Aigio

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Egio (Greek Αίγιο (n. sg ), dt also Aigion, Äjion, Aeghion or Egion, for the ancient place. Aigion Αἴγιον ancient Greek, Latin Aegium ) is a city on the northern coast of the Peloponnese on the Gulf of Corinth in the Greek region Western Greece. From 1924 to 2010 she was an independent municipality in the prefecture of Achaia; since 1 January 2011, it is the seat of the municipality as well as one of six municipal districts of the newly created municipality Egialia.

Geography

Aside from having between 100 and 200 meters narrow strip that is located directly on the coast at sea level, the majority of the city spreads out on a plateau, which rises steeply from 30 to 40 meters above the coastal strip. In the north of the city is adjacent to a small bay of the Gulf of Corinth, in the south of the country is increasingly mountainous through the foothills of the Massif Panachaiko. In the west the city is bordered by the river Meganitis, to the east by the Selinountas. Egio is located in an earthquake zone and is frequently shaken by earthquakes, to a greater degree last 1995.

Environment

Patras, the nearest large town is located about 30 km west of Egio and is also the administrative center of the prefecture of Achaia. Between Patras and allows Egio since 2004, the Rio - Antirrio bridge crossing the Gulf of Corinth, and thus the connection with the central Greek mainland.

History

Egio, as archeological findings, a very old place, although there is no continuity in the settlement. The first written mention of ancient Aigions is found in Homer's Iliad ( Hom. Il. 2,574 ), where Aigion is called in the ship list and will be counted under the jurisdiction of Agamemnon. Also show archaeological finds that it has already given to Mycenaean times, a settlement in the area of today's Egio. This was, according to Strabo (Str. 8,3,2 and 8,7,5 ) of seven or eight communities, the Indianapolis area is still covered the city Rhypes and later Keryneia. The latter was incorporated into the territory Aigion, as Helice, who up to that most important place of Achaia, was destroyed in 373 BC by an earthquake.

Aigion has always been one of the twelve cities of the Achaean League and sparked Helice as their headquarters from. However, the position Aigions fell from 146 BC, as promoted in the Roman period Patras to the central place in the northern Peloponnese. Nevertheless met here at the time of travel writer Pausanias Periegetes the Federal Assembly of the Achaeans, and it was probably cultic seat of the county council. Another incision for the city meant a major earthquake in 23 BC, which for Pausanias, who Aigion but describes in his Periegese, had no significant impact. The last ancient testimonies Aigions are coins from the early 3rd century AD After that loses every trace, and the city emerged only in the high Middle Ages under the Slavic name Vostitsa. About the reason for this blatant incision can only be speculated, with a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a tidal wave again, should be considered as very likely. Because of the topography can be assumed that the ancient Aigion had a lower town by the sea and an upper town on the plateau above the Gulf of Corinth. The latter in particular was thus better protected against floods, which were triggered by earthquakes.

In the 8th century Slavs settled in the area of ancient Aigions and named their settlement Vostitsa. Only then was followed by the Venetians, and finally the Turks, who held the city occupied until the independence of Greece on 26 March 1821. With independence, the renaming in Αίγιο ( Egio ) in line followed by the ancient name. In the 19th and early 20th century Egio flourished as a center for the export of raisins, lemons and paper.

Culture and sights

• Twelve wells ( Δώδεκα Βρύσες ): From this source to the sea, over which a fountain with twelve water-spouting lions was built, already reported, the ancient guide of Pausanias.
• Tripiti Church: The church is partly built into the rock of the plateau.
• Faneromini Cathedral: A neo-classical cathedral in the city center.
• Archaeological Museum ( Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο ): In the former market hall dating from the 19th century, which was designed by the German architect Ernst Ziller, numerous archaeological finds from the city and region are exhibited.

Transport, Technology and Media

At Egio leading from Athens to Patras national road 8a passes, and there are two departures Egio East and Egio -West and a rest area with a gas station. In addition Egio has a railway station, which lies on the railway line Athens -Patras and converge a bus station where many buses from the surrounding villages. From the harbor there are also ferry services mainly to the central Greek mainland, such as to Agios Nikolaos.

Economically Egio today is predominantly shaped by the processing industry and there are inter alia plastics processing industry.

In addition to the weekly newspaper since 1998 Filodimos ( Φιλόδημος ) also a private radio station Radio 99.2 fm Egio, who as the newspaper belongs to the same media group exists.