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Kranidi ( el, ,
Katharevousa Katharevousa ( el, Καθαρεύουσα, , literally "purifying anguage) is a conservative form of the Modern Greek language conceived in the late 18th century as both a literary language and a compromise between Ancient Greek and the contempor ...
: ) is a town and a former municipality in
Argolis Argolis or Argolida ( el, Αργολίδα , ; , in ancient Greek and Katharevousa) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Peloponnese, situated in the eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula and part of the tri ...
, Peloponnese,
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
Ermionida Ermionida ( el, Ερμιονίδα) is a municipality in the Argolis regional unit, Peloponnese, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Kranidi. The municipality has an area of 421 km2. Municipality The municipality Ermionida was forme ...
, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of . Some say the name is derived from the word ''Koronida'', while others claim it is from the word ''Kranaos'', which means "rocky trough". It is situated in the eastern part of Argolis, on the easternmost "finger" of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is west of
Ermioni Ermioni (Greek , Ancient Greek Hermione ) is a small port town and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece on the Argolid Peninsula. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ermionida, of which it is a ...
, south of Epidaurus and southeast of
Nafplio Nafplio ( ell, Ναύπλιο) is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece and it is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important touristic destination. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important seaport in the ...
. Kranidi is known for being the location of second homes of several prominent celebrities, including Sean Connery and the Dutch head of state King
Willem-Alexander Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born ) is King of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne following his mother's abdication in 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht as the oldest child of Princess Beat ...
and his wife Queen Máxima.


Geography

The area around Kranidi consists of low hills, covered with olive groves and small forests. The town itself is about from the coast. Several villages of the municipal unit Kranidi are on the
Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...
coast, including Koilada,
Portocheli Porto Heli ( el, Πόρτο Χέλι, also ''Porto Cheli'') is a summer resort town in the municipality of Ermionida in the southeastern part of Argolis, Greece. It is situated on a bay of the Argolic Gulf, 6 km south of Kranidi and 40 km ...
and the small beach settlement Doroufi.


History

The place of Kranidi has been inhabited for thousands of years. Very close to town is located the Phrancthi Cave that was the dwelling of prehistoric man. During the Homeric era, in this place there were two cities, Hermion (in place of modern
Ermioni Ermioni (Greek , Ancient Greek Hermione ) is a small port town and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece on the Argolid Peninsula. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ermionida, of which it is a ...
) and Masis (in place of the modern village of Koilada). In the classical era, a few kilometres south, the city of
Halieis Halieis ( grc, Ἁλιεῖς), or Halice or Halike (Ἁλίκη), or Halia (Ἁλία), or Alycus or Alykos (Ἄλυκος), or Haliai (Ἁλιαί), was a port town of Hermionis, in ancient Argolis at the mouth of the Argolic Gulf. The distri ...
was built, in place of modern
Porto Heli Porto or Oporto () is the List of cities in Portugal, second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire concelho, municipality of Port ...
. Kranidi is first mentioned in the 16th century after the Turkish name Kato Nahagie, which means low province. Kranidi was one of the centers of the Greek uprising of 1777. After the failure of the rebellion, however, many locals abandoned the area in order to avoid persecution by the Muslim Ottomans. Many of them sought refuge away from the Peloponnese, in Europe and Russia. Many also migrated to Cyprus. The modern name derives either from ancient the Greek name Kranaos or from the name of the nearby islet of Koronida. This name was corrupted to ''Kranida'' and later ''Kranidi''. The residents of Kranidi took part in the Greek War of Independence. One local guerrilla was the priest
Arsenios Krestas Arsenius (Latinized form) and Arsenios (Greek form) is a male first name. It is derived from the Greek word ''arsenikos'' (ἀρσενικός), meaning "male", "virile".
. In 1823, before the outbreak of the first
Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος όλεμος}, ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom and ...
, Kranidi became the seat of the legislature part of Greek government. After independence, Kranidi was appointed the seat of
Ermionida Ermionida ( el, Ερμιονίδα) is a municipality in the Argolis regional unit, Peloponnese, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Kranidi. The municipality has an area of 421 km2. Municipality The municipality Ermionida was forme ...
province. Today, Kranidi is a flourishing small town with a rich nautical tradition and developed tourism services. In Kranidi and the surrounding villages,
Arvanitika Arvanitika (; Arvanitika: , ; Greek: , ), also known as Arvanitic, is the variety of Albanian traditionally spoken by the Arvanites, a population group in Greece. Arvanitika is today endangered, as its speakers have been shifting to the u ...
was spoken, with heavy Greek influence. The language has largely been abandoned, with today only elders speaking it, whereas young people only understand it.


Historical population


References

{{Arvanites Populated places in Argolis Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Arvanite settlements