Nafpaktos ( el, Ναύπακτος) is a town 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
Aetolia-Acarnania
Aetolia-Acarnania ( el, Αιτωλοακαρνανία, ''Aitoloakarnanía'', ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the geographic region of Central Greece and the administrative region of West Greece. A combination of the histor ...
,
West Greece
Western Greece Region ( el, Περιφέρεια Δυτικής Ελλάδας, translit=Periféria Dhitikís Elládhas, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It comprises the western part of continental Greece and the northw ...
, situated on a bay on the north coast of the
Gulf of Corinth
The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf ( el, Κορινθιακός Kόλπος, ''Korinthiakόs Kόlpos'', ) is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. It is bounded in the east by the Isth ...
, west of the mouth of the river
Mornos
The Mornos ( el, Μόρνος) is a river in Phocis and Aetolia-Acarnania in Greece. It is long. Its source is in the southwestern part of the Oiti mountains, near the village Mavrolithari, Phocis. It flows towards the south, and enters the Morno ...
.
It is named for Naupaktos (, Latinized ''Naupactus''), an important
Athenian
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
naval station in the
Peloponnesian war
The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...
. As a strategically crucial possession controlling access to the Gulf of Corinth, Naupaktos changed hands many times during the
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
and the
Ottoman–Venetian Wars. It was under
Venetian control in the 15th century, and came to be known by the
Venetian form of its name, Lepanto. It fell to the Ottoman Empire
in 1499 and was used as naval station by the
Ottoman Navy in the 16th century, being the site of the decisive victory by the
Holy League in the
Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto was a naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states (comprising Spain and its Italian territories, several independent Italian states, and the Soverei ...
in 1571. Except a brief period of Venetian control in 1687–1699, Lepanto remained under Ottoman control until
Greek independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
in 1829.
The modern municipality was incorporated in 1946, but merged into the larger
Nafpaktia
Nafpaktia ( el, Ναυπακτία), Latinized Naupactia, is the historical name for the region around the port town of Nafpaktos (Naupactus) in Central Greece.
It is also the name of a municipality in the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, West G ...
municipality in the
2010 reform. ''Nafpaktos'' is now both the name of a municipal unit within Nafpaktia and of the town proper within the Nafpaktos unit.
The municipal district has an area of , with a population close to 20,000 .
The town is northeast of
Antirrio
Antirrio ( el, links=no, Αντίρριο, pronounced , la, links=no, Antirrhium) is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nafpaktia, of ...
, northeast of
Patras
)
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 =
, demographics1_info2 =
, timezone1 = EET
, utc_offset1 = +2
, ...
, east of
Missolonghi
Missolonghi or Messolonghi ( el, Μεσολόγγι, ) is a municipality of 34,416 people (according to the 2011 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis ...
and southeast of
Agrinio
Agrinio ( Greek: Αγρίνιο, , Latin: ''Agrinium'') is the largest city of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit of Greece and its largest municipality, with 106,053 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its c ...
. The
Greek National Road 48
National Road 48 ( el, Εθνική Οδός 48, abbreviated as EO48) is a single carriageway road in central Greece. It connects the Greek National Road 5 at Antirrio with the town Livadeia, passing through Naupactus and Delphi. The section be ...
/
E65 (Antirrio – Nafpaktos –
Delphi
Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The oracle ...
–
Livadeia
Livadeia ( el, Λιβαδειά ''Livadiá'', ; grc, Λεβάδεια, Lebadeia or , ''Lebadia'') is a town in central Greece. It is the capital of the Boeotia regional district. Livadeia lies north-west of Athens, west of Chalkida, south-ea ...
) passes north of the town. It is the second largest town of Aetolia-Acarnania, after
Agrinio
Agrinio ( Greek: Αγρίνιο, , Latin: ''Agrinium'') is the largest city of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit of Greece and its largest municipality, with 106,053 inhabitants. It is the economical center of Aetolia-Acarnania, although its c ...
.
