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41-811: The town is located between the Achelous and the Evinos rivers and has a port on the Gulf of Patras . It trades in fish, wine, and tobacco. The Arakynthos mountains lie to the northeast. The town is almost canalized but houses are within the gulf and the swamplands. The Missolonghi–Aitoliko Lagoons complex lies to the west. In the ancient times, the land was part of the gulf. Summers are long, hot and humid, with temperatures rarely surpassing 40 °C and sometimes remaining above 25 °C at night. Winters are short, mild and humid with frequent rainfalls. The A5 Ionia Odos motorway passes north of Missolonghi. The town had

82-514: A collection of paintings indicative of the struggle of Missolonghi, further boosting the city's cultural and artistic profile. The Messolonghi Byron Society also, founded in 1991 in the city, is a non profit organisation which is devoted to promoting scholarly and general understanding of Lord Byron 's life and poetry as well as cultivating appreciation for other historical figures in the 19th-century international Philhellenic movement, idealists who, like Byron, gave their fortunes, talents, and lives for

123-719: A fishing and trading hub. It was captured in 1684 by the Venetians , and held throughout the Morean War , but it was returned to the Ottoman Empire after the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz . The town joined the Orlov Revolt in 1770, but the uprising was quickly quelled and it returned to Ottoman rule. When the Greek War of Independence broke out in spring 1821, Missolonghi was the first place in western Greece to join

164-588: A power station with transformer lines in the east. The dam powers electricity for the western part of Greece and the central part. It caused some soil erosion in some flooded valleys. The Kastraki Dam is downstream and was completed in 1969. Downstream of Katsiki, the Stratos Dam was completed in 1989. The arch bridges includes the Karafilio and the Ardanovo . The Acheloos River Diversion project has been

205-557: A railway station on the Hellenic Railways Organisation line from Krioneri to Agrinio but this has been abandoned since the 1970s. The Intercity Buses Of Aitoloakarnania also have service towards Agrinio , Amfilochia , Astakos , Volos , Vonitsa , Thessaloniki , Lamia , Larisa , Livadeia , Mitikas , Patras , Chalkida and the capital Athens . The local airport has a hard runway but no scheduled services. The closest airport with scheduled services

246-460: A whitish yellow or cream colour, whence it derives a later name of Aspropotamo or the White river, and to which Dionysius Periegetes probably alludes in the epithet ἀργυροδίνης. Periegetes places the sources of the river near a place called Chalcis . It is said to have been called more anciently Thoas , Axenus and Thestius . In the lower part of its course, the plain through which it flows

287-540: Is Aktion National Airport just an hour and half away. Two new ferry connections towards Zakynthos , Cephalonia , and Ithaca were launched in 2020 Three departments of the University of Patras are based in the city. The municipality Missolonghi (official name: Greek : Δήμος Ιεράς Πόλεως Μεσολογγίου ) was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units: The municipal unit Missolonghi

328-624: Is a river in Epirus , western Greece . It is 220 km (137 mi) long. It formed the boundary between Acarnania and Aetolia of antiquity. It empties into the Ionian Sea . In ancient times its spirit was venerated as the river god Achelous . Herodotus , taking notice of the shoreline-transforming power of the Acheloos River, even compared it to the Nile in this respect: It

369-694: Is disputed, but recent scholarship prefers the Greek version in MS Havniensis 57 (14th–15th century, in Copenhagen ). Other manuscripts include the Ms Parisinus graecus 2898 (15th–16th century, at the Bibliothèque nationale de France , Paris ). The difference of about one century in the texts shows a considerable number of linguistic differences due to the rapid evolution of

410-605: Is said to have been called more anciently Thoas , Axenus and Thestius . The river Achelous begins at about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) elevation on the eastern slope of Lakmos mountain in the Pindus range, near the village Anthousa in the westernmost part of the Trikala regional unit . One of its first tributaries is the Aspropotamos , meaning the white river. The river flows generally southwards, and forms part of

