Neapoli, Crete

Neapolis (Greek Νεάπολη ( f sg ), Neustadt ' ) is a town in the municipality of Agios Nikolaos in Lasithi region in eastern Crete. The actual town with 2,683 inhabitants, together with some hamlets of a village in the municipality of the same name, which was a separate municipality until 2010.

History

At the Venetian period was located at the site of Neapolis the place Kares. Around 1340 was born here Petros Philargis, later antipope Alexander V A short time later the partisan leader Michael Psaromilingos and his brother Ioannes was destroyed against the Venetian occupation of the place Kares by the Venetians during the rebellion. At the same place the villages Neochorio (Greek Νεοχώρι = young or new village ) and Kenourgio Chorio (Greek Καινούργιο Χωριό = new village ) emerged. Kenourgio Chorio developed into one of the largest towns in the region with a predominantly Greek citizens. In January 1823, during the Greek struggle for freedom of the partisan leader Nikolaos Zervos died of pneumonia here and was buried there. A few days later, the Egyptian- Turkish army appeared under the leadership of Hassan Pasha, the son of Muhammad Ali Pasha, in the city. The inhabitants fled to the cave of Milatos, Hassan Pasha, let pillage the city, exhume the corpse of Nikolaos Zervos and use as a target for the gunners. Only after three days the corpse was to be buried again, the grave is located north-west of the little church Lady of Angels Church located in the yard of the Episcopal Church. 1827 Turkish residents moved to protect against rebellious Greeks in the Mosque of Kainourio Chorio back. The pursuers then put the church on fire.

1868 was the place both bishop of the diocese of Petra (Greek Πέτρας ) and capital of the prefecture of Lasithi. For this reason, the town was renamed in Neapolis and incorporated Neochorio. 1888 began, in the place where previously stood the mosque, with the construction of the Episcopal Church of Megali Panagia (Greek Μεγάλη Παναγία ) that you finally consecrated in 1927.

In 1904, Agios Nikolaos, the capital of the prefecture of Lasithi and Neapolis administrative seat of the province Mirambelo. From 1997, Neapolis capital of the municipality Mirambelo which only covered the north-west of Lasithi was. 2006 Mirambelo disintegrated in the communities Neapolis and Vrachasi that were downgraded in 2010 to municipal districts.

Attractions

• Folklore Museum on the first floor of a Bauhaus building. In the house there used to be an orphanage.
• Archaeological collection (currently closed) with over 1000 exhibits from the region
• East of Neapolis on the mountain Agios Antonios is the excavation site of ancient Dreros
• West of about one kilometer from the town center are the ruins of the Franciscan monastery of Agios Antonios. Here once lived Petros Philargis.

Sons of the city

• Petros Philargis, Antipope Alexander V
• Emmanouil Kokkinis, partisan leader
• Michalis Diallinas (1853-1927), popular poet