Name
The ancient name ''Naupaktos'' (Ναύπακτος) means "boatyard" (from
ναύς ''naus'' "ship" and
πήγ- ''pêg-'' "to fix, fasten"). It was later
Latinized as ''Naupactus''. By the late medieval period, the local name had evolved into ''Nepahtos'' (Νέπαχτος), ''Epaktos'' or ''Epahtos'' (Έπακτος, Έπαχτος). By the
"Franks" (Latins) it was called ''Neopant'', ''Nepant'' or ''Lepant''. French sources of the 14th century give ''Nepant'' or ''Neopant''; Venetian sources have ''Nepanto'' or ''Lepanto''.
The name was adapted in
Ottoman Turkish from Greek Νέπαχτος as ''Aynabahti'' or ''İnebahtı''.
The original ancient name was revived in
modern Greece
The history of modern Greece covers the history of Greece from the recognition by the Great Powers — Britain, France and Russia — of its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1828 to the present day.
Background
The Byzantine Empire had ...
in the 19th century.
History
Antiquity
In Greek legend, Naupactus is the place where the
Heraclidae
The Heracleidae (; grc, Ἡρακλεῖδαι) or Heraclids were the numerous descendants of Heracles (Hercules), especially applied in a narrower sense to the descendants of Hyllus, the eldest of his four sons by Deianira (Hyllus was also ...
built a fleet to invade the
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 ...
.
In
Classical Antiquity
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
, it was an important town of the
Locri Ozolae
Ozolian Locris ( grc, Ὀζολία Λοκρίς) or Hesperian Locris ( grc, Λοκρίς Ἑσπερία, 3=Western Locris) was a region in Ancient Greece, inhabited by the Ozolian Locrians ( grc-gre, Ὀζολοὶ Λοκροί; la, Locri Ozoli ...
and the best harbour on the northern coast of the
Corinthian Gulf. The town was situated just within the entrance of this gulf, a little east of the promontory
Antirrhium
Antirrio ( el, links=no, Αντίρριο, pronounced , la, links=no, Antirrhium) is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nafpaktia, of wh ...
. It is said to have derived its name from the
Heracleidae
The Heracleidae (; grc, Ἡρακλεῖδαι) or Heraclids were the numerous descendants of Heracles (Hercules), especially applied in a narrower sense to the descendants of Hyllus, the eldest of his four sons by Deianira (Hyllus was also ...
having here built the fleet with which they crossed over to
Peloponnesus
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge whi ...
.
Though Naupactus was indebted for its historical importance to its harbour at the entrance of the Corinthian gulf, it was probably originally chosen as a site for a city on account of its strong hill, fertile plains, and copious supply of running water. After the
Greco-Persian Wars
The Greco-Persian Wars (also often called the Persian Wars) were a series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire and Greek city-states that started in 499 BC and lasted until 449 BC. The collision between the fractious political world of the ...
it fell into the power of the
Athenians, who settled there the
Messenians
Messenia or Messinia ( el, Μεσσηνία) was an ancient district of the southwestern Peloponnese, more or less overlapping the modern Messenia region of Greece. To the north it had a border with Elis along the Neda river. From there the borde ...
, who had been compelled to leave their country at the end of the
Third Messenian War
The helots (; el, εἵλωτες, ''heílotes'') were a subjugated population that constituted a majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia – the territories ruled by Sparta. There has been controversy since antiquity as to their exa ...
in 455 BCE, and during the
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...
it was the headquarters of the Athenians in all their operations in Western Greece, and the scene of the
Battle of Naupactus
The Battle of Naupactus was a naval battle in the Peloponnesian War. The battle, which took place a week after the Athenian victory at Rhium, set an Athenian fleet of twenty ships, commanded by Phormio, against a Peloponnesian fleet of seventy- ...
in 429 BCE. After the
Battle of Aegospotami
The Battle of Aegospotami was a naval confrontation that took place in 405 BC and was the last major battle of the Peloponnesian War. In the battle, a Spartan fleet under Lysander destroyed the Athenian navy. This effectively ended the war, since ...
the Messenians were expelled from Naupactus, and the Locrians regained possession of the town.
