Velventos

Velventos
Βελβεντός
Velventos

Coordinates: 40°15′N 22°04′E / 40.250°N 22.067°ECoordinates: 40°15′N 22°04′E / 40.250°N 22.067°E
Country Greece
Administrative region West Macedonia
Regional unit Kozani
Municipality Servia-Velventos
 • Municipal unit 126.516 km2 (48.848 sq mi)
Highest elevation 520 m (1,710 ft)
Lowest elevation 380 m (1,250 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Municipal unit 3,448
 • Municipal unit density 27/km2 (71/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 504 00
Area code(s) +30-2463-xxx-xxx
Vehicle registration KZ

Velventos (Greek: Βελβεντός) is a town and a former municipality in Kozani regional unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Servia-Velventos, of which it is a municipal unit.[2] It lies at the foot of the Pierian Mountains, 33 km northeast of the city of Kozani. It is located near the artificial lake of Polyfyto. The 2011 census recorded 3,360 people in the village of Velventos, 3,399 in the municipal community and 3,448 in the municipal unit.[1] Velventos is connected with the GR-3/E65 (Athens - Lamia - Larissa - Kozani - Niki) and is located southwest of Veria, north-northwest of Servia and Larissa, east-northeast of Grevena and south-southeast of Kozani.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit of Velventos is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):

Population

Year Settlement Municipal district /
Municipal community		Municipality /
Municipal unit
1981 3,739 - -
1991 3,577 - 3,940
2001 3,437 3,504 3,754
2011[1] 3,360 3,399 3,448

About Velventos

Surrounded by forests, it is located in the fertile valley of the Haliacmon river and produces fruit, mainly peaches. 10.6% of the area is cultivated. Agricultural production is organised in two agricultural cooperatives.

The area has been continually occupied since the prehistoric times. For this reason, many fruitful archaeological digs have been made in the area, unearthing mainly prehistoric findings. Velventos contains also many late Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments and temples, among them the 12th-century church of Saint Minas and the 14th-century church of Saint Paraskevi.

During the Turkish occupation of Greece, Velventos saw great cultural development. Architect Stamatios Kleanthis was born here.

Velventos was finally Greek only during the Balkan Wars. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, many buildings were rebuilt, much of its architecture are almost disappeared.

The forests in the mountains around Velventos was caught by a forest fire in the last days of July 2007, the damage was minimal and lasted for several hours, firefighters along with helicopters and planes battled the fire and slowly dissipated.

Other

Velventos has a school, church, a lyceum (middle school), a gymnasium (secondary school), banks, a post office, and a square (plateia).

A well organized athletic stadium for several indoor and outdoor sport activities is located at the exit of the town. There are 2 Athletic Clubs, A.C. Velventos who has Soccer, Basketball and Volleyball as their main sport activities and A.C. Taekwondo Velventos with Taekwondo and Kick Boxing.


Notable People

Numerous scholars and famous researchers were born in this area, e.g.:

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Detailed census results 2011" (in Greek).
  2. ↑ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)