Kalavryta () is a town and a municipality in the mountainous east-central part of the regional unit of

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 ...

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 ...

. The town is located on the right bank of the river Vouraikos, south 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 ...

, southeast of

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 ...

and northwest of Tripoli. Notable mountains in the municipality are

Mount Erymanthos Mount Erymanthos (, Latin: ''Erymanthus'') overall is an irregular massif of peaks connected by ridges embedded in the mountains located in the north of the Peloponnese, Greece. Erymanthos is on the west side. Its highest peak, Olenos or Olonos ...

in the west and

Aroania Aroania () (also known as "Sopoto") is a village and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Kalavryta, of which it is ...

or Chelmos in the southeast. Kalavryta is the southern terminus of the Diakopto-Kalavryta rack railway, built by Italian engineers between 1885 and 1895.

History

Kalavryta is built near the ancient city of Cynaetha. During the late

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, the town was the centre of the Barony of Kalavryta within the

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...

Principality of Achaea The Principality of Achaea () or Principality of Morea was one of the vassal states of the Latin Empire, which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thes ...

, until it was reconquered by the Byzantines in the 1270s. After that it remained under Byzantine control until the fall of the

Despotate of the Morea The Despotate of the Morea () or Despotate of Mystras () was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid-14th and mid-15th centuries. Its territory varied in size during its existence but eventually grew to include almost a ...

to the

Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks () were a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group in Anatolia. Originally from Central Asia, they migrated to Anatolia in the 13th century and founded the Ottoman Empire, in which they remained socio-politically dominant for the e ...

in 1460. With the exception of a 30-year interlude of Venetian control, the town remained under Turkish rule until the outbreak 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 ...

in 1821, in whose early stages Kalavryta figures prominently: it was here that on 21 March 1821 the flag of the revolt was raised at the monastery of Agia Lavra by bishop

Germanos III of Old Patras Germanos III of Old Patras (; 25 March 1771 – 30 May 1826), born Georgios Kontzias (Γεώργιος Κοντζιάς), was an Orthodox Metropolitan of Patras. He played an important role in the Greek Revolution of 1821, having diplomatic ...

At the end of 1943, near Kalavryta, 81 German soldiers, led by Hauptmann Johannes Schober, were captured by Greek partisans. Four Germans were killed on the spot. Three were taken to hospital at Kalavryta but were later shot by the furious partisans. The rest were initially treated as prisoners of war until most were shot dead and some plunged over the cliff near Mazi from the force of the shots. Two German prisoners survived the execution and raised the alarm on the following day 8 December 1943. On 13 December 1943, in retribution for the killing of the captured German soldiers, German troops perpetrated the

Kalavryta massacre The Kalavryta massacre (), or the Holocaust of Kalavryta (), was the near-extermination of the male population and the total destruction of the town of Kalavryta, Axis-occupied Greece, by the 117th Jäger Division (Wehrmacht) during World War II, ...

: they ordered all male residents of Kalavryta aged 14 years or older to gather in a field just outside the village. Some 1,300 women and children were locked in a school which was then set on fire while the men were looking on from a hill outside the village. Then 696 boys and men were machine-gunned; only 13 survived. After that, they burnt down the town before they left and the next day they burnt down the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

Agia Lavra Agia Lavra ("Holy Lavra") is a monastery near Kalavryta, Achaea, Greece. It was built in 961 AD, on Aroania (mountain), Chelmos Mountain, at an altitude of 961 meters, and can be described as the symbolic birthplace of modern Greece. It stands as ...

, the birthplace of the

. In total, 752 civilians were killed during "Operation Kalavryta", a deliberate strategy by the Nazis in order to break the resistance by targeting civilians. After the war, the federal government of Germany offered gestures of atonement in the form of free school books for the high school, scholarships for orphans of the massacre and the building of a retirement home. However, German commanders, including Major Ebersberger who carried out the destruction of Kalavryta and Hauptmann Dohnert who led the firing party, were never brought to justice for their crimes. The Kalavryta region also became the site of fighting during the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...

