Vonitsa ( el, Βόνιτσα) is a town in the northwestern part of
Aetolia-Acarnania in
Greece, seat of the municipality of
Aktio-Vonitsa. Population 4,916 (2011). The beach town is situated on the south coast of the
Ambracian Gulf, and is dominated by a
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
fortress on a hill. Vonitsa is southeast of
Preveza
Preveza ( el, Πρέβεζα, ) is a city in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located on the northern peninsula at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epiru ...
, northeast of
Lefkada (city) and northwest of
Agrinio. The
Greek National Road 42 (
Lefkada -
Amfilochia) passes through Vonitsa.
Settlements
*Vonitsa proper
*Aktio, the ancient
Actium
*Nea Kamarina
History
Vonitsa is built near the site of ancient
Anactorium
Anactorium or Anaktorion ( grc, Ἀνακτόριον) was a town in ancient Acarnania, situated on the promontory on the Ambraciot Gulf. On entering the Ambraciot Gulf from the Ionian Sea it was the first town in Acarnania after Actium, from whi ...
, an important city of
Acarnania
Acarnania ( el, Ἀκαρνανία) is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary, and north of the gulf of Calydon, which is the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. Today i ...
, founded by the
Corinthians in 630 BC. Like the other cities of Acarnania, it went into decline when the Romans founded
Nicopolis on the other side of the Ambracian Gulf after the
Battle of Actium, and forced its inhabitants to move to that city. Modern Vonitsa was founded during the Byzantine era. Vonitsa was controlled by the
Republic of Venice between 1684 and 1797. 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 ...
, the town became a part of the Kingdom of
Greece in 1832.
On 18th October 1862 the
insurrection that later spread to
Athens and lead to the overthrow of
King Otto of Greece, started in Vonitsa.
Population
International relations
Vonitsa is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Połaniec,
Poland since 2001.
See also
*
List of settlements in Aetolia-Acarnania
*
Diocese of Vonitsa
References
{{Aktio-Vonitsa div
Populated places in Aetolia-Acarnania
Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece