Arta(Greek:Άρτα) is a city in northwesternGreeceand capital of theregional unit of Arta,which is part ofEpirusregion. The city was known in ancient times asAmbracia(Ancient Greek:Ἀμβρακία). Arta is known for themedieval bridgeover theArachthos River,as well as for its ancient sites from the era ofPyrrhus of Epirusand its well-preserved 13th-centurycastle.Arta'sByzantinehistory is reflected in its manyByzantinechurches; perhaps the best known is thePanagia Paregoretissa(Mother of God the Consoling), built about 1290 byDespotNikephoros I Komnenos Doukas.
Arta
Άρτα | |
|---|---|
From top left: TheBridge of Artaover theArachthos river,Church of Saint Demetrius, Folklore Museum of Arta, statue ofNapoleon Zervas,Castle of Arta,clock tower of the Arta Castle, statue of "Tsoliasof 1917 "byLefteris Valakas | |
  Arta Location within the region  | |
| Coordinates:39°09′54″N20°59′15″E/ 39.16500°N 20.98750°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Epirus |
| Regional unit | Arta |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Christoforos Siafakas[1](since 2023) |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 457.2 km2(176.5 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 47.973 km2(18.522 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 30 m (100 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Municipality | 41,600 |
| • Density | 91/km2(240/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 26,999 |
| • Municipal unit density | 560/km2(1,500/sq mi) |
| • Community | 24,079 |
| Demonym(s) | Artean (Greek: Artinos) |
| Time zone | UTC+2(EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3(EEST) |
| Postal code | 471 00 |
| Area code(s) | 26810 |
| Vehicle registration | ΑΤ |
| Website | arta.gr |
Etymology
editThe origin of the city's name is quite uncertain. It is either derived from a corruption of the riverArachthos,or from theLatinword "artus" (narrow), or from theSlavicword "balta" (swamp).[3]
History
editAntiquity
editThe first settlement in the area of the modern city dates to the 9th century B.C. Ambracia was founded as aCorinthiancolonyin the 7th century B.C. In 294 BC, after 43 years of semi-autonomy underMacedoniansuzerainty, Ambracia was given toPyrrhus,king of theMolossiansand ofEpirus,who made it his capital, using Ambracia as a base to attack theRomans.Pyrrhus managed to achieve great but costly victories against the Romans, hence the phrase "Pyrrhic victory"which refers in particular to an exchange at theBattle of Asculum.Nevertheless, Pyrrhus found the time and means to adorn his capital with a palace, temples and theatres. In 146 BC, Ambracia became part of theRoman Republic.
Middle Ages
editDespite the existence of several churches from the 9th and 10th centuries, Arta is first attested only in 1082, when theNormansunderBohemondlaid siege to the city.[4]The origin and etymology of the name is uncertain and debated.[5]In theKomnenian period,the city flourished as a commercial centre, with links toVenice,and rose to become abishopricby 1157.[4][6]The Jewish travellerBenjamin of Tudelavisited the area in 1165.[4]
By the end of the 12th century, Arta probably formed a distinct fiscal district (episkepsis) within the widerthemeofNicopolis.[6]After thefallofConstantinopleto theFourth Crusade,it is recorded as thepertinentia de Artain thePartitio Romaniaetreaty of 1204, and assigned to Venice.[4]
The Venetians did not take control, however, for in 1205Michael I Komnenos Doukascame to the city, succeeded its previous Byzantine governor, and quickly established a new principality, which is known by historians as theDespotate of Epirus.[4]Arta remained the capital of the new principality for most of its history,[4]and flourished as a result. The city experienced considerable building activity, with the renovation of older churches and the construction of new ones, most notably theChurch of the Parigoritissaand theChurch of the Kato Panagia.[6]Sometime after 1227 it received fortifications,[6]and was the site of regional Church councils in 1213, 1219, and 1225.[4]The 15th-centuryChronicle of the Toccodescribes it as "the center of a fertile agricultural region with many water buffaloes, cows, and horses". The city had trade links to Venice—a Venetian consul is attested in 1284 and 1314/19[4]—and Ragusa, exporting dried meat, lard, ham, furs, andindigo.Archaeological finds also attest to a local ceramic industry.[6]
