Gavalou ( el, Γαβαλού) is a town and a community in the municipal unit of
Makryneia
Makryneia ( el, Μακρυνεία) is a former municipality in Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Agrinio, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area o ...
,
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 ...
,
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 wit ...
. In 2011 its population was 1,018 for the town, and 1,051 for the community, which includes the small village Kourtelaiika. The town is located south of
Lake Trichonida
Lake Trichonida ( el, Λίμνη Τριχωνίδα ''Limni Trichonida'', Ancient Greek: Τριχωνίς ''Trichonis'') is the largest natural lake in Greece. It is situated in the eastern part of Aetolia-Acarnania, southeast of the city of Agrin ...
, the largest natural lake of Greece. It is 7 km east of
Papadates, 10 km northwest of
Kato Makrinou
Kato Makrinou ( el, Κάτω Μακρινού meaning "Lower Makrinou") is a village in the municipal unit of Makryneia, Aetolia-Acarnania, Greece. In 2011 its population was 580. It is located in a valley southeast of Lake Trichonida. It is 2 km n ...
and 15 km 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 it ...
.
Population
History
Gavalou may be built at or near the site of the ancient
Aetolia
Aetolia ( el, Αἰτωλία, Aἰtōlía) is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania.
Geography
The Achelous River separates Aetolia ...
n town
Trichonium Trichonium or Trichonion ( grc, Τριχώνιον) was a town of ancient Aetolia, from which Lake Trichonis derived its name. William Martin Leake identified its location in the 19th century south of the lake at a place called Gavala (Gavalou). Str ...
, from which the
Lake Trichonida
Lake Trichonida ( el, Λίμνη Τριχωνίδα ''Limni Trichonida'', Ancient Greek: Τριχωνίς ''Trichonis'') is the largest natural lake in Greece. It is situated in the eastern part of Aetolia-Acarnania, southeast of the city of Agrin ...
derived its name. Its position is uncertain. Leake places it S. of the lake at a place called Gavala, and Kiepert, in his map E. of the lake. But since Strabo mentions it along with Stratus as situated in a fertile plain, it ought probably to be placed N. of the lake (Strab. x. p. 450; Pol. v. 7; Steph. B. s. v.). It was evidently a place of importance, and several natives of this town are mentioned in history. (Pol. iv. 3, v. 13, xvii. 10; Paus. ii. 37. § 3; Leake, Northern Greece, vol. i. p. 155.)
The Old Aetolia was the seacoast extending from the Achelous to Calydon, reaching for a considerable distance into the interior, which is fertile and level; here in the interior lie Stratus and Trichonium, the latter having excellent soil. A prominent figure was
Alexander of Trichonium
Alexander ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος) of Trichonium in Aetolia was an ancient Greek commander of the Aetolians in 218 and 219 BC. With about three thousand troops he attacked the rear guard (consisting of mercenaries and Acarnanians) of the ar ...
in Aetolia and he was commander of the Aetolians in 218 and 219 BC. He attacked the rear of the army of Philip on his return from Thermus, but the attempt was unsuccessful, and many Aetolians fell. (Polyb. v. 13)
Climate
Gavalou has a Mediterranean climate with relatively mild winters and particularly hot summers. Gavalou is after
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 referred ...
the area with the highest average summer maximum temperatures in the country. Like most of Western
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 wit ...
it receives a lot of rainfall during the winter and autumn with an average annual precipitation of 1.156 mm.
External links
Gavalou on GTP Travel Pages
References
{{Makryneia
Populated places in Aetolia-Acarnania