Nestani ( el, Νεστάνη, before 1927: Τσιπιανά ''Tsipiana'') is a village and a community in the municipal unit
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 ...
,
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
,
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 ...
.
Geography
It is situated at the foot of the mountain Artemisio, at about 700 m elevation. It was the seat of the former municipality Mantineia. The community Nestani also contains the village of Milea. Nestani is 11 km east of
Kapsas
Kapsas ( el, Κάψας, also Κάψια ''Kapsia'') is a community in the municipal unit of Mantineia in Arcadia on the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. It is situated in a valley east of the Mainalo mountains, at 700 m elevation. It is ...
, 13 km southwest of
Lyrkeia
Lyrkeia ( el, Λυρκεία) is a village and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines
Argos-Mykines ( el, Άργος-Μυκήνες) is a municipa ...
(
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 ...
) and 14 km northeast of
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
. The Moreas Motorway (
Corinth
Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...
–Tripoli-
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 ...
/
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 ...
) passes west of the village.
The monastery of Panagia Gorgoepikοos is situated on a hill immediately southeast of the village. The Holy Mother of God is venerated there, with a celebration on 15 August. The present building dates from 1740. It is now a nunnery.
Life in Nestani today
In
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
agriculture, raising and herding livestock, some trading are the dominant occupations. The same is true for most residents of the village. But securing livelihood in accordance with what is locally facilitated is on the decline, as migration, particularly significant since 1945 and mainly to the Americas, promises a better life. This is one reason, why the population of Nestani is diminishing. Urbanization is another, more recent phenomenon, since better roads, improved mobility and job opportunities in Arcadias capital Tripoli and in the environment are better. The village has an annual festival on the 15th August to celebrate the Virgin Mary during which many visitors from abroad attend.
The environment
In many Greek villages styled fountains are dedicated, vivid symbols of rural identification and tradition. The spring water fountain (φιλίππεοις Κρήνη) is a well kept, rebuilt remnant of the fountain King
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 ...
(382-336 BC) built, when he camped next to the ancient town
Nestane
Nestane ( grc, Νεστάνη) was a town of ancient Arcadia. Nestane was the place where Philip II of Macedonia camped on an expedition, in the year 338 BCE, when he tried to attract the alliance of the Arcadians to separate them from the ot ...
.
However, the plain
Argon Pedion
Argon Pedion ( gr, Ἀργὸν Πεδίον, 3=untilled plain) is the geological name of a "closed karst basin" in the Arcadian highlands in the Peloponnese peninsula of southern Greece. The first known appearance of this name was in a publicatio ...
below the village with its peculiar properties, will be of relevance for the villages existence and further development for the years to come.
Historical population
History
Nestani was named after the ancient settlement Nestane, that was situated at the same place. Ancient Nestane was a village in the territory of the town Mantineia. The ruined acropolis of Nestani and the remnant of Philipps fountain can still be found in the village.
The village of Tsipiana, which grew near the ancient ruins of Nestane, was renamed Nestani in 1927.
[Name changes of settlements in Greece, see External Links]
See also
*
List of settlements in Arcadia
This is a list of settlements in Arcadia, Greece.
* Aetorrachi
* Agia Sofia
* Agia Varvara
* Agiorgitika
* Agios Andreas
* Agios Georgios
* Agios Ioannis
* Agios Konstantinos
* Agios Petros
* Agios Vasileios, Leonidio
* Agios Vasileio ...
References
External links
Arcadia - Nestani
*
ausanias, Book 8, English translation, on Nestani and King Philip II of Macedon http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D7%3Asection%3D4Name changes of settlements in Greece
{{Authority control
Populated places in Arcadia, Peloponnese
Landforms of Arcadia, Peloponnese
Plains of Greece
Karst fields