Avia ( el, Αβία, grc, ἡ Ἀβία) is a village and a former
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in
Messenia
Messenia or Messinia ( ; el, Μεσσηνία ) is a regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, in Greece. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a ...
,
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality
West Mani
West Mani ( el, Δυτική Μάνη - ''Dytiki Mani'') is a municipality in the Messenia regional unit, Peloponnese, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Kardamyli. The municipality has an area of 402.809 km2. It comprises the northw ...
, of which it is a municipal unit.
The municipal unit has an area of 179.828 km
2.
In 2011 its population was 281 for the village, 611 for the community and 2,246 for the municipal unit. The seat of the municipality was in
Kampos. Avia is a popular tourist destination. It also has a large olive production. Avia is situated on the east coast of the
Messenian Gulf
The Messenian Gulf (, ''Messiniakós Kólpos'') is a sea that is part of the Ionian Sea. The gulf is circumscribed by the southern coasts of Messenia and the southwestern coast of the Mani peninsula in Laconia. Its bounds are Venetiko Island t ...
, southeast of
Kalamata
Kalamáta ( el, Καλαμάτα ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula, after Patras, in southern Greece and the largest city of the homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia reg ...
, southwest of
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
and northwest of
Kardamyli
Kardamili ( el, Καρδαμύλη, variously transliterated as ''Kardamyle'', ''Cardamyle'', ''Kardhamili'', and ''Kardamyli'', and sometimes called "Skardamoula", especially on old maps) is a town by the sea thirty-five kilometers southeast of ...
.
History
Ancient Abia
In the location where Paliochora is located today, the Homeric city of
Ire
Ire or IRE may refer to:
Ire
* Extreme anger; intense fury
* Irē, the Livonian name for Mazirbe, Latvia
* A town in Oye, Nigeria
* ''Ire'' (album), a 2015 album by the Australian metalcore band Parkway Drive
* Ire (Iliad), a town mentioned in ...
(Ιρή) is supposed to have stood (''
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...
'' I 150 and I 292). The 2nd century traveller
Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to:
*Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium''
*Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC
*Pausanias of Sicily, physician of th ...
mentioned in his ''Description of Greece'' that the city Ire was renamed Abia by
Cresphontes
In Greek mythology, Cresphontes (; grc, Κρεσφόντης) was a son of Aristomachus, husband of Merope, father of Aepytus and brother of Temenus and Aristodemus. He was a great-great-grandson of Heracles and helped lead the fifth and fina ...
, king of
Messene
Messene (Greek: Μεσσήνη 𐀕𐀼𐀙 ''Messini''), officially Ancient Messene, is a local community within the regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') of Messenia in the region (''perifereia'') of Peloponnese.
It is best known for the ...
, after
Abia
Abia or ABIA may refer to:
ABIA
* Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, in Austin, Texas, United States
* Australian Book Industry Awards, national literary and industry awards People
* Abia (name)
* Abia (mythology), the nursemaid of Glenus ...
, the nursemaid of his great-grandfather
Hyllus
In Greek mythology, Hyllus (; Ancient Greek: Ὕλλος) or Hyllas (Ὕλᾱς) was son of Heracles and Deianira, husband of Iole, nursed by Abia.
Mythology
Heracles, whom Zeus had originally intended to be ruler of Argos, Lacedaemon and Mes ...
, son of
Heracles
Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive ...
. Abia was disputed between the Messenians and the
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
ns. Abia became a member of the
Achaean League
The Achaean League (Greek: , ''Koinon ton Akhaion'' "League of Achaeans") was a Hellenistic-era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea in the northwestern Pel ...
in 181 BCE. In the city was a temple of
Asclepius
Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of ...
. It continued to be a place of some importance down to the reign of
Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
, as we learn from an extant inscription of that period.
After Pausanias' time, Abia was not mentioned in sources. It was probably destroyed during barbarian invasions.
