Folegandros
|
Folegandros municipality Δήμος Φολεγάνδρου (Φολέγανδρος) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
| Basic data | |||
| State : |
 Greece
|
||
| Region : | South Aegean | ||
| Regional District : | Thira | ||
| Geographic coordinates : | 36 ° 37 ' N , 24 ° 54' E | ||
| Area : | 32.216 km² | ||
| Residents : | 765 (2011) | ||
| Population density : | 23.7 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Seat: | Folegandros (Chora) | ||
| LAU-1 code no .: | 6005 | ||
| Districts : | no | ||
| Local self-government : | 2 local communities | ||
| Location in the South Aegean region | |||
 |
|||
The Greek Cycladic island of Folegandros ( Greek Φολέγανδρος [ fɔˈlɛɣanðrɔs ] ( f. Sg. )) Forms a community within the South Aegean region together with other, uninhabited tiny islands .
location
Folegandros is located in the southern Aegean Sea 40 km northwest of Santorini , 27 km east of Milos and 56 km southwest of Naxos . The distance to the nearest island Sikinos is 10 km. In between, in the Folegandros Sikinos Strait, are the uninhabited islands of Tria Adelfia, Kardiotissa , Karavas and Kalogeros. With an area of 32.384 km², the length is about 12.5 km and the width less than 4 km. Between the Bay of Angali (Όρμος Αγκάλης, Όρμος Βαθύ) in the southwest and the Bay of Vorina (Όρμος Βορεινά) in the northeast is the narrowest part of the island with about 1100 m. This divides the elongated island into a western and a larger eastern part. Cliffs characterize the mountainous eastern part, the highest point of the island Agios Eleftherios (Άγιος Ελευθέριος) reaches 416 m. The western part is hilly, partly decayed terrace cultures are part of the landscape. The highest point Merovigli (Μεροβίγλη) reaches 312 m.
history
The earliest evidence of settlement are the remains of a prehistoric settlement from the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. BC ( Early Cycladic II ) in the north on the small rocky peninsula Kastelos (Καστέλος).
In the 5th century BC BC Folegandros first submitted to the Persians , but a short time later he joined the Attic League . Because of the inhospitable landscape, Aratos called the island Siderenia (σιδερένια, σιδηρά γη 'the iron one'), also as Echmiri (αιχμηρή 'the serrated one') it was known in antiquity. During the Roman period, the island was probably a place of exile. Roman coins were found in the Chrysospilia (Χρυσοσπηλιά 'gold cave').
From the 13th to the 18th century, the island was repeatedly exposed to pirate attacks. From the Venetian rule until the 19th century, the island was called Polykandros (Πολύκανδρος) before Belikentra (Μπελίκεντρα).
After the conquest of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade , Folegandros was subjugated by Marco Sanudo in 1207 and became his personal property in the Venetian Duchy of Archipelagos . After the Venetian rule of Sultan Selim II ended in 1566, the Lords of Sifnos, the Gozzadini family from Bologna , took over Folegandros until it came under Ottoman rule in 1617. During the Russo-Turkish War , the island became Russian between 1770 and 1774.
In 1828 Folegandros, like the rest of the Cycladic Islands, became part of the Greek state. Relative prosperity prevailed in the 19th century, as emigrants from Constantinople and Alexandria supported the families financially. From the beginning of the 20th century until the end of the military junta in 1974, Folegandros was again a place of exile.
Community structure
From 1912 to 1998 the island was divided into the two municipalities of Chora and Ano Meria . With the municipal reform of 1997 they were merged and formed two municipal districts of the state municipality (kinotita) Folegandros. Since the administrative reform in 2010, they have had the status of local communities (Ez. Gr. Topiki Kinotita Τοπική ιοινότητα) on the island, which is now managed as dimos ('municipality'). The community has 765 inhabitants, only the three largest towns are inhabited all year round.
| Local community | Greek name | code | Area (km²) | 2001 residents | Residents 2011 | Villages and islands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folegandros | Τοπική Κοινότητα Φολεγάνδρου | 60050001 | 18.717 | 746 | 513 | Folegandros, Agios Ioannis, Karavostasis, Livadi, Tria Adelfia |
| Ano Meria | Τοπική Κοινότητα Άνω Μεριάς | 60050002 | 13,499 | 862 | 252 | Ano Meria, Agios Georgios, Ankali |
| total | 6005 | 32,216 | 1608 | 765 | ||
The locations
- Chora or Folegandros (Χώρα Φολεγάνδρου)
The capital of the island and seat of the local government is about 3.5 km northwest of the port of Karavostasis on the edge of a north-west facing abyss about 200 m deep above the sea. Marco Sanudo had Chora built as a fortified village ( Kastron ) in 1212 to protect the residents from pirate attacks. Since the outermost houses were built next to each other and had no outward facing windows, they formed the defensive wall. The place was only accessible through two gates. Only at the end of the 18th century with the end of the pirate raids did people settle outside.
