to the north the kingdom of the Molossians...
. Their capital city was Cassope
Cassope
Cassope was an ancient Greek city in Epirus, today in Preveza Prefecture. It is considered one of the best examples of a city built along the lines of a Hippodamian plan in Greece.-Geography:...
(near today's village of Kamarina). In the Louros District also exists a spectacular city, the Trikastron Citadel, built on three lines of defence walls of 9m heigh, published for first time in 2008.
Near the site of modern Preveza in 290 BC King Pyrrhus of Epirus
Pyrrhus of Epirus
Pyrrhus or Pyrrhos was a Greek general and statesman of the Hellenistic era. He was king of the Greek tribe of Molossians, of the royal Aeacid house , and later he became king of Epirus and Macedon . He was one of the strongest opponents of early Rome...
founded the town of Berenikia or Berenike
Berenike (Epirus)
Berenike was an ancient Greek city in the region of Epirus. It was founded by Pyrrhus II of Epirus ....
, after his mother-in-law Berenice I of Egypt
Berenice I of Egypt
Berenice I was a Greek Macedonian noblewoman and through her marriage to Ptolemy I Soter, became the first Queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.-Family:...
., Today it is widely accepted, that Berenike city lies on the hills of Michalitsi village, after Sotirios Dakaris excavations in 1965, and research and publications of Harry Gouvas in 2006, and 2009,.
The Ambracian Gulf near Verenikia and the near part of Ionian sea, was the site of the Naval Battle of Actium
Battle of Actium
The Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, at the Roman...
, on 2 September 31 BC, in which Octavian's (later Augustus) forces defeated those of Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. Ancient Nicopolis
Nicopolis
Nicopolis — or Actia Nicopolis — was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium the previous year. It was later the capital of Epirus Vetus...
(Νικόπολις, "Victory City") was built nearby to commemorate Augustus' victory, and today it is believed that had a total population of 150.000.
Medieval
Nicopolis continued under Roman and later Byzantine rule, experiencing brief periods of BulgariaFirst Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
n rule in the 10th century (920-922, 977-983, 996-997). According to one theory, modern Preveza grew around a military outpost built in the 9th century by the Bulgarians, following their conquest of Nicopolis.
The city was first attested in the Chronicle of Morea
Chronicle of Morea
The Chronicle of the Morea is a long 14th-century history text, of which four versions are extant: in French, Greek , Italian and Aragonese. More than 9,000 lines long, the Chronicle narrates events of the Franks' establishment of feudalism in mainland Greece. West European Crusaders settled in...
(1292). However, Hammond places the foundation of Preveza much later, at the end of 14th century, possibly by Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
.
After 1204, it came under the Despotate of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
(1204–1230, 1241–1338, 1356–1358), the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
(1230–1241), the Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
(1348–1356), and the Despotate of Arta
Despotate of Arta
The Despotate of Arta was a despotate established by Albanian rulers during the 14th century, when Albanian tribes moved into Epirus and founded two short-lived principalities there...
(1358–1401).
It then came under Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
rule until captured by the Ottomans.
Early Ottoman Rule
During Ottoman rule, it was the capital of the Karli İli sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
(derived from Carlo II Tocco
Carlo II Tocco
Carlo II Tocco was the ruler of Epirus from 1429 until his death.-Life:Carlo II was the son of Count Leonardo II Tocco, the younger brother and co-ruler of Carlo I Tocco, count of Cephalonia and Zante, duke of Leukas, and ruler of Epirus. In 1424 Carlo II and his sisters were adopted by their...
, Despot of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
) which comprised Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is located in the western part of Greece; the regional unit is a combination of the geographic regions Aetolia and Acarnania. Its capital is Missolonghi for historical reasons, with its biggest...
), initially as part of the vilayet of Rumelia
Rumelia
Rumelia was an historical region comprising the territories of the Ottoman Empire in Europe...
(1499–1670) and afterwards of the vilayet of Yannina (Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
).
The Naval Battle of Preveza
Battle of Preveza
The naval Battle of Preveza took place on 28 September 1538 near Preveza in northwestern Greece between an Ottoman fleet and that of a Christian alliance assembled by Pope Paul III.-Background:...
was fought off the shores of Preveza in September 29, 1538, where the Ottoman fleet of Hayreddin Barbarossa defeated a united Christian fleet under the Genovese captain Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria was an Italian condottiere and admiral from Genoa.-Early life:Doria was born at Oneglia from the ancient Genoese family, the Doria di Oneglia branch of the old Doria, de Oria or de Auria family. His parents were related: Ceva Doria, co-lord of Oneglia, and Caracosa Doria, of the...