After theBattle of Pelagoniain 1259, the city was occupied by the troops of the rivalGreeksuccessor state, theEmpire of Nicaea,(which restored the Byzantine Empire in 1261) but was soon recovered for Epirus byJohn I Doukas.[4]Another attack by the Byzantine emperorAndronikos II Palaiologosin 1292, by land and sea, was unsuccessful.[4]In 1303, the city was besieged for a month by theAngevinsunderCharles II of Naples.[4]In 1313, much of the city was destroyed in a great fire.[4]In the next year, Byzantine troops under thepinkernesJohn attacked Epirus, including Arta.[4]
In 1318, the last male-line descendant of Michael I,Thomas I Komnenos Doukas,was assassinated by his nephew, theCount of CephaloniaNicholas Orsini,and Epirus passed to the ItalianOrsini family.Nicholas was in turn murdered in 1323 by his brotherJohn II Orsini.In 1331 Arta, as well asLeucasand other areas, were occupied byWalter VI of Brienne,and John Orsini was forced to accept Angevin suzerainty.[4]John's death in 1335 left Epirus in the weak hands of the youngNikephoros II Orsiniand his motherAnna Palaiologina,and the Byzantine emperorAndronikos III Palaiologosavailed himself of the opportunity to occupy and annex Epirus.[7]
Byzantine rule was unpopular,[8]and in 1339 a revolt broke out, with Arta joining it, under a certain Nicholas Basilitzes. Andronikos III and his commander-in-chief,John Kantakouzenos,campaigned in person in Epirus and captured the rebel fortresses one by one, either by siege or through negotiations. By the end of 1340, Byzantine rule was restored, andJohn Angelostook his seat as imperial governor in Arta.[9][10]
Aided by theByzantine civil war of 1341–1347and an outbreak of theBlack Deaththat devastated the region, Arta with the rest of Epirus fell under the rule of theSerbiankingStefan Dušanin autumn 1347. Dushan's half-brotherSimeon Uroš,who married John II Orsini's daughterThomais Orsini,was appointed governor of Epirus.[11]The city remained part of the newSerbian Empireuntil Dushan's death in 1355. Nikephoros II Orsini recovered Epirus in 1356/7, but his death in theBattle of Achelousagainst theAlbaniantribes that had invaded the region, meant that Arta returned to the (rather nominal) rule of Simeon Uroš, who preferred to reside inThessalyrather than Epirus.[12][13][14]This left Epirus open to increasing Albanian migration, who soon captured most of Epirus, except forIoannina.[15]In 1367 or shortly after, Arta too was captured, and became the centre of the "Despotate of Arta",until 1374 underPjetër Loshaand thenGjin Bua Shpata.[5]The Albanian rulers managed to withstand attacks by the Angevins (sometime between 1374 and 1384), as well as by theGrand Master of the Knights HospitallerJuan Fernández de Herediain 1378, but in 1384 the city was plundered by theOttoman Turks.[5]
From 1401/02,Carlo I Tocco,the ambitious Count of Cephalonia, began launching attacks on Arta, taking advantage of the Albanians' infighting. Despite the Albanians' calling on Ottoman aid, in 1416 Tocco captured Arta after a long siege. Having taken control of Ioannina in 1411, Tocco thus reunited the core of the old Epirote realm, and received recognition from both the Ottomans and the Byzantine emperor.[16]After Carlo I's death in 1429, he was succeeded by his nephewCarlo II Tocco.In 1449, the city fell to the Ottomans.[5]
Ottoman period
editUnder Ottoman rule, the town was called in TurkishNarda.It was occupied byVenetiansin 1717 and theFrenchin 1797, but the Ottomans retook it in 1799. Several battles took place near the city during theGreek War of Independence.
In 1776, the town was composed of approximately 8,000 to 10,000Greeks,200Turksand 200Jews.[17]At the time, Arta specialized in producing wheat, wine, tobacco and shipbuilding timber.[17]
Modern era
editThe city was finally annexed to theGreek Kingdomin 1881 with theConvention of Constantinople.
In March 1944, most of theJewish community(384 members at the time) was arrested by the Nazis and deported to theextermination camps.[18]
Climate
editArta has a hot-summerMediterranean climate(Csa) with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Like much ofWestern Greece,it receives plenty of precipitation, making it one of the wettest cities inGreece.
