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48-720: Achaea is bordered by Elis to the west and southwest, Arcadia to the south, and Corinthia to the east and southeast. The Gulf of Corinth lies to its northeast, and the Gulf of Patras to its northwest. The mountain Panachaiko (1926 m), though not the highest of Achaea, dominates the coastal area near Patras . Higher mountains are found in the south, such as Aroania (2341 m) and Erymanthos (2224 m). Other mountain ranges in Achaea are Skollis , Omplos , Kombovouni and Movri . Its main rivers ordered from west to east are

96-413: A massive environmental and economic disaster. The final toll for the prefecture was: 45 dead, 100,000 affected by the fire, 3,500 left homeless by the fire, 25,000 dead animals, 8,500 hectares of burnt forests, 2,300 hectares of burnt farmland. The archaeological site of Olympia was seriously threatened, but not damaged. The regional unit Elis is subdivided into 7 municipalities. These are (number as in

144-574: A tourist attraction. The track begins near Kalavryta and ends off Diakopto. Patras is one of the main industrial and commerce centers in Greece. Temeni is a place where the spring water Avra (Άυρα) is manufactured. It is owned by Tria Epsilon , a division of The Coca-Cola Company and a parent. There is a small oil refinery near Rio. Athenian brewery has the largest production facility of the company in Patra. The main highways are: Intercity bus transport

192-453: Is a museum with statues that relate to the history of Olympia. Another museum is in Elis, but it is very small. Monasteries are scattered around the region. Elis has a Mediterranean climate , with hot, sunny summers. Temperatures over 40 °C have been recorded. The mountainous interior is colder, and snow covers the mountains in winter. Elis is more humid than the eastern Peloponnese. Elis

240-647: Is an important stop for cruise ships, offering an opportunity for passengers to visit the site of Ancient Olympia . Other ports or harbors are small in size and fit only smaller boats. Elis has a military airport near Andravida , north of Pyrgos. There are no public airports in the area. The nearest airport on land is in Kalamata . Telephones became more common after the 1960s when the Hellenic Telecommunication Organization ( ΟΤΕ ) created hundreds of kilometres of phone lines in

288-438: Is around 140 km. There is a railway line from Patras to Kalamata via Pyrgos, and a branch line from Pyrgos to Olympia . Since January 2011, traffic is suspended on the line from Patras to Kalamata, and only the branch line from Pyrgos to Olympia has regular passenger trains. The port of Kyllini in the northwest is the busiest port in Elis, with car ferries to the islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia . The port of Katakolo

336-510: Is located in a seismically active zone, and there are several earthquakes each year. Some of the most significant earthquakes to have hit the area are: Rainy weather in 2002-2003 caused destruction of villages by mudslides, and some bridges and roads were also cut off. In February 2008, frost devastated many crops in Manolada , Nea Manolada and Kounoupeli . In August 2007, there were enormous forest fires which led to tens of deaths and

384-632: Is now part of Achaea . The longest river is the Alfeios . Other rivers are the Erymanthos , Pineios and Neda . Alfeios, Pineios and Neda flow into the Ionian Sea in Elis. Less than 1% of the prefecture is open water, most of it found in artificial reservoirs and dams, in the north and east. The Pineios Dam supplies water for Northern Elis. The water is not safe for drinking, because it contains some contaminants . A second, smaller reservoir in

432-724: Is provided by KTEL Achaias. The main bus terminal is in the city of Patras. Achaea is served by both the Patras Suburban Railway on the Patras–Kyparissia line to Patras and Athens Suburban Railway on the Athens Airport–Patras line from Aigio to Athens . Both lines, as yet, do not meet. There are two skiing resorts, one on the Panachaicus west of the mountain top (elevation around 1700 m) east of Patras, it will be Nafpaktos's closest because of

480-900: The Ancient Olympic Games were held between 776 BC and 394 AD. After 146 BC, Elis was part of the province Achaea within the Roman Empire . In the Migration Period (3rd - 4th century AD) Vandals and Visigoths rampaged through the region. After the final partition of the Roman Empire in 395, Elis was ruled by the Byzantine Empire . In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade , crusaders from Western Europe (traditionally referred to as Franks in southeastern Europe) established

528-579: The Chronicle lists a completely different, but unverifiable series of barons, beginning with Walter Aleman, who was succeeded by his son Conrad and he in turn by William (II), who then sold the rights to the barony to the Archbishop of Patras ca. 1276. Historians have generally followed this account in dating the cession of the barony to the Archbishopric to about or shortly after the middle of