. This day is a Turkish Navy National Holiday, and also some of today Turkish Submarines called "Preveze".
Ottoman rule was interrupted twice by periods of Venetian control, during the Morean War
Morean War
The Morean War is the better known name for the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War. The war was fought between 1684–1699, as part of the wider conflict known as the "Great Turkish War", between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire...
(1684–1699) and between 1717 and 1797.
In 1779, the Orthodox missionary Kosmas visited Preveza where it is said he founded a Greek school, which would be the only school of the city during the 18th century. At the end of the 18th century, Preveza became a transit center of trade with western Europe (particularly France), which resulted in the increase of its population to approximately 10,000-12,000.
Year of French Revolutionary rule, Ali Pasha's conquest and massacre
Following the Treaty of Campo FormioTreaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on 18 October 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of revolutionary France and the Austrian monarchy...
, where General Napoleon Bonaparte decreed the final dissolution of the Venetian Republic, Preveza - like other Venetian possessions in Greece and Albania - was ceded to Revolutionary France. Small French Army forces, consisting of about 280 Grenadiers, arrived in Preveza under the commands of General La Salchette. The people of Preveza welcomed French troops as friendly, as we see in letters of this period, when they wrote "ΠΕΑ" (First Year of Liberation) and formed a pro-French civic militia. (It is noteworthy that at this same time the poet Rigas Feraios
Rigas Feraios
Rigas Feraios or Rigas Velestinlis was a Greek writer and revolutionary of Aromanian origin, active in the Modern Greek Enlightenment, remembered as a Greek national hero, a victim of Balkan uprising against the Ottoman Empire and a forerunner of the Greek War of Independence.-Early...
was combining support for the ideas of the French Revolution with calls for a Greek uprising against Ottoman rule, and that he was intercepted and killed by the Ottoman authorities when en route to meet Napoleon and directly ask for his help for the Greek cause).
Napoleon, however, focused his attention in another direction, launching the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria, placing France at war with the Ottoman Empire and giving little thought to the fate of the exposed small Preveza garrison on the edge of Ottoman territory. In October 1798, the local Ottoman governor Ali Pasha Tepelena - having great ambitions to make himself a semi-independent ruler - attacked Preveza with an overwhelming force.
In the Battle of Nicopolis on October 12, 1798 the 7000 Turkish and Albanian troops of Ali Pasha and his son Mukhtar completely overwhelmed the 280 French Grenadiers and their local allies - 200 Prevezian Civil Guards and 60 Souliote
Souliotes
Souliotes were a warlike community from the area of Souli, in Greece, who became famous across Greece for their resistance against the local Ottoman Pashalik of Yanina ruled by the Muslim Albanian Ali Pasha...
Warriors under Captain Christakis.
On the next two days, 13–14 October 1798, a major massacre of the French troops and the local Greek population which defended the city took place in Preveza and the Port Salaora on the Ambracian Gulf
Ambracian Gulf
The Ambracian Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Arta or the Gulf of Actium, and in some official documents as the Amvrakikos Gulf , is a gulf of the Ionian Sea in northwestern Greece. About long and wide, it is one of the largest enclosed gulfs in Greece...
, starting before Ali Pasha entered Preveza on October 13 but continuing also in his presence. The so-called "Hubbub of Preveza" ("Χαλασμός της Πρέβεζας") is still remembered as a notorious event in Greek history (:el:Χαλασμός της Πρέβεζας).
On October 14, Ali Pahsa called upon Prevezian citizens who had escaped to the Acarnanian Mountains
Acarnanian Mountains
The Acarnanian Mountains is a mountain range dominating the northwestern part of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit in western Greece. Its length is approximately 20 km long and its width is approximately 10 km wide. The Ionian Sea lies to the west. The mountains are famous for its...
to return to the city, and declared that they would be in no danger. However, upon their return 170 of them were executed by the sword at the Salaora Port Customs.
Many prisoners who survived the massacre died from the hardships on the road to Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
. In the grand return and reception of for his victorious troops, which Ali Pasha organized at Ioannina, surviving Greek and French prisoners were given the unpleasant role of walking at the head of the procession, holding the cut and salted heads of their companions, under the shouts and jeers of Ioannina's Turkish and Albanian residents.