451-527: Is subdivided into 8 communities: The municipality has an area of 680.372 km, the municipal unit 280.168 km. The province of Missolonghi ( Greek : Επαρχία Μεσολογγίου ) was one of the provinces of the Aetolia-Acarnania Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Missolonghi (except part of the municipal unit Oiniades ) and the municipal units Angelokastro , Arakynthos and Makryneia . It

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492-829: Is the Mesochora Dam which was completed in 2001 but has not impounded its reservoir. Below that is the Sykia Dam which is partly constructed. Further down is the Kremasta (1965), Kastraki (1969) and Stratos Dams (1989). In antiquity, the Achelous was the largest and most celebrated river in Greece, rising in Mount Pindus , and after flowing through the mountainous country of the Dolopians and Agraeans , entered

533-707: Is the equivalent of the Elysian Fields for modern Greece. Every year the Memorial Day for the Exodus is celebrated on Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter); the Greek State is represented by high-ranking officials and foreign countries by their ambassadors. Missolonghi is twinned with: Achelous River The Achelous ( Greek : Αχελώος , Ancient Greek : Ἀχελῷος Akhelôios ), also Acheloos ,

574-610: The Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus , Guillaume was forced to ransom himself by giving up most of the eastern part of Morea and his newly built strongholds. An initial Byzantine drive to reconquer the entire peninsula failed in the battles of Prinitza and Makryplagi , and the Byzantines and Franks settled to an uneasy coexistence. In the mid-14th century, the later Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos reorganized Morea into

615-785: The Despotate of the Morea . Sons of the emperor with the rank of despotes were usually sent to rule the province as an appanage . By 1430, the Byzantines eventually recovered the remainder of the Frankish part of the Morea, but in 1460 the peninsula was almost completely overrun and conquered by the Ottoman Empire . In these conquests, the coastal and port cities remained in the hands of the Venetians such as Monemvasia , Lepanto , Modon , Koron , but these places were captured during

656-600: The Kastraki reservoir, west of the Panaitoliko range. 10 to 15 kilometres (6.2 to 9.3 mi) downstream from this lake, it flows into the Stratos reservoir. Further downstream, it runs through the lowlands west of Agrinio . It finally empties into the Ionian Sea , 29 km (18 mi) west of Missolonghi . In order from upstream to downstream: There are five dams on the river. From upstream to downstream there

697-576: The Morea Eyalet , and later by the Republic of Venice for the short-lived Kingdom of the Morea . There is some uncertainty over the origin of the medieval name "Morea", which is first recorded in the 10th century in the Byzantine chronicles. Traditionally, scholars thought the name to have originated from the word morea (μορέα), meaning morus or mulberry , a tree which, though known in

738-660: The Trikoupis family, Palamas' House, Valvios Library, Christos and Sophia Moschandreou Gallery of Modern Art emphasize the fact that Missolonghi has always been a city of some wealth and refinement. In addition, the Centre of Culture and Art, Diexodos, which hosts cultural events and exhibitions as well as the Museum of History and Art is housed in a neo-classical building in Markos Botsaris Square and hosts

779-567: The klepht chieftain Dimitrios Makris , who immediately occupied the nearby island of Anatoliko ; there too, the few Turks abandoned the town without resistance and made for Vrachori. Its location made it a vital bastion to the Greeks in the War of Independence: protected by a chain of small islands and its lagoon from the sea, and by a wall and the marshy terrain from the landward side, it

820-506: The Greek struggle for independence, died in Missolonghi in 1824. He is commemorated by a cenotaph , containing his heart, and a statue located in the town. The town itself is very picturesque but also modern with functional, regular urban planning. Some very interesting buildings representative of traditional architecture can be seen here. People whose names were related to modern Greek history once lived in some of them. The mansion of

861-636: The Morea relates events of the Franks ' establishment of feudalism in mainland Greece following the Fourth Crusade. Despite its unreliability about historical events, the Chronicle is famous for its lively portrayal of life in the feudal community. The language in Greek versions is notable as it reflects the rapid transition from Medieval to Modern Greek. The original language of the Chronicle