. On 11 April 1948, Kalavryta was seized by the

Democratic Army of Greece The Democratic Army of Greece (DAG; , ΔΣΕ; ''Dimokratikós Stratós Elládas'', DSE) was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War (1946–1949). At its height, it had a strength of around 50,000 men and w ...

(DSE) after the former overpowered the town's garrison. DSE released 17 leftists held in the local gendarmerie building, while also emptying the national guard and

United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA, pronounced ) was an international relief agency founded in November 1943 on the joint initiative of the United States, United Kingdom, USSR, and the Republic of China. Its purpose ...

warehouses; taking 400 million

drachmas Drachma may refer to: * Ancient drachma, an ancient Greek currency * Modern drachma, a modern Greek currency (1833...2002) * Cretan drachma, currency of the former Cretan State * Drachma proctocomys, moth species, the only species in the Genus '' ...

and large quantities of food and military equipment in the process.

Historical population

Landmarks

Kastria Kastria () is a small village in the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece. It is part of the municipality Kalavryta Kalavryta () is a town and a municipality in the mountainous east-central part of the regional unit of Achaea, Greece. The town is locat ...

, in the municipal unit of

Kleitoria Kleitoria () is a village and a municipal unit in Achaea, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, Greece. It was also the new name of the former municipality Lefkasio, of which it was the seat, between 2008 and 2011. Since the 2011 local government ref ...

, there is the famous cave system ''Spilaio ton Limnon'' (" Cave of the Lakes") which is filled with beautiful lakes and strange rock formations. Kalavryta has a ski centre which is located east of town, on the slopes of

Chelmos Aroania (), also known as Helmos or Chelmos (Χελμός, from South Slavic , "summit"), is a mountain in Achaea, Peloponnese, Greece. At 2,355 m elevation, Aroania is the third highest mountain of the Peloponnese, after Taygetus and Kyllini, ...

. The monastery of

is located on a hill southwest of Kalavryta. Another famous monastery nearby is

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 ...

which is located northeast.

Administration

The municipality Kalavryta was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units: *

*Kalavryta *

* Paia The municipality has an area of 1,058.147 km², the municipal unit 531.797 km².

Subdivisions

The municipal unit of Kalavryta is divided into the following communities: * Ano Vlasia * Ano Lousoi * Doumena * Drosato * Flampoura (Flampoura, Neochori, Ortholithi) * Goumenissa *Kalavryta (Kalavryta, Avlonas, Vrachni, Krastikoi, Moni Agias Lavras, Souvardo) * Kallifoni * Kandalos *

Kato Lousoi Kato or Katō may refer to: Places *Kato, Guyana, a village in Guyana *Katō, Hyōgo, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan *Katō District, Hokkaido, a district located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan *Katowice, a city in Southern Poland, ...

(Kato Lousoi, Lousiko) *

Kato Vlasia Kato Vlasia (Greek: Κάτω Βλασία) is a mountain village and a community in the municipality of Kalavryta, Achaea, Greece. The community consists of the villages Kato Vlasia, Menychtaiika and Metochi. It is situated at about 800 m elevatio ...

(Kato Vlasia, Menychtaiika, Metochi) * Kato Zachlorou * Kerpini * Kertezi * Korfes * Kouteli * Kryoneri * Lagovouni * Lapanagoi * Manesi Kalavryton (Manesi, Boumpoukas) * Mikros Pontias (Mikros Pontias, Karousi, Lompokas, Megas Pontias) * Petsakoi (Petsakoi, Bosi) * Plataniotissa (Plataniotissa, Digela, Spartinou) * Priolithos * Profitis Ilias (Profitis Ilias, Mouriki) *

Rogoi Rogoi () is a Byzantine castle in Nea Kerasounta near Preveza, in western Greece. It is located on the site of the ancient city of Bouchetion (Βουχέτιον), which was abandoned in the late 1st century BC. Re-occupied in the 9th century, ...