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576-714: The Greek Civil War caused more destruction and economic decline. The return to democracy after the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 , and Greece joining the European Communities in 1981 stimulated economic development and improvement of infrastructure. Elis has 200 km of highways . There are no limited-access freeways in the prefecture, but a freeway (A9) is being built between Patras and Kyparissia , planned opening 2012. The principal highways include: The total length of railway tracks in Elis

624-454: The Larissos , Tytheus , Peiros , Charadros , Selinountas and Vouraikos . Most of the forests are in the mountain ranges, though several are in the plains including the extreme west. There are grasslands around the mid-elevation areas and barren lands in the highest areas. Achaea has hot summers and mild winters. Sunny days dominate during the summer months in areas near the coast, while

672-701: The Macedonian rule in the area. After Macedon's defeat by the Romans in the early 2nd century BC, the League was able finally to defeat a heavily weakened Sparta and take control of the entire Peloponnese. However, as the Roman influence in the area grew, the league erupted into an open revolt against Roman domination, in what is known as Achaean War . The Achaeans were defeated at the Battle of Corinth (146 BC), and

720-618: The Ottoman Empire . The Ottoman Empire ruled most of Greece until the Greek War of Independence of 1821. The Venetian Republic controlled a few coastal towns in the 1490s, early 16th century and from 1686 until 1715 . Battlegrounds of the Greek War of Independence in Elis include Chlemoutsi, Gastouni, Lala, Lampeia, Pyrgos and Andritsaina. As a part of independent Greece, Elis experienced an economic and agricultural upswing in

768-905: The Patras Castle . According to the French, Greek and Italian versions of the Chronicle of the Morea , the secular barony was granted to a knight from the Provence , William Aleman , but the Treaty of Sapienza between Achaea and the Republic of Venice , concluded in June 1209, mentions Arnulf Aleman as baron, probably William's otherwise unknown predecessor. In addition, the Aragonese version of

816-453: The ancient Olympic Games which started in 776 BC. The northernmost point of Elis is 38° 06'N, the westernmost is 22° 12′E, the southernmost is 37° 18′N, and the easternmost is 21° 54′E. The length from north to south is 100 km (62 mi), and from east-to-west is around 55 km (34 mi). The modern regional unit is not completely congruent with ancient Elis : Lampeia belonged to ancient Arcadia , and Kalogria

864-548: The principality of Achaea in the territory of the defeated Byzantine Empire. The region of Elis was the Principality's heartland, containing its capital, Andravida , the port town and mint of Glarentza , the fortress of Chlemoutsi , and the extensive Barony of Akova . The Principality lasted from 1204 until 1432, when it was conquered by the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea , which in turn fell in 1460 to

912-504: The Archbishop and the secular barons, and indeed with the Prince himself, were initially strained. This was due to quarrels between the Archbishop and the Prince over the Latin clergy's allegiance and obligations to the Principality, and resulted in such incidents as the baron's forcible eviction of the Archbishop from his residence and the cathedral of St. Theodore, which were incorporated into

960-514: The Church's demands. As a result, the Archbishop became independent, although his secular fiefs still owed allegiance and services to the Prince. For the remainder of the century, the Archbishops of Patras played an active role in the intrigues and feuds of the Principality, and in turn the contending families often tried to place one of their own scions on the archiepiscopal throne. However,

1008-745: The Holy See. Although Kalavryta was lost to the Byzantine Greeks already by the end of the 13th century, the other baronies survived until the Principality of Achaea was conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 1430, and became part of the Despotate of the Morea . The Despotate of the Morea fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1460. As a part of the Morean War , the Republic of Venice captured Achaea in 1687 and held it until 1715, when

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1056-805: The League was dissolved by the Romans. In AD 51/52, Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus was proconsul of Achaea, and is portrayed (under the name "Gallio") in the book of the Acts of the Apostles , in the Bible, as presiding over the trial of the Apostle Paul in Corinth ( Acts 18:12–17 ). Achaea remained a province of the Byzantine Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire . In the 6th and 7th centuries, Slavs invaded Greece and reached

1104-661: The Ottomans recaptured the Peloponnese. Under Ottoman rule, Achaea was part of the Morea Eyalet . In the Greek War of Independence , Aigio was one of the first cities to be liberated by the Greeks and all of Achaea was liberated by the end of 1821. Achaea produced several heroes including Kanaris , Zaimis and Roufos and prime ministers of Greece including Andreas Michalakopoulos as well as some head of states. In

