Karystos

For other uses of "Carystus", seeCarystus (disambiguation).

Karystos Κάρυστος
Municipality
View of the port.
Karystos Location within the region
Coordinates:38°01′N24°25′Es
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Central Greece
Regional unit	Euboea
Area
• Municipality	674.6 km2(260.5 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	166.95 km2(64.46 sq mi)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2021)
• Municipality	11,903
• Density	18/km2(46/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	6,963
• Municipal unit density	42/km2(110/sq mi)
• Community	5,366
Time zone	UTC+2(EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3(EEST)
Postal code	340 01
Area code(s)	22x0
Vehicle registration	XA

Karystos(Greek:Κάρυστος) orCarystusis a small coastal town on theGreekisland ofEuboea.It has about 5,000 inhabitants (12,000 in the municipality). It lies 129 km south ofChalkis.FromAthensit is accessible by ferry viaMarmarifrom the port ofRafina.After the Greek war of independence, its urban plan was laid out by the renownedBavariancivil engineerBierbach, in the middle of the 19th century.

History

Further information:Carystus

Karystos apparently remained inhabited throughout the early Middle Ages. As part of thethemeofHellas,it was also seat of a bishop – asuffraganofAthens– at least since the reign ofLeo VI the Wise(r. 886–912).It was among the towns listed in the 1198chrysobullofAlexios III Angelos,where theVenetianswere permitted to establish trade stations.In 1205 it was captured, as with the rest of the island, byJames II of Avesnes,and soon it became the seat of the southern third (triarchy) of Euboea underRavano dalle Carceri.

It is likely that it was at this time, with the construction of the castle of Castel Rosso (some 4 km from the modern town, at the modern village ofMyloi) and the rise of piracy, that the town was moved from its coastal location to the inland around Castel Rosso.The town remained an episcopal see underLatin rule,with the Greek bishop remaining in office; in 1222 however it was merged with the Bishopric of Euripos (Chalcis).In 1276/7 it was reconquered by the Byzantines underLicarioand held until 1296, when it was recovered byBoniface of Verona.In 1318 it passed intoCatalanhands as part of the dowry ofMarulla of Veronafor her marriage withAlfonso Fadrique.The town was coveted by the Venetians, who already in 1339 offered to purchase it; negotiations dragged on until 1365, however, and only in 1366 did Karystos finally pass into Venetian control whenBoniface Fadriquesold the barony to the Republic.After theconquest of Euboeaby theOttoman Empirein 1470, the local Orthodox see was reactivated as part of theMetropolis of Euripos.

Municipality

The municipality Karystos was formed at the 2011 local government reform, as part of theKallikratis Plan,by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:

• Kafireas
• Karystos
• Marmari
• Styra

The municipality has an area of 674.635 km²,the municipal unit 166.950 km².

Tourist sites

Kokkinokastro (Castelrosso)

Aerial view of Karystos

• The reconstructedVenetianfortressofBourtzi,built in the 13th century on the eastern beach of the town.
• The ruins of theVenetiancastlenamedCastello Rossobuilt in 1030 and ancientmarblequarries,both at the nearbyhamletof Myloi.
• Thetown hall,built at the end of the 19th century.
• A smallmuseumhosted by theYokaleion Cultural Centre,featuring collections ofHellenisticandRomanerasculpturesandpottery.
• TheOrthodoxmonasteriesof Taxiarches, St. George and St. Mavra.
• The Cave of Agia Triada is located at the foot of the Mount Ochi, 50 m from the Church of Agia Triada, and about 3 km from the village of Kalyvia. It is the largest cave in southern Evia. The human presence in the cave is dated to the early Neolithic period (from the oldest to date in the area), the Late Neolithic II and the early Bronze Age, while sporadic evidence exists for its use in historic times. First contemporary report on the cave is found in texts about the wider region of Karystos, by Karakostas and Gounaropoulos, in the first half of the 19th century. More precise information can be found in the book ‘Karystos’(1954) by C. Papamanolis, which contains information from the missions of 1932 and 1934.
• The mountain area ofMt. Ochi.
• CapeCavo D'Oro.
• TheDragon house,the most famous and well preserved in South Evia.

Notable people

• Diocles of Carystus,4th-century BC physician
• Antigonus of Carystus,3rd-century BC writer
• Apollodorus of Carystus,3rd-century BC comedy writer
• Glaucus of Carystus,6th-century BC boxer
• Othon de Cicon,13th-century Frankish lord of Karystos

Sources

• Koder, Johannes; Hild, Friedrich (1976).Tabula Imperii Byzantini, Band 1: Hellas und Thessalia(in German). Vienna:Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.ISBN978-3-7001-0182-6.
• Miller, William(1908).The Latins in the Levant: A History of Frankish Greece (1204–1566).London: John Murray.OCLC563022439.

External links

• Municipality of Karystos(in Greek)