Afterwards it passed into the hands of the
Achaeans, from whom, however, it was wrested by
Epaminondas
Epaminondas (; grc-gre, Ἐπαμεινώνδας; 419/411–362 BC) was a Greek general of Thebes and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek city-state, leading it out of Spartan subjugation into a pre-eminent posit ...
.
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...
gave it to the
Aetolians, and hence it is frequently called a town of Aetolia. The Aetolians vigorously defended Naupactus against the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
for two months in 191 BCE.
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
calls it a town of the Locri Ozolae, to whom it must therefore have been assigned by the Romans after Pliny's time.
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 t ...
saw at Naupactus a temple of
Poseidon
Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
near the sea, a temple of
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
, a cave sacred to
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...
, and the ruins of 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 ...
. The Roman playwright
Plautus
Titus Maccius Plautus (; c. 254 – 184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the gen ...
mentions Naupactus in his comedy ''
Miles Gloriosus
''Alazṓn'' ( grc, ἀλαζών) is one of three stock characters in comedy of the theatre of ancient Greece. He is the opponent of the '' eirôn''. The ''alazṓn'' is an impostor that sees himself as greater than he actually is. The ''senex ...
'' as the destination of an Athenian master (Pleusicles) who is on a diplomatic mission to the city.
Naupactus is mentioned in the 6th-century list of
Hierocles, but it was destroyed by an earthquake in 551/2, during the reign of
Justinian I
Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...
.
Medieval and early modern history
The town and its hinterland were hit by an epidemic coming from Italy in 747/8 and almost deserted. From the late 9th century, probably the 880s, it was capital of the
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
''
thema'' of
Nicopolis
Nicopolis ( grc-gre, Νικόπολις, Nikópolis, City of Victory) or Actia Nicopolis was the capital city of the Roman province of Epirus Vetus. It was located in the western part of the modern state of Greece. The city was founded in 29 ...
. At the same time, its bishopric was elevated to a
metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
. During the 9th–10th centuries, the town was an important harbour for the
Byzantine navy and a strategic point for communication with the
Byzantine possessions in southern Italy.
A rebellion of the local populace, which led to the death of the local ''
strategos
''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...
'' George, is recorded during the early reign of
Constantine VIII
Constantine VIII Porphyrogenitus ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Πορφυρογέννητος, ''Kōnstantinos Porphyrogénnetos''; 960 – 11/12 November 1028) was ''de jure'' Byzantine emperor from 962 until his death. He was the youn ...
(r. 1025–28). In 1040, the town did not take part in the
uprising of Peter Delyan
The Uprising of Peter Delyan ( bg, Въстанието на Петър Делян, el, Επανάσταση του Πέτρου Δελεάνου), which took place in 1040–1041, was a major Bulgarian rebellion against the Byzantine Empire in ...
, and although attacked by the rebel army, alone among the towns of the theme of Nicopolis, it resisted successfully.
St. Nicholas of Trani is recorded as having departed for
Otranto
Otranto (, , ; scn, label=Salentino, Oṭṛàntu; el, label= Griko, Δερεντό, Derentò; grc, Ὑδροῦς, translit=Hudroûs; la, Hydruntum) is a coastal town, port and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a ferti ...
in 1094 from the port. The history of the town over the next two centuries is obscure; during the visit of
Benjamin of Tudela
Benjamin of Tudela ( he, בִּנְיָמִין מִטּוּדֶלָה, ; ar, بنيامين التطيلي ''Binyamin al-Tutayli''; Tudela, Kingdom of Navarre, 1130 Castile, 1173) was a medieval Jewish traveler who visited Europe, Asia, an ...
in 1165, there was a Jewish community of about 100 in the town.
Following the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire after the
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
, it became part of the
Despotate of Epirus. Under its metropolitan,
John Apokaukos
John Apokaukos ( el, Ἱωάννης Ἀπόκαυκος, ca. 1155 – 1233) was a Byzantine churchman and theologian. Having studied at Constantinople, he became bishop of Naupaktos and played a major role in the rivalry between the Epirote Chur ...