* Sigouni (Sigouni, Lefki) * Skepasto * Trechlo (Trechlo, Lapatheia) * Valta * Vilivina

Province

The province of Kalavryta () was one of the

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

of Achaea. It had the same territory as the present municipality. It was abolished in 2006.

Notable people

* Panagiotis Anagnostopoulos, Lieutenant General of the Greek Army *

Anastasios Charalambis Anastasios Charalambis (; 22 September 1862 – 11 March 1949) was a Greeks, Greek Lieutenant General and interim List of Prime Ministers of Greece, Prime Minister of Greece for one day in 1922. Military service Anastasios Charalambis was born ...

(1862–1949), military officer, PM of Greece *

Asimakis Fotilas Asimakis Fotilas (Greek: Ασημάκης Φωτήλας) (c. 1761–1835) was a Greek politician and revolutionary leader. Biography He was born in Kalavryta and was a primate of Kalavryta, who later took part in the Greek War of Independence. ...

(1761–1835), politician and revolutionary leader *

Panagiotakis Fotilas Panagiotakis Fotilas (Greek: Παναγιωτάκης Φωτήλας; died 1824) was a Greece, Greek politician and a revolutionary leader. He was the son of Asimakis Fotilas, Asimakis. Biography Fotilas was born in Kalavryta. On March 19, 1 ...

(died 1824), politician and revolutionary leader * Jim Fouras (1938–2021), Australian politician *

Andreas Panagopoulos Andreas Panagopoulos (, 1883 - 1952) was a Greek politician and four times mayor of Agrinio, being considered one of the city's most important mayors. He was born in Agrinio in 1883 and to Anastasis Panagopoulos, a trader whose origin was from Kal ...

(1883–1952), politician and four times mayor of

Agrinio Agrinio (Greek language, Greek: Αγρίνιο, ; Latin: ''Agrinium'') is the largest city of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional units of Greece, regional unit of Greece and its largest municipality, with 89,691 inhabitants (2021) as well as the seco ...

Georgios Papandreou Georgios Papandreou (, ''Geórgios Papandréou''; 13 February 1888 – 1 November 1968) was a Greek politician, the founder of the Papandreou political dynasty. He served three terms as the prime minister of Greece (1944–1945, 1963, 1964 ...

(1859–1940), historian * Miltiadis Papaioannou (born 1947), politician *

Anagnostis Petimezas Anagnostis Petimezas (, 1765–1822) was a Greek revolutionary leader during the Greek War of Independence. He was born in 1765 in Soudena near Kalavryta and was descended from the Petmezades family. He was the son of Sotiris, brother of Athana ...

(1765–1822), revolutionary leader during the Greek War of Independence *

Konstantinos Petimezas Konstantinos Petimezas (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Πετιμεζάς) (c. 1764–1824) was a Greek revolutionary leader during the Greek War of Independence and a soldier. He was born in about 1764 in Soudena near Kalavryta. He had a broth ...

(c. 1764–1824), revolutionary leader during the Greek War of Independence * Nikolaos Petimezas (1790–1865), military leader * Aristovoulos Petmezas, gymnast and sport shooter * Konstantinos Plegas (born 1997), footballer * Ioannis Sofianopoulos (1887–1951), politician * Panagiotis Spiliotopoulos (1891–1962), Hellenic Army officer * Georgios Theodorakopoulos (born 1944), water polo player * Andreas Zaimis (1791–1840), freedom fighter and government leader during the

Alexandros Zaimis Alexandros Zaimis (, Romanization, romanized: ''Aléxandros Zaímis''; 28 October 1855 – 15 September 1936) was a Greeks, Greek politician who served as Greece's Prime Minister of Greece, Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior (Greece), Minist ...

(1855–1936), Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Justice, and High Commissioner of Crete. He served as prime minister six times. * Thrasyvoulos Zaimis (1822–1880), 21st Prime Minister of Greece * Germanos Zapheiropoulos (1760–1821), priest and bishop

References

External links

Municipality of Kalavryta
{{Authority control Municipalities of Western Greece Populated places in Achaea Provinces of Greece Razed cities