From Ioannina, nine captured French grenadiers, and two officers were sent chained to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
for questioning. One of them, Captain Louis-Auguste Camus de Richemont, was later released, possibly mediated by the mother of Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie Letitsia Bonaparte, and eventually became a General. Some popularly circulating tales, of doubtful historical authenticity, link this incident with the origins of the Spoonmaker's Diamond
Spoonmaker's Diamond
The Spoonmaker's Diamond is a pear-shaped diamond which is considered the pride of the Imperial Treasury exhibitions at the Topkapi Palace Museum and its most valuable single exhibit...
, one of the most closely guarded treasures of Istanbul's Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
.
Though Preveza would remain under Ottoman rule for more than a century, this event - both the short period of Greek militias active in the city, and influenced by the ideas of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, and the shock of the massacre which followed - had a part in the development of Greek nationalism
Greek nationalism
Greek nationalism has its roots in the rise of nationalism in Europe in the 19th century, and was characterised by the struggle for independence against the Ottoman Empire, culminating in the Greek War of Independence , assisted by philhellenes such as Lord Byron.After independence was achieved,...
towards 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...
which broke out three decades later.
19th Century Ottoman Rule
The period from 1798 to 1822 is called 2nd Ottoman Occupation Period, when it was under the rule of the semi-independent Ali Pasha Tepelena. Following his tragic death in 1822 at Ioannina, Preveza entered into its 3d Ottoman occupation period, i.e. a rule more directly controlled from Istanbul, until the year 1912.In 1835 educational activity in the city revived with the foundation of a new Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
school, the Theophaneios, named after its sponsor, Anastassios Theophanis. In the following decades this school became a center of education in the surrounding area and in 1851 it also hosted a female and a secondary school.
In the later part of the 19th Century Preveza - like the whole of Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
- became embroiled in the conflicting claims of Greek and Albanian nationalists. This came to a head which came to a head in the wake of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878, when territorial changes in the hitherto Ottoman parts of the Balkans were put on the agenda.
The 1878 Congress of Berlin was inclined to ignore the demands of the newborn Albanian nationalism - Germany's Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
even proclaimed that an Albanian nation did not exist. Greek nationalism was far longer established on the European scene, and according to the treaty of Berlin in 1878 Preveza was to be ceded by the Ottoman Empire to the Kingdom of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
.
On the other hand, the Albanian League of Prizren
League of Prizren
The League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation commonly known as the League of Prizren was an Albanian political organization founded on 10 June 1878 in Prizren, in the Kosovo province of the Ottoman Empire....
strongly objected to the Greek positions through its local branch, the Albanian Committee of Preveza. In 11 to 13 January 1879, 400 Albanian representatives - 200 Cham
Cham Albanians
Cham Albanians, or Chams , are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the coastal region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. The Chams have their own peculiar cultural identity, which is a mixture of Albanian and Greek influences as well as many...
and Lab
Labëria
Labëria is a region in southern Albania roughly reaching from Vlorë south to the Greek border near Sarandë, incorporating Gjirokastër and extending east to the city of Tepelenë. The people of Labëria are known as Labs, who have their own tradition of songs, dances and costumes....
Albanian leaders jpined on the last day by 200 Northern Albanians - gathered in Preveza to attend the "Assembly of Preveza
Assembly of Preveza
The Assembly of Preveza was a meeting of Albanian delegates from 11 to 13 January 1879, in Preveza, Ottoman Empire, aiming to halt the annexation of Epirus by Greece, following the Congress of Berlin....
" organized by the League of Prizren and its local committee. The assembly resolved to create lobbying committees to would halt the Ottoman Empire ceding Epirus (or Chameria
Chameria
Chameria is a term used today mostly by Albanians for parts of the coastal region of Epirus in southern Albania and northwestern Greece It was also used by Greeks till the mid of 20th century and is frequently found in Greek literature. Today it is obsolete in Greek, surviving mainly in Greek folk...
, as Albanians named the region) to Greece
The final demarcation of the border was to take place at Preveza, with delegates of Greece and the Ottoman Empire meeting at Preveza on February 6, 1879. Part of the population demonstrated, demanding that there be no such demarcation inside Epirus. On February 28, 1879, forty-nine delegates representing the Albanian population of the Ottoman Empire signed a petition in Preveza, with a threat to take arms to prevent an annexation of Preveza to Greece.
