Kalloni
Encyclopedia
Kalloni is a town and a former municipality
on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lesbos, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies in the west-central part of Lesbos. It has a land area of 241.946 km². At the 2001 census it had a population of 8,194 inhabitants. The municipal seat was the town of Kalloní (pop. 1,732). Its largest other towns are Ágra (990), Parákoila (926), Dáfia (851), Fília (636), Skalochóri (581), Anemótia (534), and Kerámi (524). It was known "Kalonya" during Ottoman rule and was a nahiya (township) center at Molova kaza of Midilli sanjak in Cezair-i Bahri Sefid Vilayet (Mediterranean Islands Province in Ottoman Turkish) before joining to Greece in 1912.
s and garden
s, and surrounded by historic monasteries. Kalloni was always the crossroad where the main roads passed. This has not changed much from ancient times. In the last decade, this large village
has developed in the field of trade and is the seat of the municipality
that comprises the settlements of Agra
, Anemotia
, Dafia.
s present a special interest. The festival of sardine in Skala Kalloni in July, where the taste of freshly grilled sardine
s are offered to the visitors with plenty of ouzo accompanied with live Greek traditional music and dance shows. Also, in the 16th August a huge fest takes place in the main square of Kalloni in order to honor the ones that immigrated to other countries. The livestock breeding in Agra
, the wine
festival in Anemotia as well as the panigyri of Saint Trinity on the 7th of July in Kalloni, which includes three days feast and horse races.
in great sanctuaries, parts of which are preserved today. The temple of Messa was dedicated to Zeus, Dionysus and Ira, constituted a worship and communication centre for all the Lesbians, and at the beginning of the 2nd century B.C. was the seat of the federation of all the cities of Lesbos. During the early Christian period a basilica was erected over the temple, which was succeeded by a mid-Byzantine church. There are many remains, ruins, altars and ancient remnants around the region, signs of worship of the Lesbian people who arrived there as pilgrims to the great sanctuary of Pyrra and of the entire island. Important archaeological sites are also found in Apothika, between Parakila and Agra, where the ancient retaining wall of about six meters height is located, but also in Makara, bearing the name of the first settler of Lesbos during ancient times.
s, porpoise
s and seal
s. It is especially renowned for its yield of sardine
fishing. Following his departure from Plato's Academy after being passed over for the school's headship, Aristotle
spent a few years with his friend, Theophrastus
, at the Kalloni lagoon, studying animal life: his observations there formed the material for the very first treatises ever written on the subject of biology
, namely his books on the "history, parts, movement, progression, and generation" of animals.
Communities and Municipalities of Greece
For the new municipalities of Greece see the Kallikratis ProgrammeThe municipalities and communities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. Thirteen regions called peripheries form the largest unit of government beneath the State. ...
on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lesbos, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies in the west-central part of Lesbos. It has a land area of 241.946 km². At the 2001 census it had a population of 8,194 inhabitants. The municipal seat was the town of Kalloní (pop. 1,732). Its largest other towns are Ágra (990), Parákoila (926), Dáfia (851), Fília (636), Skalochóri (581), Anemótia (534), and Kerámi (524). It was known "Kalonya" during Ottoman rule and was a nahiya (township) center at Molova kaza of Midilli sanjak in Cezair-i Bahri Sefid Vilayet (Mediterranean Islands Province in Ottoman Turkish) before joining to Greece in 1912.
Description
Kalloni is a beautiful natural spot, since it is surrounded by the gulf waters, and supplied by the rich plain of 100 km², through which six rivers flow. There is always enough water from the underground and spring waters for its vineyardVineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s and garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s, and surrounded by historic monasteries. Kalloni was always the crossroad where the main roads passed. This has not changed much from ancient times. In the last decade, this large village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
has developed in the field of trade and is the seat of the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
that comprises the settlements of Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
, Anemotia
Anemotia
Anemotia is a village on the Greek Island of Lesbos. It belongs to the municipality of Kalloni and is located in the mountains, roughly halfway between Kalloni and Eresos....
, Dafia.
Festivals
The summer festivalFestival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
s present a special interest. The festival of sardine in Skala Kalloni in July, where the taste of freshly grilled sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
s are offered to the visitors with plenty of ouzo accompanied with live Greek traditional music and dance shows. Also, in the 16th August a huge fest takes place in the main square of Kalloni in order to honor the ones that immigrated to other countries. The livestock breeding in Agra
Agra, Greece
Agra is a village on the island of Lesbos in Greece. Situated 10 kilometres from the Aegean Sea in the Kalloni prefecture, the village is dominated by livestock-farming...
, the wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
festival in Anemotia as well as the panigyri of Saint Trinity on the 7th of July in Kalloni, which includes three days feast and horse races.
Historical sites
There are significant archaeological sites on the plain. The ancient Lesbians worshiped many of the ancient godsDeity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
in great sanctuaries, parts of which are preserved today. The temple of Messa was dedicated to Zeus, Dionysus and Ira, constituted a worship and communication centre for all the Lesbians, and at the beginning of the 2nd century B.C. was the seat of the federation of all the cities of Lesbos. During the early Christian period a basilica was erected over the temple, which was succeeded by a mid-Byzantine church. There are many remains, ruins, altars and ancient remnants around the region, signs of worship of the Lesbian people who arrived there as pilgrims to the great sanctuary of Pyrra and of the entire island. Important archaeological sites are also found in Apothika, between Parakila and Agra, where the ancient retaining wall of about six meters height is located, but also in Makara, bearing the name of the first settler of Lesbos during ancient times.
Bay and lagoon
The lagoon and bay of Kalloni is a shallow, rich wetland that hosts a stupendous variety of aquatic and avian life, including flamingoFlamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
s, porpoise
Porpoise
Porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen...
s and seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s. It is especially renowned for its yield of sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
fishing. Following his departure from Plato's Academy after being passed over for the school's headship, Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
spent a few years with his friend, Theophrastus
Theophrastus
Theophrastus , a Greek native of Eresos in Lesbos, was the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He came to Athens at a young age, and initially studied in Plato's school. After Plato's death he attached himself to Aristotle. Aristotle bequeathed to Theophrastus his writings, and...
, at the Kalloni lagoon, studying animal life: his observations there formed the material for the very first treatises ever written on the subject of biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, namely his books on the "history, parts, movement, progression, and generation" of animals.