Diakopto () is a coastal town in

Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek language, Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwest ...

West Greece Western Greece Region (, ) is one of the thirteen Modern regions of Greece, administrative regions of Greece. It comprises the western part of Central Greece (geographic region), continental Greece and the northwestern part of the Peloponnese pen ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. Since the 2011 local government reforms it is a municipal unit of the

Aigialeia Aigialeia (, ) is a municipality and a former Provinces of Greece, province (επαρχία) in the eastern part of the Achaea regional unit, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Aigio. The municipality has an area of 723.063 km2. ...

municipality. The municipal unit has an area of 103.932 km². The town of Diakopto is situated on the

Gulf of Corinth The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf (, ) is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. It is bounded in the east by the Isthmus of Corinth which includes the shipping-designed Corinth Canal and ...

, near the mouth of the

Vouraikos The Vouraikos (, , ''Erasinus'' () according to Strabo) is a river in Achaea, Greece. In ancient times it was called Erasinos. Its source is in the Aroania mountains, near the village of Priolithos. It flows past the towns of Kalavryta and Diako ...

river and at the lower end of the Vouraikos Gorge. The gauge Diakofto–Kalavryta Railway built in 1885 leads up to the town of

Kalavryta Kalavryta () is a town and a municipality in the mountainous east-central part of the regional unit of Achaea, Greece. The town is located on the right bank of the river Vouraikos, south of Aigio, southeast of Patras and northwest of Tripoli, G ...

passing the

Mega Spilaio Mega Spilaio (), formally the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Ιερά Μονή Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου), is a Greek Orthodox monastery in the municipality of Kalavryta, in the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Gree ...

Monastery at about halfway. Diakopto is on the old

Greek National Road 8 Greek National Road 8 (, abbreviated as EO8, common name: old Athens-Patras national road) is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the Attica, Peloponnese and West Greece regions. It connects Athens with the cities of Corinth and ...

(Athens - Corinth -

Patras Patras (; ; Katharevousa and ; ) is Greece's List of cities in Greece, third-largest city and the regional capital and largest city of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaiko ...

); the new Greek National Road 8A (also Athens - Corinth - Patras) passes 1 km to the south. Diakopto is located about 40 km east of Patras, and 15 km southeast of

Aigio Aigio, also written as ''Aeghion, Aegion, Aegio, Egio'' (, ; ), is a town and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Achaea, West Greece, on the Peloponnese. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the mun ...

Subdivisions

The municipal unit Diakopto is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets): *

Ano Diakopto Ano Diakopto (, before 1940: Πέρα Μαχαλάς - ''Pera Machalas'') is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Diakopto, Achaea, Greece. It is 6 km southeast of Diakopto. The community includes the village of Pounta. Ano Diako ...

(Ano Diakopto, Pounta) *Diakopto (Diakopto, Kalyvitis, Kernitsa, Lofos) *

Eliki Eliki (, before 1917: Ζευγολατιό - ''Zevgolatio''), is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Diakopto, Achaea, Greece. It was named after the nearby ancient town Helike. Eliki is located near the river Selinountas and the G ...

(Eliki, Kalanteri) * Katholiko * Keryneia (Keryneia, Nea Keryneia) *

Mamousia Mamousia () is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Diakopto, Achaea, Greece. It is 6 km southwest of Diakopto, on the west side of the Vouraikos gorge. The community includes the villages Derveni and Stavria. Population Hist ...

(Mamousia, Derveni, Stavria) *

Nikoleika Nikolaiika () is a village in the municipal unit of Diakopto, Achaea, Greece. It is located near the Gulf of Corinth coast, 1 km east of Rizomylos, 5 km west of Diakopto and 7 km southeast of Aigio. The Greek National Road 8A (Pat ...

* Rizomylos * Rodia * Trapeza (Trapeza, Paralia Trapezis) * Tripia (Tripia, Metochi, Terpsithea) *

Zachloritika Zachloritika () is a village and community in the municipal unit of Diakopto, Achaea, Greece. It is located on the left bank of the river Vouraikos, 1 km west of Diakopto. The Greek National Road 8A (Patras - Aigio - Corinth) passes south of ...

Population

History

In the area there were three ancient Greek cities: Boura,

Helike Helike (; , pronounced , modern ) was an ancient Greek polis or city-state that was submerged by a tsunami in the winter of 373 BC. It was located in the Regional units of Greece, regional unit of Achaea, northern Peloponnesos, two kilometres ( ...

and Keryneia. The area followed the fate of the rest of Achaea. Between 1460 and 1821 the area was ruled by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, except a brief period of Venetian rule between 1687 and 1715. As a result of 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. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

of 1821 Diakopto became part of the new Greek state. The municipality was created in 1835. The municipality was known as ''Voura'' (Βουρά).

Persons

Dionysis Papagiannopoulos Dionysis Papagiannopoulos (; 12 July 1912 – 13 April 1984) was a Greek actor. He was born in Diakopto in the northeastern part of Achaea in 1912. He studied at the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece (Ethniko Theatro) in Athens and ...

(1912–1984) actor

Sporting clubs

*Lykoi Diakoptou *Floga Rodias *Iraklis Zachloritikon *Niki Nikoleikon *Athlitikos Omilos Diakoptou (AOD)

References

External links

Municipality of Diakopto
{{Diakopto Aigialeia Populated places in Achaea