1152-539: The Peloponnese, settling there. The coastal cities remained largely under Byzantine control, and a Siege of Patras in 805/807 failed. By the end of the 9th century, the whole peninsula was firmly under Byzantine control again, forming the Theme of the Peloponnese . After the Fourth Crusade several new Crusader states were founded in Greece. One of these was the Principality of Achaea , founded in 1205, which like

1200-536: The Prince. As a result, when Frangipani died in 1337, the Angevin bailli , Bertrand of Les Baux , whom Frangipani had opposed, laid siege to the city hoping to reduce it to obedience. In the event, Pope Benedict XII reacted by declaring the city "land of the Holy Roman Church" and placed the Principality under the interdict . The mother and regent of the Prince, Catherine of Valois , conceded to

1248-571: The Principality, although the archbishops still recognized its suzerainty for their secular fiefs. The archbishops maintained close relations with the Republic of Venice , which governed the barony in 1408–1413 and 1418. The barony survived until the Byzantine reconquest in 1429–30. The Barony of Patras was established ca. 1209, after the conquest of the Peloponnese by the Crusaders , and

1296-521: The Roman province covered a much larger area than the Achaea region. The Achaea region was among the core territories of the Principality, with four baronies: the extensive Barony of Patras , the Barony of Vostitsa , the Barony of Chalandritsa , and the Barony of Kalavryta . Patras, under the powerful Latin Archbishopric of Patras , over time became a semi-autonomous domain under the protection of Venice and

1344-545: The century, but the transfer may have taken place, or at least begun, as early as the 1220s, for the first archbishop, Antelm of Cluny , is said to have had possession of the Patras Castle by 1233. The Archbishop now found himself, with thirty-two fiefs, as the strongest vassal of the Principality, and became a major factor in its affairs. Under William Frangipani (1317–1337) in particular, Patras enjoyed close relations with Venice and acted practically independent from

1392-527: The first administrative subdivision of independent Greece, Achaea was part of the Achaea and Elis Prefecture . This was divided into the prefectures of Achaea and Elis in 1899. Achaea and Elis were reunited in 1909, and split again in 1930. Achaea saw an influx of refugees that arrived from Asia Minor during the Greco Turkish War of 1919-1922. Tens of thousands were relocated to their camps in

1440-473: The first decades after the war of independence. Houses were built, and Pyrgos became a regional centre. Like most of the Peloponnese , the area was unaffected during World War I . As a result of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) , Greek refugees from Asia Minor settled in the area around Amaliada. World War II struck parts of Elis, houses were damaged, leaving people homeless, and afterwards

1488-651: The increasing Ottoman threat on the Greek mainland and the depredations of the Albanians led the Archbishops to turn increasingly to Venice for protection; after several entreaties to secure its protection, in 1408 the Republic took over the administration of the barony, although it remained Church territory, in exchange for a rent of 1,000 ducats a year. This move was opposed by the Pope, however, and in 1413 Venice returned

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1536-464: The land is fertile; the rest is mountainous and not suitable for crops. Swamplands used to cover 1–1.5% of the region, especially in the Samiko area. Most of them have been drained for agricultural purposes; only 10 km² (4 sq miles) has been kept and is now protected. Here lie the ancient ruins of Elis , Epitalion and Olympia , known for the ancient Olympic Games which started in 776 BC. There

1584-481: The map in the infobox): As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform , the regional unit Elis was created out of the former prefecture Elis ( Greek : Νομός Ηλείας ). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below. Before 2006, Elis was divided into two provinces : Elis Province and Olympia Province . Elis Province contained Hollow or Lowland Elis and

1632-497: The new bridge (mid-2004) and the other on Aroania, sometimes still called Chelmos , near Kalavrita. It is Kalavrita's closest resort. Division rankings were as of the 2005-06 season for most teams, for football (soccer) , they are run by the Achaea Football Clubs Association : Elis (regional unit) Elis also known as Ellis or Ilia ( Greek : Ηλεία , Ileia ) is a historic region in

1680-408: The northern part of Pisatis . It was the smallest, but most populous of the two provinces. The seat was Pyrgos . Olympia Province contained most of Pisatis and Triphylia . Its seat was Andritsaina , in the mountains; Krestena and Zacharo were the largest towns in the province. Elis is the third most populous regional unit of the Peloponnese, after Achaea and Messenia . Between 70% and 75% of

1728-460: The northern part of Elis and the adjacent part of Achaea. Textiles used to be dominant in business from antiquity until the Middle Ages. In the 1950s, agriculture was the dominant occupation, except in the towns Amaliada and Pyrgos . Currently, one third of jobs in Elis is in the agricultural sector. Squid , and all types of fish are common in the waters of Elis. Fishing is mainly done in