In the event, Albanian protests prevailed and only Arta
Arta, Greece
Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
was incorporated in Greece, leaving Preveza and the rest of Epirus under the Ottoman Empire for the time being. Greek national ambitions were mollified by the Ottomans ceding Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
, in which Albanians had no interest. Greek claims to Preveza remained in force, however, and would come to the fore again in the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
three decades later.
After the delineation of borders, the Ottoman empire changed the governor of Preveza and appointed one from Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër is a city in southern Albania with a population of 43,000. Lying in the historical region of Epirus, it is the capital of both the Gjirokastër District and the larger Gjirokastër County...
, in order to deal with the spreading nationalist activities of the Albanian population of Preveza, led by Abdyl Frashëri
Abdyl Frashëri
Abdyl Frashëri People's Hero of Albania was an Albanian diplomat, politician, writer, and a first political ideologue of the Albanian National Awakening through the League of Prizren...
. On the other hand the Greek organization, Epirote Society, founded at 1906 by members of the Epirote diaspora, Panagiotis Danglis
Panagiotis Danglis
Panagiotis Danglis was a Greek general of the Hellenic Army and a politician.He was born in Agrinio in 1853, graduated from the Scholi Evelpidon Officer Academy in 1878 as a Second Lieutenant of Artillery, and later extended his studies for another year in Belgium...
and Spyros Spyromilios
Spyros Spyromilios
Spyros Spyromilios was a Greek Gendarmerie officer who took part in the Greek struggle for Macedonia and the Balkan Wars. He was born in Himara, Ottoman Empire, modern southern Albania, or known as Northern Epirus among Greeks...
, aimed at the annexation of the region to Greece by supplying local Greeks with firearms.
Modern History of Preveza
The city Preveza remained under Ottoman control until finally taken by the Greek Army on October 21, 1912, during the First Balkan War. The city was liberated (as Greeks saw it) after the Battle of Nicopolis, by the Greek Army forces under colonel Papagiotis Speliades. A garrison of the 8th Infantry Division (Greece) was in December placed in the city.Later on in the same war, on 8 February, 1913, Preveza inhabitants were involved in the first case in world history of a combat pilot being shot down in combat. The Russian pilot N. de Sackoff, flying for the Greeks, had his biplane hit by ground fire following a bomb run on the walls of Fort Bizani
Bizani
Bizani is a village and a former municipality in the Ioannina peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ioannina, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 municipal population was 4,241...
. He came down near Preveza, and with the help of local townspeople repaired his plane and resumed flight back to base. In the following months arrived in Preveza the famous Swiss photographer Frederic Boissonnas, and a lot of photographs of this period are available today. Preveza along with the rest of southern Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
formally became part of Greece via the Treaty of London.
In 1928 the famous poet Kostas Karyotakis
Kostas Karyotakis
Kostas Karyotakis is considered one of the most representative Greek poets of the 1920s and one of the first poets to use iconoclastic themes in Greece. His poetry conveys a great deal of nature, imagery and traces of expressionism and surrealism...
lived in Preveza but only for 33 days, as he committed suicide, using a pistol, in the Vathy Margarona Place, Preveza. Along with the rest of Greece, Preveza was occupied by Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(1941–1943) and Germany
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...
(1943–1944) during 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 the departure of Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
from Preveza, in September 1944, a part 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 in Preveza, lasing 16 days and known as The Combat of Preveza.
At present Today Preveza is a commercial harbor and tourist hub, has a marina, two cinemas, an open theater, 100 Clubs, 100 Taverns, 50 Cafes, benefiting from its proximity to the nearby Aktion National Airport
Aktion National Airport
Aktion National Airport is an airport serving Preveza and Lefkada in Greece. It is also known as Lefkada Airport. The airport is also used by NATO and Hellenic Air Force Command.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:...
and the nearby island of Lefkada
Lefkada
Lefkada, or Leucas or Leucadia , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece, connected to the mainland by a long causeway and floating bridge. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Lefkada . It is situated on the northern part of the island,...