| Climate data for Arta (1976–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
14.0 (57.2) |
16.7 (62.1) |
20.1 (68.2) |
25.0 (77.0) |
29.1 (84.4) |
31.8 (89.2) |
32.0 (89.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
24.1 (75.4) |
19.0 (66.2) |
14.9 (58.8) |
22.4 (72.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) |
9.4 (48.9) |
11.9 (53.4) |
15.2 (59.4) |
19.9 (67.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
26.5 (79.7) |
23.1 (73.6) |
18.3 (64.9) |
13.5 (56.3) |
9.9 (49.8) |
17.2 (63.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
13.9 (57.0) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.5 (67.1) |
19.9 (67.8) |
17.1 (62.8) |
13.4 (56.1) |
9.4 (48.9) |
6.0 (42.8) |
11.9 (53.5) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 129.6 (5.10) |
125.4 (4.94) |
91.6 (3.61) |
81.3 (3.20) |
44.8 (1.76) |
19.8 (0.78) |
13.4 (0.53) |
14.7 (0.58) |
61.5 (2.42) |
128.3 (5.05) |
199.8 (7.87) |
189.7 (7.47) |
1,099.9 (43.31) |
| Average rainy days | 12.1 | 11.1 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 7.4 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 4.9 | 8.1 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 97.9 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 71.7 | 70.6 | 68.9 | 68.8 | 66.0 | 61.4 | 59.2 | 59.4 | 63.6 | 67.7 | 74.1 | 73.2 | 67.1 |
| Source: Hellenic National Meteorological Service[19] | |||||||||||||
Landmarks
edit
Classical
editThe modern city is on the site of ancientAmbracia.Remains of the classic era include the ancient walls, the ruins of an ancient temple ofApollo,a small theatre, and remnants of the southwest cemetery.
Byzantine and later
edit
The town's fortifications, including theCastle of Arta,were built byMichael I Komnenos Doukasin the early 13th century, but their present form is largely post-Byzantine. Secular architecture from the Byzantine period, including the palace of the Despots of Epirus, has vanished completely, but the city preserves numerous churches.[6]
The most important Byzantine church is thecathedralChurch of the Paregoretissa,built ca. 1290 byNikephoros I Komnenos Doukasand his wifeAnna Palaiologina Kantakouzene.Other important churches of the late Byzantine period are theChurch of the Kato Panagia,built by Nikephoros I's fatherMichael II Komnenos Doukas,and the Monastery of Saint Theodora, housing the tomb of the city's patron,Theodora of Arta.[6]Several other churches dating to the 9th and 10th centuries also survive in and around the city:Saint Basil of the Bridge,Saint Demetrios of KatsouresinPlisioi,thePanagia Blacherna monastery,thePanagia VryoniinNeochoraki,theRed ChurchinVourgareli,the Panagia of Koronisia inKoronisiaand the Church of the Pantanassa inFilippiada.
Museums
edit- Archaeological Museum of Arta
- Church of the Paregoretissa
- Folk museum 'Skoufas'
- Historical museum 'Skoufas'
- Private folk museum in Kypseli.
- Archaeological museum of Koronisia
Education
edit
Arta has several university departments belongs to theuniversity of Ioannina.
Transportation
editArta is located NNW ofAntirrio,MessolongiandAgrinio,NE ofPreveza,SSE ofIoanninaand nearly SW ofTrikala.
Regular bus lines connect Arta with all bigger Greek cities. (bus to Athens departs several times a day and trip takes about 5 hours)
The city is linked with theGR-5(Antirrio - Ioannina) and theGR-30which links withPetaandTrikala. TheArachthos Riverflows to the west with its reservoir lying directly to the north.
Municipality
edit
The present municipality Arta was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):[20]
- Amvrakikos(Aneza, Vigla, Gavria, Kalogeriko, Koronisia, Polydroso, Rachi, Strongyli, Psathotopi)
- Arta(Arta, Keramates, Kostakioi,Limini)
- Filothei(Agios Spyridon, Kalamia, Kalovatos, Kirkizates, Rokka, Chalkiades)
- Vlacherna(Vlacherna, Grammenitsa, Grimpovo, Korfovouni)
- Xirovouni(Ammotopos, Dafnoti, Kampi, Pantanassa, Pistiana, Rodavgi, Skoupa, Faneromeni)
The municipality has an area of 457.248 km2,the municipal unit 47.493 km2.[21]
Quarters of Arta
edit- Agia Triada
- Agioi Anargyroi
- Agios Georgios Glykorrizou
- Eleousa
- Glykorrizo
- Kato Panagia Artas
- Marathovouni
Historical population
edit| Year | Municipal unit | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 20,004 | - |
| 1991 | 23,710 | - |
| 2001 | 23,863 | - |
| 2011 | 27,330 | 43,166 |
| 2021 | 26,999 | 41,600 |
Notable people
editAncient
edit- Pyrrhus(318 BC-272 BC), general and king of Epirus
- Epicrates of Ambracia(4th century BC), comic poet
- Silanus of Ambracia(5th century BC), soothsayer inXenophon'sAnabasis
- Epigonus of Ambracia(6th-5th BC), musician
Byzantine
edit- Michael I Komnenos Doukas,founder and first ruler of theprincipality of Epirusfrom 1205 until his death in 1215.
- Theodore Komnenos Doukas,(died c. 1253), ruler ofEpirusfrom 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica from 1224 to 1230.