, the see of Naupactus gained in importance and headed the local
synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
for the southern half of the Epirote domains. In 1294, the town was ceded to
Philip I, Prince of Taranto
Philip I of Taranto (10 November 1278 – 26 December 1331), of the Angevin house, was titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople (as Philip II) by right of his wife Catherine of Valois–Courtenay, Despot of Romania, King of Albania, Prince of A ...
as part of the dowry of
Thamar Angelina Komnene
Thamar Angelina Komnene ( gr, Θαμάρ Αγγελίνα Κομνηνή; died ) was a princess consort of Taranto by marriage to Prince Philip I.
Life
Thamar was the daughter of Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas of the Despotate of Epirus and his seco ...
. The ruler of
Thessaly
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...
,
Constantine Doukas
Constantine X Doukas or Ducas ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Δούκας, ''Kōnstantinos X Doukas'', 1006 – 23 May 1067), was Byzantine emperor from 1059 to 1067. He was the founder and first ruling member of the Doukid dynasty. Duri ...
, attacked Epirus in the next year and captured Naupactus, but in 1296 handed most of his conquests back to the
Angevins, and Naupactus became a major Angevin base on the Greek mainland.
In 1304 or 1305, the Epirotes recovered Naupactus during a war with the Angevins, but handed it back when peace was concluded in 1306. The town briefly became part of the Serbian Empire during the 1350's.
In 1361 the town was captured by the
Catalans
Catalans (Catalan, French and Occitan: ''catalans''; es, catalanes, Italian: ''catalani'', sc, cadelanos) are a Romance ethnic group native to Catalonia, who speak Catalan. The current official category of "Catalans" is that of the citize ...
of the
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens (Greek: Δουκᾶτον Ἀθηνῶν, ''Doukaton Athinon''; Catalan: ''Ducat d'Atenes'') was one of the Crusader states set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade as part of th ...
. In 1376 or 1377 it fell to
John Bua Spata, an Albanian
despot of Arta.
It was briefly occupied
Knights Hospitaller
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
in 1378, and, now wedged between the expanding lands of the
Count of Cephalonia Carlo I Tocco Carlo I Tocco was the hereditary Count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from 1376, and ruled as the Despot of Epirus from 1411 until his death on July 4, 1429.
Life
Carlo I was the son of Count Leonardo I Tocco of Cephalonia and Leukas by Madda ...
and the
Ottoman possessions, sold to the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
by
Paul Spata
The Spata family ( sq, Shpata, gr, Σπάτα, Σπάτας) was an Albanian noble family active in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, initially as Venetian vassals and later as Ottoman vassals. The family's progenitors were the brothers John ...
in 1407.
After 1449, the town was an isolated Venetian exclave in Ottoman territory, as the Ottomans completed their conquest of the rest of Epirus and Aetolia-Acarnania. The town was important to Venice, as it secured their trade through the
Corinthian Gulf, and the Republic took care to erect strong fortifications to secure its possession. In the end, the fortress fell to the Ottomans in 1499, during the
Second Ottoman–Venetian War
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds e ...
.
Under the Ottomans, Naupactus was known as ''Aynabahtı, İnebahtı'' and was the seat of
an Ottoman province. The mouth of the
Gulf of Lepanto was the scene of the great sea battle in which the naval power of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
was nearly completely destroyed by the united Spanish, Papal, and Venetian forces (
Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto was a naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states (comprising Spain and its Italian territories, several independent Italian states, and the Soverei ...
, October 7, 1571).
In 1687 it was
recaptured by the Venetians, but was again restored to the Ottomans in 1699, by the
Treaty of Karlowitz
The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in Karlowitz, Military Frontier of Archduchy of Austria (present-day Sremski Karlovci, Serbia), on 26 January 1699, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the ...
. Among those who fought in the
Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto was a naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states (comprising Spain and its Italian territories, several independent Italian states, and the Soverei ...
was
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...
, the most famous Spanish writer; there is a statue in his honour.
Modern history
Nafpaktos became part of
independent Greece in March 1829.
It was incorporated as a commune in 1912 and as an independent municipality in 1946. In the
1997 reform,
Nafpaktos municipality was enlarged by the incorporation of 13 communes. In the
2010 reform, Nafpaktos municipality was merged with five other municipalities to form
Nafpaktia
Nafpaktia ( el, Ναυπακτία), Latinized Naupactia, is the historical name for the region around the port town of Nafpaktos (Naupactus) in Central Greece.