Later period
In the early 15th century, the
Venetians built the castle of
Mantineia
Mantineia (also Mantinea ; el, Μαντίνεια; also Koine Greek ''Antigoneia'') was a city in ancient Arcadia, Greece, which was the site of two significant battles in Classical Greek history.
In modern times it is a former municipality in ...
at the location of the ancient city. It was the seat of the barony with the same name. Mantineia was abandoned by its inhabitants to escape pirate raids, and they settled in the inland village of
Megali Mantineia
Megali Mantineia ( el, Μεγάλη Μαντίνεια) is a mountain settlement in the municipal unit of Avia, Messenia, Greece. In 2011, it had a population of 191. It sits at 200 m above sea level, 2 km southeast of Avia, 3 km south of Mikri M ...
. The ruined castle town received the name ''Palaiochora''. In 1775, the Church of the Dormition was built at the site of the temple of Asclepius.
From the mid-19th century, the inhabitants of Megali Mantineia began to settle in the beach area again, in the settlements ''Palaiochora'', ''Archontiko'' and ''Kopanoi'' (the modern ''Akrogiali''). Palaiochora became the seat of the community of Megali Mantineia in 1924. In 1926 both the settlement Palaiochora and the community were renamed to Avia. In 1998, the community Avia merged with 7 other communities to form the new municipality Avia, with its seat in
Kampos.
Subdivisions
The municipal unit Avia is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):
*Avia (Avia, Akrogiali,
Megali Mantineia
Megali Mantineia ( el, Μεγάλη Μαντίνεια) is a mountain settlement in the municipal unit of Avia, Messenia, Greece. In 2011, it had a population of 191. It sits at 200 m above sea level, 2 km southeast of Avia, 3 km south of Mikri M ...
)
*
Altomira
*
Doloi (Ano Doloi, Kato Doloi, Kalianaiika, Kitries)
*
Kampos (Kampos, Orovas, Platoma, Toumpia)
*
Kentro (Kentro, Anatoliko, Chora Gaitson, Voreio)
*
Pigadia (Pigadia, Dendra, Krya Vrysi, Rizana)
*
Stavropigi (Stavropigi, Malta)
*
Sotirianika (Sotirianika, Charavgi, Drosopigi, Kouris)
Population
Points of interests
*Saint George Monastery on a panoramic location
*Santava Cape
*Beaches: Archontiko, Koukkinos, Lykotropia (Λυκοτροπία), Paliochora, Portela, Patsourou (Πατσούρου), Poliana (Πολιάνα), Akrogiali and Santava or Sandova (Σάντοβα)
People
*
Alexandros Koumoundouros
Alexandros Koumoundouros ( el, Αλέξανδρος Κουμουνδούρος, 4 February 1815 – 26 February 1883) was a Greek politician. Born in Kampos, on the Messenian side of the Mani Peninsula, he was the son of Spyridon-Galanis Koumoun ...
, Prime Minister of Greece
See also
*
List of settlements in Messenia
This is a list of settlements in Messenia, Greece.
* Achladochori
* Adriani
* Aetos
* Agaliani
* Agios Floros
* Agios Nikolaos
* Agios Nikon
* Agios Sostis
* Agrilia
* Agrilia
* Agrilos
* Agrilovouno
* Aithaia
* Akritochori
* Alagonia ...
Sources
*Stavrou Kapetanaki ''I Mandinies tis Manis'' (''Οι Μαντίνειες της Μάνης'' = ''The Mantineies of Mani'')
*
Theodoros Belitsos
Theodoros or Theodorus ( el, Θεόδωρος) is a masculine given name, from which Theodore is derived. The feminine version is Theodora.
It may refer to:
Ancient world
:''Ordered chronologically''
* Theodorus of Samos, 6th-century BC Greek s ...
''Mantineia in 1700, Economy, Demographics and Onomatological Origins''
*Theodoros Belitsos ''The Marriage Book of Megali Mantineias near Avia (1869-1891)''
External links
Avia at the GTP Travel Pages
References
{{Avia
Populated places in Messenia