Agia Paraskevi ( el, Αγία Παρασκευή, ''Agía Paraskeví'') is a suburb and a
municipality in the northeastern part of the
Athens agglomeration,
Greece. It is part of the
North Athens regional unit. Agia Paraskevi was named after the main church of the town, which is dedicated to Saint
Paraskevi of Rome
Saint Paraskevi of Rome (also Parasceva) is venerated as a Christian martyr of the 2nd century. She was arrested and tortured under the reign of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius for her refusal to worship idols. Though he eventually released her ...
.
Geography
Agia Paraskevi is situated near the northern edge of the forested
Hymettus mountain range, northeast of Athens city center. The municipality has an area of 7.935 km
2.
The built-up area of Agia Paraskevi is continuous with those of the neighboring
Cholargos
Holargos ( el, Χολαργός, also: ''Cholargos'') is a suburb of Athens, Greece, located northeast of the city center and about away from Syntagma Square. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Papagou-Cholargo ...
,
Chalandri and
Gerakas. Besides the central area around the Agia Paraskevi Square, Agia Paraskevi consists of 7 districts: Kontopefko, Nea Zoi, Tsakos, Stavros, Aigiannis, Pefkakia and Paradeisos. The
National Center of Scientific Research Demokritos, which hosts the sole
nuclear reactor in Greece, is situated in Agia Paraskevi. It is also home of the Greek Ministry of
Agriculture.
The main thoroughfare is
Mesogeion Avenue, which connects Agia Paraskevi with central Athens. The eastern beltway
Motorway 64 passes through the southeastern part of the municipality. The municipality is served by several metro stations and a
suburban railway station, located in adjacent municipalities.
History
Agia Paraskevi was part of the community of
Chalandri until 1931, when it became a separate community. It became a municipality in 1963. Formerly a farmers' village, it experienced much suburban development since the 1950s.
In 1993, there was considerable opposition from inhabitants of the suburb to the construction of the Hymettus ring road (
Motorway 64). The ring road was to form a major highway on the mountainside linked directly to the
Motorway 6, and the construction of both motorways were to commence immediately. The realization that this plan would demand the felling of a considerable number of trees, as well as spurring an increase in
noise pollution, predictably aroused the opposition of the local population, who requested a different solution: a covered road. However, the government would not reverse the decision and, in fact, sent bulldozers to the mountainside. This led to a
riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...
in April, 1993. Thousands of people traveled up the mountainside and faced the bulldozers, forcing the drivers to leave. At length police arrived and managed to force the demonstrators off the site; eventually the construction of the two highways began, and was completed in 2001. The road was covered only at a small section, that running over the
Deree College.
Cultural clubs and activities
The following cultural clubs, activities and workshops are available in Agia Paraskevi:
Municipal Conservatory, Art Workshops, Choir, Philharmonic Orchestra, Theater Group & Drama Club, Dance Classes, Film Club and Open Air Cinema, Open University courses and various other cultural clubs that organize events throughout the year.
Sports
The football team of the city is
Agia Paraskevi F.C.
Agia Paraskevi Football Club, unofficially known as Santa ( el, Αθλητικός Όμιλος Αγίας Παρασκευής, ''Athlitikos Omilos Agias Paraskevis'') is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece. Thei ...
, known as "Santa", attracting devoted fans. During the Olympic games in 2004, a part of the historical
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
passed through Agia Paraskevi over Mesogeion avenue. Agia Paraskevi hosts also two basketball clubs with earlier presence in the higher national divisions,
Basketball Agia Paraskevi
Basketball Agia Paraskevi ( el, Καλαθοσφαίριση Αγίας Παρασκευής - Kalathosfairisi Agia Paraskevi), officially abbreviated as K.A.P. (Κ.Α.Π.), is a Greek basketball club that is based in Agia Paraskevi, Athens. It was ...
and
GS Agia Paraskevi
G.S. Agia Paraskevi ( el, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Αγίας Παρασκευής) is a Greek basketball club based in Agia Paraskevi, Athens. It was founded in 1976 and is active in women basketball. The club had earlier long-time ...
.And
P.A.O.D.A.P. city organization with individual sports like
tennis,
fighting sports
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
and more.
Education
The
Lycée Franco-Hellénique Eugène Delacroix
Lycée Franco-Hellénique Eugène Delacroix (LFH/LFHED el, Ελληνογαλλική Σχολή Ευγένιος Ντελακρουά) is a private French international school in Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece.[The American College of Greece
The American College of Greece (ACG) is a private college and high school in Agia Paraskevi, Greece. It was founded by United Church of Christ American missionaries in 1875. It was originally a primary and secondary school for girls. As of 20 ...]
.
In Agia Paraskevi, there are the following public educational institutes and schools: 13 kindergarten schools, 11 elementary schools, 6 junior high schools (including one for the hearing impaired) and 5 high schools (including one for the hearing impaired). There are also 3 vocational-technical high schools (including one for the hearing impaired).
Twin towns
Agia Paraskevi is
twinned with:
*
Saint-Brieuc
Saint-Brieuc (, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.
History
Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 6th c ...
, France (May 1992)
*
Grocka, Serbia (May 1994)
*
Geroskipou
Geroskipou ( el, Γεροσκήπου; tr, Yeroşibu) is a coastal village in Cyprus, east of Paphos. Its current population is approximately 7,000 and it is the second largest municipality in the Paphos District. Yeroskipou, with its remarkable ...
, Cyprus (May 1998)
Historical population
References
External links
City of Agia Paraskevi official websiteFACEBOOK OFFICIAL GROUP of Agia Paraskevi
{{Kallikratis-Attica
Municipalities of Attica
Populated places in North Athens (regional unit)