It is also the name of a municipality in the Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, West G ...
municipality, and the town of Nafpaktos proper is now a communal district within the ''Nafpaktos'' municipal district of Nafpaktia municipality.
Naupactus suffered damage from the
2007 Greek forest fires.
Ecclesiastical history
The
metropolitan see
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a t ...
of Naupactus depended on the
pope of Rome
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
until 733, when
Leo III the Isaurian
Leo III the Isaurian ( gr, Λέων ὁ Ἴσαυρος, Leōn ho Isauros; la, Leo Isaurus; 685 – 18 June 741), also known as the Syrian, was Byzantine Emperor from 717 until his death in 741 and founder of the Isaurian dynasty. He put an e ...
annexed it to the
Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
.
The zealous youth
St. Nicholas of Trani after a failed attempt at the mortifications of cenobitic life at the
Hosios Loukas
Hosios Loukas ( el, Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς) is a historic walled monastery situated near the town of Distomo, in Boeotia, Greece. Founded in the mid-10th century, the monastery is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architec ...
monastery in Boetia set sail in the spring of 1094 on a pilgrimage to Rome for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. His pious habit of evangelizing the sailors with constant proclamations (in Greek ''kerygma'' from κηρύσσω, meaning "to cry or proclaim as a herald") of the phrase
Kyrie Eleison
Kyrie, a transliteration of Greek , vocative case of (''Kyrios''), is a common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called the Kyrie eleison ( ; ).
In the Bible
The prayer, "Kyrie, eleison," "Lord, have mercy" derives f ...
according to legend, led them to throw him overboard. He made it ashore in Italy, but was not hospitably received and died some months later aged just 19. Miraculous cures led to him being publicly acclaimed as worthy of veneration by the Bishop of Trani at the Council of Bari in 1098.
[Archdiocese of Trani, Barletta, Bisceglie and Nazareth (publ.), (2004) Trani ''"San Nicola il Pellegrino: Atti, testimonianze e liturgie in occasione dei festeggiamenti del IX centenario della sua morte. 10 anni dopo"'']
Under
Frankish rule, there were about 20 archbishops in the 14–15th centuries. The city remains a
titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...
of the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church.
The see was attached to the
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its ...
after the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
. It was suppressed in 1900, replaced by the see of Acarnania and Naupactia, whose seat is at
Missolonghi
Missolonghi or Messolonghi ( el, Μεσολόγγι, ) is a municipality of 34,416 people (according to the 2011 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis ...
.
Residents
Today the population is about 19,768 people according to the 2011 census. Residential homes align with the
Gulf of Corinth
The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf ( el, Κορινθιακός Kόλπος, ''Korinthiakόs Kόlpos'', ) is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. It is bounded in the east by the Isth ...
over a length of about and a width of about . The port divides the beachfront in two parts. The Western part is called Psani, while the Eastern part Gribovo. Naupactus sits on a shoulder of a mountain range on the north while farmlands dominate the western part. It used to be on the GR-48/E65 linking
Antirrio
Antirrio ( el, links=no, Αντίρριο, pronounced , la, links=no, Antirrhium) is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nafpaktia, of ...
and
Amfissa; now it is bypassed to the north at the elevation of
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
. The bypass has contributed significantly in lowering the number of heavy trucks passing through the narrow streets of the town.
Landmarks
*The port and castle provide the main attraction for the town, both with well kept Venetian vestiges. Shops, cafés and bars dot the immediate area, while a café is also located within the castle walls.
*The port also includes monuments commemorating the Battle of Lepanto (1571), and there is also a statue of
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...
by the Mallorcan artist Jaume Mir.
*A small water park is located just past the western portion of the beach near Psani (currently closed).
*Nafpaktos is also home to a local museum.
*The
Fethiye Mosque, the city's largest Ottoman-era mosque.
