Kyparissia
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Kyparissia Κυπαρισσία |
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 Kyparissia
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Location within the regional unit
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| Coordinates: 37°15′N 21°40′E / 37.250°N 21.667°ECoordinates: 37°15′N 21°40′E / 37.250°N 21.667°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Peloponnese |
| Regional unit | Messenia |
| Municipality | Trifylia |
| • Municipal unit | 101.0 km2 (39.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 52 m (171 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Municipal unit | 7,728 |
| • Municipal unit density | 77/km2 (200/sq mi) |
| Community | |
| • Population | 5,784 (2011) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 245 00 |
| Area code(s) | 27610 |
| Vehicle registration | ΚΜ |
| Website | www.dimostrifylias.gr |
Kyparissia (Greek: Κυπαρισσία) is a town and a former municipality in northwestern Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trifylia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 101.018 km2. The town proper has around 5,100 inhabitants.
The town is situated on the Gulf of Kyparissia, a bay of the Ionian Sea. It is 38 km north of Pylos, 46 km northwest of Kalamata and 51 km southeast of Pyrgos. The Greek National Road 9 (Pyrgos - Methoni) passes through the town. Kyparissia is the terminus of a now disused railway line from Kalo Nero, on the line from Pyrgos to Kalamata. The town has a port, which is mainly used for cargo purposes. On a hill east of the town centre lies a fortress built during the Frankish period.
The municipal unit Kyparissia is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages and 2011 population in brackets):
The ancient Greek town Cyparissia (Ancient Greek: Κυπαρισσία) was already mentioned by Homer in his Iliad.
Ancient writers took note of Cyparissia's beautiful situation upon the sides of one of the offshoots of the range of mountains, which run along this part of the Messenian coast. Upon the narrow summit of the rocks later occupied by a castle built in the Middle Ages, stood the ancient acropolis. There is no harbour upon the Messenian coast north of Pylos; but Leake remarks that the roadstead at Cyparissia seems to be the best on this part of the coast; and in ancient times the town probably possessed an artificial harbour, since traces of a mole may still be seen upon the sea-shore. This was probably constructed on the restoration of Messene by Epaminondas; for it was necessary to provide the capital of the new state with a port, and no spot was so suitable for this object as Cyparissia. Hence we find Messene and the harbour Cyparissia mentioned together by ScylaxPausanias found in the town a temple of Apollo, and one of Athena Cyparissia. The town continued to coin money down to the time of Severus.
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Wikipedia