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902-605: The Morea. They created the Principality of Achaea , a largely Greek-inhabited statelet ruled by a Latin (Western) autocrat. In referring to the Peloponnese, they followed local practice and used the name "Morea". The most important prince in the Morea was Guillaume II de Villehardouin (1246–1278), who fortified Mistra (Mystras) near the site of Sparta in 1249. After losing the Battle of Pelagonia (1259) against

943-494: The Ottoman commanders abandoned the siege on 17 November. Another siege started on 15 April 1825 by Reşid Mehmed Pasha whose army numbered 30,000 men and was later reinforced by another 10,000 men led by Ibrahim Pasha , son of Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt. After a year of relentless enemy attacks and facing starvation , the people of Missolonghi decided to leave the beleaguered city in the "Exodus of its Guards" (The Sortie) on

984-498: The boundary between the regional units of Arta and Trikala, which is also the boundary between Epirus and Thessaly . Further downstream, it forms the boundary of Arta and Karditsa , and further of Aetolia-Acarnania and Evrytania . The river runs into the Kremasta reservoir, which is also fed by the rivers Agrafiotis and Megdovas . On exiting the Kremasta reservoir, the river flows southwest into Aetolia-Acarnania, feeding

1025-658: The cause of Greek War of Independence . The Messolonghi Byron Center is now located in the upper floor of Byron House. Today, the Entrance Gate remains intact and so does part of the fortification of the Free Besieged which was rebuilt by King Otto . Past the gate, there is the Garden of Heroes where several famous and some anonymous heroes who fought during the Heroic Sortie are buried. The Garden of Heroes

1066-529: The center of debate since the 1980s. It calls for four large dams, the Sykia , Mesochora , Mouzaki and Pyli , along with a 17.4 km-long (10.8 mi) channel. The goal of the project is to divert 600,000,000 m (490,000 acre⋅ft) annually from the river west towards the Thessaly plains in order to help irrigate 240,000–380,000 ha (590,000–940,000 acres) of mostly cotton crops. Construction on

1107-468: The first Ottoman attempt to capture it in 1822. A 7,000-8,000 strong Ottoman army under Omer Vryonis and Mehmed Reshid Pasha laid siege to the city on 25 October 1822. The small Greek garrison of 500 men, under Mavrokordatos, managed to delay the Ottomans by pretending to negotiate a surrender until the Greek fleet landed reinforcements on 8 November. The subsequent Ottoman attacks were beaten off, and

1148-640: The night of 10 April 1826. At the time, there were 10,500 people in Missolonghi, 3,500 of whom were armed. Very few people survived the Ottoman pincer movement after the betrayal of their plan. Due to the heroic stance of the population and the subsequent massacre of its inhabitants by the Turkish-Egyptian forces, the town of Missolonghi received the honorary title of Hiera Polis (the Sacred City), unique among other Greek cities. The famous British poet and philhellene Lord Byron , who supported

1189-478: The onset of winter, disease, and the attacks of other Greek forces from the rear under Georgios Karaiskakis forced the Ottoman commanders to lift the siege on 31 December 1822. A second Ottoman attack , led by Vryonis and Mustafa Pasha of Scutari , was launched on 20 September 1823, and focused mostly on Anatoliko. Facing the onset of winter, disease, the failure of the simultaneous Ottoman operations in eastern Greece, and Greek attacks on their foraging parties,

1230-499: The plain of Acarnania and Aetolia near Stratus , and discharged itself into the Ionian Sea , near the Acarnanian town of Oeniadae . It subsequently formed the boundary between Acarnania and Aetolia, but in the time of Thucydides the territory of Oeniadae extended east of the river. It is usually called a river of Acarnania, but it is sometimes assigned to Aetolia. Its general direction is from north to south. Its waters are of

