Messenia or Messinia ( ; ) is a regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') in the southwestern part of the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...

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 ...

, in

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 ...

. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

(''nomos'') covering the same territory. The capital and largest city of Messenia is

Kalamata Kalamata ( ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece after Patras, and the largest city of the Peloponnese (region), homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regiona ...

Geography

Physical

Messenia borders on Elis to the north, Arcadia to the northeast, and

Laconia Laconia or Lakonia (, , ) is a historical and Administrative regions of Greece, administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti (municipality), Sparta. The word ...

to the southeast. The

Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...

lies to the west, and the Gulf of Messinia to the south. The most important mountain ranges are the

Taygetus The Taygetus, Taugetus, Taygetos or Taÿgetus () is a mountain range on the Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece. The highest mountain of the range is Mount Taygetus, also known as "Profitis Ilias", or "Prophet Elias" (Elijah). The name is o ...

in the east, the Kyparissia mountains in the northwest and the Lykodimo in the southwest. The main rivers are the Neda in the north and the Pamisos in central Messenia. Off the south coast of the southwesternmost point of Messenia lie the

Messinian Oinousses The Messinian is in the geologic timescale the last age (geology), age or uppermost stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Miocene. It spans the time between 7.246 ± 0.005 annum, Ma and 5.333 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). It follows the Tortonian ...

islands. The largest of these are Sapientza, Schiza and Venetiko. The small island Sphacteria closes off the bay of

Pylos Pylos (, ; ), historically also known as Navarino, is a town and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part of ...

. All these islands are virtually uninhabited. Climate may vary, in the lowlands, temperatures are a bit warmer than

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. Snow is not common during winter months except for the mountains, especially the Taygetus. Rain and clouds are common inland.

Political

Organization of Messenia

Before the 2010 reorganization, Messenia was a ''nomos'' (prefecture) containing 29 ''dimoi'' (municipalities) and 2 ''koinotites'' (communities). Since 2010, Messenia has been a ''perifereiake enoteta'' (regional unit) containing only 6 municipalities, but with the same population, as it did not change area in the reorganization. Some 25 municipalities and communities were incorporated politically into the other 6 according to the table below, becoming municipal units.

Provinces

The prefecture of Messenia was previously subdivided into four

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 ...

(, " eparchies") : *Province of Kalamon -

*Province of Messini - Messine *Province of Pylia -

*Province of Trifylia - Kyparissia Like all provinces of Greece, they were abolished after the 2006 local elections, in line with Law 2539/1997, as part of the "

Kapodistrias reform Kapodistrias reform (, "Kapodistrias Plan") is the common name of law 2539 of Greece, which reorganised the country's administrative divisions. The law, named after 19th-century Greek statesman (Ioannis Kapodistrias), passed the Hellenic Parliamen ...

". Some of the enlarged

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

(''demoi'') created in 2011 have a territory similar to the former provinces.

Population

The main cities and towns of Messenia are (ranked by 2021 census population): *

57,706 * Messini 5,744 * Kyparissia 4,893 *

Gargalianoi Gargalianoi () is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trifylia, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 122.680 ...

4,399 *

Filiatra Filiatra (), is a town and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trifylia, of which it is a muni ...

4,373

Economy

The economy of Messenia is primarily based on agricultural production although in recent years efforts are being made toward the development of activities in other sectors such as tourism. Main agricultural products are olive oil, Kalamata table olives, figs, and black raisins (sultanas). The variety of agricultural products is complemented by a small amount of stockbreeding products (beef, milk, sfela cheese, honey) and fish from the Gulf of Messenia. The tourist development observed is mainly attributable to the promotion of important archaeological sites, such as the Palace of Nestor, Ancient

Messene Messene (Greek language, Greek: Μεσσήνη 𐀕𐀼𐀙 ''Messini''), officially Ancient Messene, is a local community within the regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') of Messenia in the region (''perifereia'') of Peloponnese (region), P ...