- Ano Meria
Ano Meria, the second largest town on Folegandros, is 6 km away from Chora in the western part of the island. In Ano Meria there is no village center, the houses are scattered over more than 2 km on a mountain ridge. Until a few years ago, the life of the residents and the construction of the small houses was largely geared towards self-sufficiency with agricultural products and animal husbandry. These autonomous residential units are called Themonia (θεμωνιά).
- Karavostasis
The port is located in the east of the island, with a few beaches to the south. The small uninhabited island of Agios Georgios is located about 1.1 km southeast.
Attractions
- Folklore Museum
The Folklore Museum (Οικολογικό Λαογραφικό Μουσείο Φολεγάνδρου), founded in 1988, is housed in Ano Meria in a typical 19th century farmhouse. With financial support from the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Folegandros cultural association , based in Athens, acquired the old abandoned farm with 1200 m² of land in 1985. The aim of the museum is to show the unchanged traditional life of the residents from the Middle Ages to the middle of the 20th century. The lack of shipping and trade and the persistent pirate attacks until the end of the 18th century severely restricted the standard of living and required self-sufficiency with food.
- Panagia
The Panagia church was built a little below the ancient acropolis, today called Paliokastro , on the ruins of an ancient temple of the goddess Artemis Selasforos and Apollon Prostatirios as a Catholic nunnery. Based on a marble inscription, it is believed that the church was renovated in 1687. The single-nave basilica has several domes. A Roman torso was incorporated into the bell tower, which stands directly next to the church. Its current form emerged after construction work between 1816 and 1821. A paved serpentine path leads from Chora to the church.
- Chrysospilia
The Chrysospilia (Χρυσοσπηλιά 'gold cave') is located on the northeast side about 30 m above sea level. The more than 300 m deep cave consists of two main chambers which are connected by a corridor. In the first chamber (100 × 50 m) a cistern from Roman times and a human skeleton were found, the floor is littered with shells. Stalactites have formed in the second 70 m long chamber . The peculiarity of the cave are the more than 400 names engraved or written on the walls from the 4th century BC. The mostly male names, most with family names, also indicate the islands of the southern Aegean or Crete as their place of origin . The excavations so far have produced lamps with erotic scenes and a clay phallus . It is therefore believed that it was an initiation ritual or a mystical ceremony, which ancient historians such as Ephoros of Kyme reported. Access from the sea is only possible in good weather, stairs carved into the stone lead to the entrance. A visit is not possible because the archaeological and speleological investigations have not yet been completed.
economy
On the barren and arid island, terraces shape the landscape, especially in the hilly eastern part. Agriculture is one of the main livelihoods and is now mainly operated for self-sufficiency. Grains, legumes, onions and vegetables, some wine, and olive and fig trees are grown. The terraces laid out with dry stone walls (ξερολιθιές) are increasingly falling into disrepair. Goats raised on pasture farms provide meat and milk for cheese production. A little fishing and beekeeping serve to raise income.
Folegandros now lives largely from tourism.
traffic
Folegandros can only be reached by ship, but even this can lead to delays (sometimes of several days) due to the relatively unprotected harbor. There are ferry connections to Milos and Piraeus and via Sikinos to Ios .
Two bus lines connect the villages.
natural reserve
Folegandros is an important resting place for migratory birds. The extreme west as well as the south side of the island is designated as Natura 2000 area Folegandros East to Sikinos West (Φολέγανδρος ανατολική μέχρι δυτική Σίκινο) GR 4220004 and at the same time as IBA (“Important Bird Area”) GR 157 Folegandros Island, Sikinos Island classified.
Web links
- General information about Folegandros (Greek)
- General information about Folegandros (English)
- Ministry of the Environment, Regional Planning and Public Relations, Natura 2000 area GR 4220004 , English
- GR 157 Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros Island Group BirdLife International (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Results of the 2011 census, Greek Statistical Office (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
- ↑ Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή [ΕΛΣΤΑΤ] (Ed.): Στατιστική Επετηρίδα της Ελλάδος (Statistical Yearbook of Greece) 2009 & 2010 . Piraeus 2011, p. 47 .
- ↑ 316 Φολέγανδρος / Folegandros . 1: 15,000. 1st edition. Terrain Maps, Athens 2010, ISBN 978-960-9456-15-9 . according to TK50 of the Hellenic Military Geographical Service, 414 m.
- ↑ odysseus.culture.gr Folegandros Folklore Museum, Greek Ministry of Culture (Greek)
- ↑ Λαογραφικό Μουσείο Φολεγάνδρου Folegandros Folklore Museum, GTP, January 29, 2015 (Greek)
- ↑ Chrysospilia Greek Ministry of Culture (Greek)