Pigi is a local community of the
Rethymno Municipality in the
Rethymno regional unit of the
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
of
Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
established by
Kallikratis reform
The Kallikratis Programme () is the common name of Greek law 3852/2010 of 2010, a major administrative reform in Greece. It brought about the second major reform of the country's administrative divisions following the 1997 Kapodistrias reform.
...
. Previously, it was part of the municipal district of
Municipality of Arkadi. Capital of the new municipality is
Rethymno
Rethymno (also Rethymnon; ) is a city in Greece on the island of Crete. It is the capital of Rethymno regional unit, and has a population of more than 35,000 inhabitants (nearly 40,000 for the municipal unit). It is believed to have been built ...
.
Geography and history
Pigi is located 9 km east of the city of
Rethymno
Rethymno (also Rethymnon; ) is a city in Greece on the island of Crete. It is the capital of Rethymno regional unit, and has a population of more than 35,000 inhabitants (nearly 40,000 for the municipal unit). It is believed to have been built ...
, on the road towards
Arkadi
Arkadi () is a former municipality in the Rethymno regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rethymno, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of . Population 7,154 ...
, at an altitude of 60 meters, 1 km from Adele village. It is situated in the heart of a fertile and relatively smooth area, which in older times it was called Aryan. It is noteworthy that the English traveller
Robert Pashley
Robert Pashley (4 September 1805 – 29 May 1859) was a 19th-century English traveller, lawyer and economist.
Pashley was born in York and he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. Distinguished in mathematics and Classics, in 1830 he was elected ...
was the one who first wrote about the origin of the name of the village, 170 years ago. The relevant note is the two-volume book of this great traveller, printed in London in 1837. He says among other things: "In Pigi - the name comes from a rich source that supplies the village with excellent water." Pigi is being inhabited from the
Venetian period onwards.
An
airstrip
An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...
that used to be near Pigi was a strategic target for the German forces during the
Battle of Rethymno
The Battle of Rethymno was part of the Battle of Crete, fought during World War II on the Greek island of Crete between 20 and 29 May 1941. Australian and Greek forces commanded by Lieutenant colonel, Lieutenant-colonel Ian Ross Campbell, Ian Ca ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
;Population of Pigi
Attractions
There are many churches and chapels inside/close to the village: Agia Paravskevi Church, Virgin Mary, Agios Georgios of Koutroulis, Agios Georgios (church cemetery), Agios Ioannis and others. Agios Nikolaos church is decorated with frescoes of the 14th century, St George Church has frescoes bearing the date 1411.
Transportation
There is bus service (
KTEL) from/to Rethymno serving this area (services for Kyrianna and Loutra)
Bus timetables (in german)
retrieved at 21 April 2012
See also
* List of settlements in the Rethymno regional unit
* Pigi Airport
References
External links
Photo Gallery, Web site of municipality of Rethymnno
retrieved at 9 April 2012
Cycling routes, Web site of Tourism Promotion Committee of Rethymno Prefecture
retrieved at 9 April 2012
Populated places in Rethymno (regional unit)
Rethymno (municipality)
{{Crete-geo-stub