, a major tourist destination. The Aktio-Preveza Immersed Tunnel, released on 2002 is an important work of infrastructure for what has traditionally been a remote and underdeveloped region, and links Preveza to Actium
Actium
Actium was the ancient name of a promontory of western Greece in northwestern Acarnania, at the mouth of the Sinus Ambracius opposite Nicopolis, built by Augustus on the north side of the strait....
on the southern shore of the Ambracian Gulf
Ambracian Gulf
The Ambracian Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Arta or the Gulf of Actium, and in some official documents as the Amvrakikos Gulf , is a gulf of the Ionian Sea in northwestern Greece. About long and wide, it is one of the largest enclosed gulfs in Greece...
, greatly shortening the distance of the trip to Lefkas.
Notable sights
Inside the new Preveza Municipality, there are a lot ancient and historical landscape sights for visiting. In the book "History of Preveza Prefecture" (Harry Gouvas, 2009) is available this index of sights:- Ancient NicopolisNicopolisNicopolis — or Actia Nicopolis — was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium the previous year. It was later the capital of Epirus Vetus...
area (Walls, Basilica of Alkisson, Basilica of Dometius, Roman Odeum, Nympheum, Roman Baths, Cemetery, Theater, Augustus Monument, Roman Stadium, Roman Villa of Manius Antoninus etc.). - Ancient Kassopi citadel (400 BC), 25 km from Preveza.
- Ancient Trikastron citadel (700 - 300BC), 30 km from Preveza.
- Ancient Verenice city, Michalitsi village hills (270 BC).
- Archaeological Museum of Nicopolis (2009).
- St.Charalampos Church (1715–1793).
- St.Varnavas Church.
- St.Avassos Church.
- Eleftherios VenizelosEleftherios VenizelosEleftherios Venizelos was an eminent Greek revolutionary, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century. Elected several times as Prime Minister of Greece and served from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932...
' statue in the central square of Preveza. - Forest of Lekatsas, in Myrsini village.
- Fortress of Laskara, Ali Pasha period (1810).
- Fortress of Pantokrator, Ali Pasha period (1810).
- Fortress of St. Andreas, Venetian (1701–1717) and Ottoman period (1810).
- Fortress of St. George (1718).
- Fortress of Reniassa (or Fortress of Despo) in Riza (1280).
- St.Elias prophet church (1780).
- Immersed tunnel of Preveza – Aktion (2002).
- Kostas KaryotakisKostas KaryotakisKostas Karyotakis is considered one of the most representative Greek poets of the 1920s and one of the first poets to use iconoclastic themes in Greece. His poetry conveys a great deal of nature, imagery and traces of expressionism and surrealism...
' statue and last residence. - Madonna Church of Foreigners (Panagia ton Xenon) (1780).
- Monolithi beach and Monolithi forest.
- The building of the National Bank of GreeceNational Bank of GreeceThe National Bank of Greece is the oldest and largest commercial banking group in Greece. The group has a particularly strong presence in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean...
(1931). - Odysseus Androutsos' marble statue.
- Ottoman baths of Ali Pasha Tepelena.
- Seytan Pazar, traditional street.
- St. Thomas port.
- Margarona traditional boatyard.
- Venetian clock tower of Preveza.
- Zalongo monumentDance of ZalongoThe term Dance of Zalongo refers to an event in Greek history involving a mass suicide of women from Souli and their children during the Souliote war of 1803, near the village of Zalongo in Epirus. The name also refers to popular dance song commemorating the event. The same event made and impact in...
.
Notable natives and residents
- Abedin DinoAbedin DinoAbedin Dino was a Cham Albanian politician, rilindas, one of the founders of the League of Prizren , and one of the main contributors in the Albanian independence....
, founding member of the League of PrizrenLeague of PrizrenThe League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation commonly known as the League of Prizren was an Albanian political organization founded on 10 June 1878 in Prizren, in the Kosovo province of the Ottoman Empire....
and leading figure of the Albanian National Awakening. - Athanasia TsoumelekaAthanasia TsoumelekaAthanasia Tsoumeleka is a Greek race walker, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.Until 2003 Tsoumeleka was a largely unknown athlete, and she only finished seventh at the World Championships that year...
, athlete and Olympic Games Gold winner, in Fast Running. - Alexios Vlahopoulos, hero of the Greek War of IndependenceGreek War of IndependenceThe Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. - Ali DinoAli DinoAli Dino , also known as Ali Dino Bey was an Albanian cartoonist and a Member of the Greek Parliament.Dino was born in Preveza, Ottoman Empire in 1889, to Rasih Dino and is the grandson of Abedin Dino, one of the main contributors of the Albanian independence...
(1890–1938), famous Albanian cartoonist and member of the Hellenic ParliamentHellenic ParliamentThe Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece....
. - Athina PapayianniAthina PapayianniAthina Papayianni is a Greek race walker. She was born in Preveza.-Achievements:-External links:...
, athlete. - Evaggelos Avdikos, sociologist, professor of University of Larissa.
- Harry Gouvas, medical doctor, MD, PhD, writer, & director of foundation "The Museum of Arts and Sciences Harry Gouvas" in Preveza.
- Jannis KallinikosJannis KallinikosJannis Kallinikos is an organization and communication scholar and intellectual. He was born in the town of Preveza, western Greece. He is also a citizen of Sweden. Kallinikos is currently a professor in the Information Systems and Innovation Group, Department of Management at the London School...
, scholar and intellectual. - Kostas Provatas (1906–2001), popular painter from Nikopolis.
- Nikolaos Konemenos (1837–1906), scholar.
- Nikos Karabelas, writer and president of the foundation "Actia Nicopolis" in Preveza.
- Kleareti Malamou-Dipla (1898–1977), poet and writer.
- Rasih DinoRasih DinoRasih Dino was an Albanian politician, diplomat and a figure of the Albanian national movement of the early 20th century.- Life :Rasih Dino was born in 1865 in Preveza to the notable Dino family of the area. His father was Abedin Dino, one of the founders of the League of Prizren...
(1865–1928), diplomat and signatory of AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
to the Treaty of London. - Shahin DinoShahin DinoShahin Dino was an Albanian politician and diplomat in the Ottoman Empire and independent Albania.He was born in Preveza in modern Greece during the 19th century to the notable local Dino family. In 1897 he was one of the local volunteer irregulars who defended Preveza during the Greco-Turkish War...
, deputy of the sanjak of Preveza in the Ottoman Parliament and later Minister of Interior of AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. - Theodoros Grivas (1797–1862), hero of the Greek War of IndependenceGreek War of IndependenceThe Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. - Thrasyvoulos TsakalotosThrasyvoulos TsakalotosThrasyvoulos Tsakalotos , was a Hellenic Army officer who served in World War I, the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 and World War II, rising to become Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff....
(1897–1989), Hellenic ArmyHellenic ArmyThe Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
chief and ambassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
.
Clubs in Preveza
- Syrrako Village People Club. Established by ...... Year...... Members: 500. Website:http://www.epirusinfo.com Phone:
- Choir Armonia of Preveza. Established by ...... Year...... Members: 60. Website:http://www.choir.gr/armonia.htm Phone:
- Alpine Club of Preveza. Established by Harry Gouvas. Year 1990. Members: 150. Website:http://eosprevezas.blogspot.com/ Phone:
- Lefkas Island people Club. Established by ...... Year...... Members: .... Website: Phone:
- Commando's Club of Preveza. Established by ...... Year...... Members: .... Website:http://efedreia.blogspot.com Phone:
- Motorbike Club of Preveza. Established by ...... Year...... Members: .... Website:http://www.lemop.gr Phone:
- Informatics Club of Preveza. Established by Harry Gouvas. Year 1994.
- Folk Music Club Verenice, of Preveza. Established by Evangelos Bakolas. Year 1996 Members: 200. Phone:
- Photography Club of Preveza. Established by ...... Year...... Members: .... Website:http://www.efeprevezas.gr/ Phone:
Transportation
Preveza is linked by road to Igoumenitsa and other coastal settlements through the E55 national road, and is also linked with other cities in Epirus such as Ioannina and Arta. The Aktio-Preveza Undersea TunnelAktio-Preveza Undersea Tunnel
The Aktio–Preveza Undersea Tunnel is an undersea road tunnel across the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf in western Greece. It links Epirus and the city of Preveza on the north shore of the gulf with the cape of Aktio in Aetolia-Acarnania, in Central Greece...
links Preveza by road to Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Greece. It is located in the western part of Greece; the regional unit is a combination of the geographic regions Aetolia and Acarnania. Its capital is Missolonghi for historical reasons, with its biggest...
in Central Greece
Central Greece
Continental Greece or Central Greece , colloquially known as Roúmeli , is a geographical region of Greece. Its territory is divided into the administrative regions of Central Greece, Attica, and part of West Greece...
