Mantzavinata

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mantzavinata
Μαντζαβινάτα
Mantzavinata (Greece)
Bluedot.svg
Basic data
Country GreeceGreece Greece
region Ionian islands
Regional district Kefalonia
local community Lixouri
Parish Paliki
Local community Katogi
Geographic coordinates 38 ° 12 '  N , 20 ° 24'  E Coordinates: 38 ° 12 '  N , 20 ° 24'  E
Height above d. M. 69  m
center
Residents 220 (2011)
LAU-1 code no. 3501060601

Mantzavinata ( Greek Μαντζαβινάτα ( n. Pl. ) Formerly also Manzavinata transcribed) is a village on the Paliki peninsula of the Greek island of Kefalonia , which together with the neighboring village of Vouni forms the local community Katogi in the municipality of Paliki in the municipality of Lixouri . After Katogi was incorporated into Paliki in 2000, the municipal administration was converted into an association that organizes a wine festival once a year, which is popular with locals and tourists alike. The center of the village is called Lemonata.

geography

The place is located south of Lixouri and touches the sea on its southern side. In the 1960s the construction of holiday homes and later hotels began near the beaches of Xi, Maniá and Cape Kounopetra. These are about 2 km south of the center of Lemonata, which is also the highest point. The island of Vardiani is also part of the local community of Katogi, although it is owned by the Petani Monastery.

  • View from the church tower of Hagia Sophia south into the town

  • The iconostasis of Hagia Sophia

  • A villa that was spared from the earthquake

  • Maniá Beach seen from Cape Kounopetra

  • Kounopetra

history

Until the Second World War, the place was an important production site for raisins and wine (with its own Mantzavino grape) . In 1944 the population was 758. The Greek civil war and the destruction in the earthquake of 1953 also hampered the reconstruction of the town's economy. In the 1980s, wines from the Mantzavino winery were very successful, later the business was acquired by creditors and sold in parts. Today there are around half a dozen wineries, only two of which are of national importance.

origin of the name

The name is derived from the Italian words mangiare 'eat' and vino 'wine'. The ending -ata is a local ending in Kefalonia and roughly means 'the entirety of something'. Some residents of the place had the surname Mantzavinatos, one of whom founded the Mantzavinateio Hospital in Lixouri , another founded the Matzavineika district in Patras .

Attractions

Only a few houses in the town survived the earthquake of 1953, so that there is no longer a complete historical townscape. However, little construction activity has led to the construction of mostly smaller houses. Of the three churches, Agios Spiridon and Panagia are still largely original, major structural changes have been made to Agia Sophia. All three churches are from the 17th century. Of particular interest to the visitor is the landscape, which consists of many mud hills and ends in the imposing steep walls at the southern end. This is most impressive on Maniá Beach, which is also the least visited (as it is not signposted at the request of the locals).

Maspali

Maspali Hill was used as a quarry until the 20th century. Its limestone was highly valued for building houses. Some remains of an ancient acropolis are also visible.

Kounopetra

A curiosity of the place is the kounopetra ('rocking stone'). It is a boulder that has broken out of the rock and is set in slight movement by the waves. Presumably it is not a special phenomenon, but it is gladly shown to the visitors, especially since the view from Cape Kounopetra is also very beautiful. Louis de Bernières writes in his novel Corellis Mandolin that the people of Mantzavinata like to tell of this phenomenon and to mention that this boulder was rammed by a British warship without moving. After the earthquake of 1953, another chunk broke from the rock with similar properties.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Results of the 2011 census at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
  2. ^ Henry Clifford Darby: Greece, Great Britain Naval Intelligence Division, 1944. p. 352

Web links