Subdivisions
The municipal unit Nafpaktos is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):
*
Afroxylia (Ano Afroxylia, Kato Afroxylia)
*Dafni, Aetolia-Acarnania, Dafni (Dafni, Kato Dafni)
*Lygias
*Mamoulada (Kato Mamoulada, Mamoulada)
*Nafpaktos
*Neokastro (Neokastro, Paliampela)
*Palaiochoraki, Aetolia-Acarnania, Palaiochoraki (Palaiochoraki, Mikro Palaiochoraki)
*Pitsinaiika (Pitsinaiika, Kastraki, Sykia)
*Riganio (Riganio, Diasello, Poros)
*Skala, Aetolia-Acarnania, Skala
*Velvina, Aetolia-Acarnania, Velvina
*Vlachomandra (Vlachomandra, Gefyra Bania, Sfikaaika)
*Vomvokou (Vomvokou, Agios Vasileios, Lefka Vomvokous, Marmara)
*Xiropigado, Aetolia-Acarnania, Xiropigado
Nearest places
*
Antirrio
Antirrio ( el, links=no, Αντίρριο, pronounced , la, links=no, Antirrhium) is a town and a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nafpaktia, of ...
(west)
*Katafygio: One of the traditional villages in Orini Nafpaktia (mountainous Nafpaktia).
*Ano Chora (north): One of the traditional villages of Orini Nafpaktia
*Kentriki (north): One of the traditional villages of Orini Nafpaktia
*Aspria, Aetolia-Acarnania, Aspria (north): One of the traditional villages of Orini Nafpaktia
*Chomori: One of the traditional villages of Orini Nafpaktia
*Elatovrisi: One of the traditional villages of Orini Nafpaktia with famous natural spring water.
*Skala, Aetolia-Acarnania, Skala: Village found in the hills minutes from the town centre; overlooks the town itself
*Skaloma: beaches
*Hiliadou: Part of the strip of beachside villages outside of Nafpaktos (Hiliadou-Monastiraki-Skaloma); sandy beach makes it a popular destination for residents of Nafpaktos and tourists
*Klepa, Greece, Klepa: One of the villages in Orini Nafpaktia
*Platanos, Aetolia-Acarnania, Platanos
*Ampelakiotissa: One of the traditional villages in Orini Nafpaktia
Historical population
Media
Television
*Lepanto TV
Notable people
*Agelaus of Naupactus, Agelaus (3rd century BC), politician
*
John Apokaukos
John Apokaukos ( el, Ἱωάννης Ἀπόκαυκος, ca. 1155 – 1233) was a Byzantine churchman and theologian. Having studied at Constantinople, he became bishop of Naupaktos and played a major role in the rivalry between the Epirote Chur ...
(died 1233), Metropolitan of Naupactus from 1200 to 1232
*Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas (1893–1987), lawyer, politician and former Prime Minister of Greece
*Evangelia Platanioti (1994), Olympic synchronized swimmer and reality TV contestant
Gallery
File:Naupacte port.jpg, View from the fortress
File:20090803 nafpaktos13.jpg, A square
File:Nafpaktos 2.JPG, View from the port towards the fortress
File:Cervantes of Nafpaktos.JPG, Statue of Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...
at the port (he took part at the Battle of Lepanto
The Battle of Lepanto was a naval engagement that took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states (comprising Spain and its Italian territories, several independent Italian states, and the Soverei ...
)
File:Nafpaktos.jpg, View of the old harbour
File:Mbotsaris tower museum.JPG, Botsaris tower museum
File:Nafpaktos port bastions.JPG, Fortifications of the port
File:Naupactus seawall.jpg, Fortifications along the sea wall
International relations
Nafpaktos is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with:
* Cinque Terre, Italy
* Dubrovnik, Croatia
* Pontevedra, Spain
Note: the American town of Lepanto, Arkansas takes its name from the Battle of Lepanto rather than directly from the Greek town.
Sports teams
*Nafpaktiakos Asteras F.C.
See also
*List of settlements in Aetolia-Acarnania
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Municipality of Nafpaktos
{{Authority control
Nafpaktos,
Aetolia
Cities in ancient Greece
Fortified settlements
Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece
Gulf of Corinth
Populated places in Aetolia-Acarnania