. Preveza also has a small commercial and passenger port and is served by the nearby Aktion National Airport
Aktion National Airport
Aktion National Airport is an airport serving Preveza and Lefkada in Greece. It is also known as Lefkada Airport. The airport is also used by NATO and Hellenic Air Force Command.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:...
, which also serves the island of Lefkada
Lefkada
Lefkada, or Leucas or Leucadia , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece, connected to the mainland by a long causeway and floating bridge. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Lefkada . It is situated on the northern part of the island,...
.
Historical population Statistics
| Year | Town population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 13,624 | - |
| 1991 | 13,341 | 16,886 |
| 2001 | 16,321 | 19,605 |
Twin towns - Sister cities
Preveza is a founding member of the DouzelageDouzelage
The Douzelage is a town twinning association with one town from each of the member states of the European Union.The name is a combination of the French words "douze" for twelve and "jumelage" for twinning and stands for the twelve founder members, one for each European Union member state in 1991,...
, a unique town twinning
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
association of 24 towns across 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...
. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. Discussions regarding membership are also in hand with three further towns (Agros
Agros, Cyprus
Agros is a village built on the Troödos Mountains, in the region of Pitsilia, in southwest Cyprus, which has built amphitheatrically among high mountains at an altitude of 1100 metres with a population of approximately 1,000. Agros is one of the most interesting villages of Cyprus and the...
in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Škofja Loka
Škofja Loka
-Art colony:Before the civil war in the former Yugoslavia the Serbian town of Smederevska Palanka and the town of Škofja Loka held art colonies Groharijeva kolonija run by an art teacher from elementary school Olga Milošević in Smederevska Palanka. Now, after the split of SFR Yugoslavia, the two...
in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, and Tryavna
Tryavna
Tryavna is a town in central Bulgaria, situated in the north slopes of the Balkan range, on the Tryavna river valley, near Gabrovo. It is famous for its textile industry and typical National Revival architecture, featuring 140 cultural monuments, museums and expositions...
in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
).
See also
- ActiumActiumActium was the ancient name of a promontory of western Greece in northwestern Acarnania, at the mouth of the Sinus Ambracius opposite Nicopolis, built by Augustus on the north side of the strait....
- The Naval Battle of ActiumBattle of ActiumThe Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, at the Roman...
(31 BC) - Ancient NicopolisNicopolisNicopolis — or Actia Nicopolis — was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium the previous year. It was later the capital of Epirus Vetus...
(31 BC) - The Naval Battle of PrevezaBattle of PrevezaThe naval Battle of Preveza took place on 28 September 1538 near Preveza in northwestern Greece between an Ottoman fleet and that of a Christian alliance assembled by Pope Paul III.-Background:...
(1538 AC) - The Battle of Nicopolis-Preveza (1798 AC)
- The Combat of Preveza, Greek Civil WarGreek Civil WarThe 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...
(1944 AC) - The Aktio-Preveza Undersea TunnelAktio-Preveza Undersea TunnelThe Aktio–Preveza Undersea Tunnel is an undersea road tunnel across the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf in western Greece. It links Epirus and the city of Preveza on the north shore of the gulf with the cape of Aktio in Aetolia-Acarnania, in Central Greece...
(2003 AC) - The Assembly of PrevezaAssembly of PrevezaThe Assembly of Preveza was a meeting of Albanian delegates from 11 to 13 January 1879, in Preveza, Ottoman Empire, aiming to halt the annexation of Epirus by Greece, following the Congress of Berlin....
(1992 AC) - New Archaeological Museum of Nicopolis (2009 AC)
- List of settlements in the Preveza prefecture
- Preveza (regional unit)
External links
- District of Epirus: Part of Preveza
- Municipality of Preveza http://www.dimosprevezas.gr/ Official website (in Greek)
- Preveza Prefecture](until 31-12-2010)http://www.prevezanet.gr/
- TEI of Preveza (Technological University, Department of Finance and Auditing) http://preveza.teiep.gr
- The Foundation "Museum of Arts and Sciences Harry Gouvas in Preveza, http://prevezamuseum.spaces.live.com
- Preveza (municipality) on GTP Travel Pages (in English and Greek)
- Preveza (town) on GTP Travel Pages (in English and Greek)
- Preveza Weather Station SV6GMQ - Live Weather Conditions (in English and Greek)