- Theodora Petraliphaina,canonizedasSaint Theodora of Arta;(ca. 1225 – after 1270),consortofEpirusandOrthodox Christiansaint.
- Michael II Komnenos Doukas,ruler ofEpirusfrom 1230 until his death in 1266/68.
- Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas,(c. 1240 – c. 1297) ruler ofEpirusfrom 1267/8 to c. 1297.
- Thomas I Komnenos Doukas,(c. 1285–1318) ruler ofEpirusfrom c. 1297 until his death in 1318.
Modern
edit
- Maximus the Greek(1475–1556), monk, publicist, writer, scholar, humanist and translator
- Nikolaos Skoufas(1779–1818), founder of theFiliki Eteria,fromKompoti
- Theodoros Tzinis(1798–1869), fighter of theGreek War of Independence,fromKompoti
- Azmi Ömer Akalın,WāliofBursa.[22]
- Hoca Ishak Efendi(1774–1835), Ottoman engineer and translator
- Joseph Stephanini(1803-?) Greek-American author, runaway slave
- Napoleon Zervas(1891–1957), WWII general and resistance leader
- Konstantinos Karapanos(1840–1911), politician and archaeologist
- Alexandros Karapanos(1873–1946), politician and diplomat
- Yiannis Moralis(1916-2009), painter
- Isaac Mizan(1927-2021), lastGreek-Jewishsurvivor of theAuschwitz concentration camp
- Olga Gerovasili,politician
- Antonios Nikopolidis(1971), footballer
- Angeliki Stogia,politician
- Dimitris Tsironis(1960–2022), politician
Professional sports
editHandball
Basketball
Football
- https://web.archive.org/web/20190207113340/http:// anagenisiartas.gr/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20061205033543/http://doxa-artas.gr/
Volleyball
References
edit- ^"Municipality of Arta, Municipal elections – October 2023".Ministry of Interior.
- ^"Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό"[Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
- ^Babiniotis, George (2002).Dictionary of the Modern Greek language(2nd ed.). Athens: Lexicology Center.
- ^abcdefghijklmnSoustal & Koder 1981,p. 113.
- ^abcdSoustal & Koder 1981,p. 114.
- ^abcdefgGregory, Timothy E.; Ševčenko, Nancy Patterson (1991). "Arta". InKazhdan, Alexander(ed.).The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 191–192.ISBN0-19-504652-8.
- ^Fine 1994,pp. 253–254.
- ^Nicol 1984,pp. 108ff.
- ^Fine 1994,pp. 254–255.
- ^Nicol 1984,pp. 114–121, 124.
- ^Fine 1994,p. 320.
- ^Soustal & Koder 1981,pp. 70, 113–114.
- ^Fine 1994,pp. 347–350.
- ^Nicol 1984,pp. 123–138.
- ^Fine 1994,pp. 350–351.
- ^Soustal & Koder 1981,pp. 72–73, 114.
- ^abSimopoulos, Kyriakos (1973).Xenoi taxidiōtes stēn Hellada: 1700-1800(in Greek). Simopoulos. p. 443.
O Foucherot σημειώνει ότι ο πληθυσμός της Αρτας ανέρχεται σε 8–10.000 Έλληνες, 200 Τούρκους και άλλους τόσους Εβραίους. Τα προϊόντα της περιοχής: στάρια, κρασιά, εκλεκτά καπνά και ξυλεία ναυπηγική.
- ^"ARTA".
- ^"Mean Arta Climatic Averages".Hellenic National Meteorological Service. Archived fromthe originalon 16 September 2016.Retrieved30 April2015.
- ^"ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities"(in Greek).Government Gazette.
- ^"Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)"(PDF)(in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2015-09-21.
- ^Özdalga, Elisabeth (2005).Late Ottoman society: the intellectual legacy.Psychology Press. p. 332.ISBN978-0-415-34164-6.Retrieved19 November2010.
Sources
edit- Fine, John V. A. Jr.(1994) [1987].The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest.Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press.ISBN0-472-08260-4.
- Nicol, Donald M.(1984).The Despotate of Epiros, 1267–1479: A Contribution to the History of Greece in the Middle Ages.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-13089-9.
- Soustal, Peter; Koder, Johannes (1981).Tabula Imperii Byzantini, Band 3: Nikopolis und Kephallēnia(in German). Vienna:Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.ISBN978-3-7001-0399-8.
- Zečević, Nada (2014).The Tocco of the Greek Realm: Nobility, Power and Migration in Latin Greece (14th-15th centuries).Belgrade: Makart.ISBN9788691944100.
External links
edit- Arta PrefectureArchived2009-02-21 at theWayback Machine
- Discover Arta(in English and Greek)
- Archaeological Museum of Arta(in Greek)