, and the Venetian castles of

, Koroni, Methoni and

, as well as to the beauty of the landscape. Another key factor for Messenia's economy is Costa Navarino a location on the border between

and Trifylia, comprising several eco-friendly luxury resorts and golf courses, which is Greece's biggest tourist development.Bloomberg webpage
There are many small- and medium-size firms involved in the processing and standardization of agricultural products as well as a number of enterprises devoted to

wood processing Wood processing is an engineering discipline in the wood industry comprising the production of forest products, such as pulp and paper, construction materials, and tall oil. Paper engineering is a subfield of wood processing. The major wo ...

, furniture manufacturing, and metal construction. The Karelia tobacco company is based in Kalamata.

Transport

The main airport in Messenia is Kalamata International Airport (KLX). The main highways in Messenia are: * Greek National Road 7 (

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

- Tripoli - Kalamata) * Greek National Road 9 (

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 ...

- Pyrgos - Kyparissia -

) * Greek National Road 82 (Pylos - Kalamata - Sparti) The main railways in Messenia (meter gauge) are: *Corinth - Argos - Tripoli - Zevgolateio - Kalamata *Patras - Pyrgos - Kalo Nero - Kyparissia *Kalo Nero - Zevgolateio

Communications

Television

* Notia Elliniki Teleorasi, (Southern Greece Television) * Best TV, * Mesogeios TV

History

Ancient period

Messenia is mentioned in the oldest work of European literature, the ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...

''. The name undoubtedly goes back to at least the Bronze Age, but its origins are lost in the world of mythology. The region was one of the largest that was conquered and enslaved as

helots The helots (; , ''heílotes'') were a subjugated population that constituted a majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia – the territories ruled by Sparta. There has been controversy since antiquity as to their exact characteristic ...

ancient Sparta Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern Pe ...

Medieval period

In the

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 ...

, Messenia shared the fortunes of the rest of the Peloponnese. Striking reminders of these conflicts are afforded by the extant ruins of the medieval strongholds of Kalamata, Coron (anc. Asine, mod. Koroni), Modon (Methoni) and Pylos. Messenia was a part of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

until 1205, and of the

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 ...

thereafter, while the ports of Coron and Modon came under Venetian control. Apart from Coron and Modon, the rest of Messenia was captured by the Byzantine

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 ...

in 1430.

Ottoman and Venetian period

Much of Messenia fell into the hands of 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 ...

in 1460, a part of the area remained with the Venetian Republic until the Second Ottoman–Venetian War (1499–1503). In 1534 a group of families, known as the 'Coroni', settled in Piana degli Albanesi in Sicily. They were Arvanites and Greeks from Koroni. During the 1680s, the whole of Messenia was regained by the Venetian Republic in the Morean War, and formed part of the " Kingdom of the Morea" until recovered by the Ottomans in 1715. The Mani Peninsula, a part of modern Messenia, remained autonomous from Turkish rule.

Modern period

Messenia became part of independent Greece 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 ...

(1821-1832). The famous naval Battle of Navarino took place near present Pylos in 1827, and was a decisive victory for Greece and its allies. During the

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 ...

several battles of the Greek Resistance against the Nazi occupation forces and the collaborationist security battalions took place in Messenia, including Battle of Meligalas, Battle of Kalamata, Battle of Chora - Agorelitsa. The population in the area of Kalamata and Messene increased from 30,000 before World War II up to nearly 80,000 in the present day. Messenia suffered damage from the 2007 Greek forest fires.

Notes

Bibliography

* . The previous Kapodistrias organization of all the communities in Greece. The populations are from the Census of 2001. * Kontogiannis, N.D. "Settlements and countryside of Messinia during the late Middle Ages: the testimony of the fortifications," ''Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies'', 34,1 (2010), 3-29. *

External links

* {{Authority control Prefectures of Greece Regional units of Peloponnese (region)