1271-520: The project has been stalled several times, the latest in 2005, because of environmental and social concerns. Morea Morea ( Greek : Μορέας or Μωριάς ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period . The name was used for the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea , by the Ottoman Empire for

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1312-477: The region from the ancient times, gained value after the 6th century, when mulberry-eating silkworms were smuggled from China to Byzantium. The British Byzantinist Steven Runciman suggested that the name comes "from the likeness of its shape to that of a mulberry leaf". After the conquest of Constantinople by the forces of the Fourth Crusade (1204), two groups of Franks undertook the occupation of

1353-455: The reigns of Bayezid II and Süleyman I . In July 1461, the last holdout, Salmeniko Castle , was taken. The peninsula was captured for the Republic of Venice by Francesco Morosini during the Morean War of 1684–99. Venetian rule proved unpopular, and the Ottomans recaptured the Morea in a lightning campaign in 1714. Under renewed Ottoman rule, centered at Tripolitsa , the region enjoyed relative prosperity. The latter 18th century

1394-502: The theatre and an enormous water tank with four compartments still exist. The modern settlement of Missolonghi was first mentioned by a Venetian called Paruta when he was describing the naval Battle of Lepanto , which took place nearby. According to predominant historical opinion, its name came from the combination of two Italian words, mezzo and laghi which means "in the middle of lakes" or messo and laghi (Messolaghi) which means "a place surrounded by lakes". The town grew as

1435-413: The town, which established a separate governing body, the " Senate of Western Continental Greece ". The town's fortifications were initially limited to a ditch 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide and 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) deep, in many places filled up with rubbish, as well as by a small wall, not higher than 1 metre (3.3 ft) and in need of repair, with fourteen guns. Nevertheless, the city held out against

1476-514: The uprising, on 20 May 1821, under the leadership of the town notables, chiefly Athanasios Razikotsikas , Panos Papaloukas, and A. Kapsalis. With rumours of Greek successes in the Morea and eastern Greece spreading throughout April, most of the Turkish families of the town had already evacuated to nearby Vrachori , where there was a strong Ottoman military presence. Missolonghi was soon reinforced by

1517-589: Was abolished in 2006. North-west of Missolonghi are the remains of Pleuron (modern Asfakovouni), a town mentioned in Homer 's works. It participated in the Trojan War and was destroyed in 234 BC by Demetrius II Aetolicus . The new town, which was built on the remains of old Pleuron, was one of the most important towns in Aetolia. Its monumental fortification comprised thirty towers and seven gates. The remains of

1558-401: Was called in antiquity Paracheloitis after the river. This plain was celebrated for its fertility, though covered in great part with marshes, several of which were formed by the overflowings of the Achelous. In 1359 the Battle of Achelous between Albanian forces under Peter Losha and the Despotate of Epirus under Nikephoros II Orsini took place near the river Achelous. Nikephoros II

1599-582: Was defeated and killed during the battle, and two new states were established in the area, the Despotate of Arta and the Despotate of Angelokastron and Lepanto . In the 1960s, the Kremasta Dam in the Aitoloacarnania-Evrytania boundary was under construction. The area is not forested. The dam, made of concrete, took years to complete, eventually flooding a portion of the western part of the prefecture of Eurytania. The dam includes

1640-589: Was marked by renewed dissatisfaction. Armed bands of the klephts emerged, undeterred by the brutal repression of the Orlov revolt . They waged guerrilla war against the Turks, aided both by the decay of Ottoman power and the emergence of Greek national consciousness. Ultimately, the Morea and its inhabitants provided the cradle and backbone of the Greek Revolution . The anonymous 14th century Chronicle of

1681-586: Was strategically located near the Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands . Coming from Marseilles , Alexandros Mavrokordatos landed in the town in July, and made it the base of his attempts to form his own power-base in western Greece, independent of the authority of Dimitrios Ypsilantis in the Morea. On 4 November, Mavrokordatos and his political allies convened an assembly of regional representatives in

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