1776-459: The northwest is growing while the population is declining in the southeast and east. The primary source of agriculture is corn, tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers, livestock, watermelon, melon and some vegetables. There are 3 major operating tomato factories in Savalia ( Kyknos ), Gastouni ( Pelargos ), and north of Andravida ( Asteris ). The most fertile land in Peloponnese is the plain that covers

1824-414: The population live on fertile lands away from the mountains. The population of ancient Elis (from 1000–1 BC) was in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 and reached 10,000 or 20,000 by 1 BC. The population reached 217,000 around 1981, but has been declining since. Pyrgos became the largest city having the population over the 10,000 mark in the mid-20th century, and above 20,000 in the late 1980s. The population in

1872-626: The region. Now nearly every household has a telephone. The ΟΤΕ built tens of towers to connect more lines for the internet, telephones, and cell phones to increase the service. Lines began around the mid-20th century to enable more people to communicate by phones in the whole of Greece. There are also several communication towers throughout the prefecture. There are several local radio stations, for instance RSA ( Radio Station of Amalias ) from Amalias and Eleftheri Radiofonas Krestenas from Krestena. There are hundreds of transmitter towers scattered over Elis. Barony of Patras The Barony of Patras

1920-548: The regional unit Achaea was created out of the former prefecture Achaea ( Greek : Νομός Αχαΐας ). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below. Note: Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece . The Achaean League was a Hellenistic-era confederation of city states in Achaea, founded in 280/281 BC. It later grew until it included most of Peloponnese , much reducing

1968-559: The river Alfeios near Olympia and Krestena supplies water to Pyrgos. The eastern part of the regional unit is forested, with mostly pine trees in the south. There are forest preserves in Foloi and the mountain ranges of Eastern Elis. In the north is the Strofylia forest which has pine trees. Mountain ranges include Movri (around 720 m or 2,400 ft), Divri (around 1500 m), Minthe (around 1100 m), and more. About one-third of

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2016-461: The southeastern Ionian Sea and in the Bay of Patras . Most of the production is sent into Patras, some into Athens, some elsewhere in the world (with small production) and some into the local markets of Elis from Kyllini and Katakolo. Overfishing is a problem north of Lechaina. In classical antiquity , Elis was an independent state, centred on the town Elis and included the sanctuary at Olympia , where

2064-566: The suburbs of Patras and a few villages mainly within the coastline. One of the camps was named Prosfygika . Achaea today has about one-third of the population of the Peloponnese. Patras , the capital of Achaea, is the third largest city in Greece, behind Athens and Thessaloniki . Two-thirds of the Achaean population live near Patras, and more than half within the city limits. The main industrial areas are around Patras. The main cities and towns of Achaea are (ranked by 2021 census population of

2112-404: The summer can be cloudy and rainy in the mountains. Snow is very common during the winter in the mountains of Erymanthos, Panachaiko and Aroania. Winter high temperatures are around the 10 °C mark throughout the low-lying areas. The regional unit Achaea is subdivided into 5 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox): As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform ,

2160-530: The town proper): The monastery Agia Lavra is situated a few kilometres west of Kalavryta on the top of a hill. 12 to 20 km east, is Cave Lakes , with lakes inside. The length is around 300 to 500 m. The mountain hosts the most modern Greek telescope, named Aristarchus (after the ancient Greek astronomer - Aristarchus of Samos ) and operated by the National Observatory of Athens . A narrow gauge railway track runs for 30 km, mainly as

2208-418: The western part of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece . It is administered as a regional unit of the modern region of Western Greece . Its capital is Pyrgos . Until 2011 it was Elis Prefecture, covering the same territory. The modern regional unit is nearly coterminous with the ancient Elis of the classical period. Here lie the ancient ruins of cities of Elis , Epitalion and Olympia , known for

2256-499: Was a medieval Frankish fiefdom of the Principality of Achaea , located in the northwestern coast of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece , centred on the town of Patras . It was among the twelve original baronies of the Principality of Achaea , but passed into the hands of the Latin Archbishop of Patras at about the middle of the 13th century. From 1337 on, Patras was an ecclesiastical domain de facto independent of

2304-410: Was one of the original twelve secular baronies within the Principality of Achaea . With twenty-four knight's fiefs attached to it, Patras, along with Akova , was the largest and one of the most important baronies of the Principality. Patras was in addition the seat of a Latin Archbishopric , which ranked as a distinct ecclesiastic vassal fief with eight knightly fiefs to its name. Relations between

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