Zagora, Greece
| Zagora Ζαγορά | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Zagora | |
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Location within the regional unit  | |
| Coordinates: 39°27′N 23°6′E / 39.450°N 23.100°ECoordinates: 39°27′N 23°6′E / 39.450°N 23.100°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Thessaly |
| Regional unit | Magnesia |
| Municipality | Zagora-Mouresi |
| Elevation | 458 m (1,503 ft) |
| Population (2001)[1] | |
| • Municipal unit | 3,829 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 370 01 |
| Area code(s) | 24260 |
| Vehicle registration | ΒΟ |
Zagora (Greek: Ζαγορά) is a village and a former municipality in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Zagora-Mouresi, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.[2] The biggest village of Mt. Pelion, it was at its commercial and cultural peak in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.
Location
Zagora is located north of Volos and west of Chorefto and is connected to the former by GR-34.
History
The first mention of Zagora is in the Aesopian Myths. The legend was that a powerful and loud female creature, Zagorina, guarded mount Pelion and lived in a cave very near the current position of Zagora. The beast ate humans and drank local tsipouro. There are texts dating back to the Byzantine era that mention Pelion by the name Zagora. During the Byzantine Empire, Zagora, through its harbor, Chorefto, developed significant trading activity and was ruled as a merchant republic, with direct ties to Venice. Zagorian sailors, merchants, missionaries and explorers have travelled as far as China and South America.
Sights of interest
The library of Zagora, which includes thousands of rare books, is known for holding the original manuscript of "A few seconds" by Fanis Loverdos. Famous scholars, like Dr Dragogiannis, have studied the rare volumes of the library to great extent. The school of Rigas Feraios or Hellenic Museum as it is known, is the oldest school on Pelion. The Patriarch of Constantinople Kallinikos Lapatis and the herald of the Greek Revolution Rigas Feraios were students there.
Education and commercial activity
Zagora has a primary and a secondary school, five churches, six coffee houses,two bakeries, two banks, a post office, and seven squares.
Historical population
| Year | Town population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 2,841 | - |
| 1991 | 2,410 | 3,922 |
| 2001 | 2,389 | 3,829 |
Notable people
- Patriarch Callinicus IV of Constantinople
- Yannis Kordatos, scholar
- Alexandros Pantos, founder of Panteion University
References
- ↑ De Facto Population of Greece Population and Housing Census of March 18th, 2001 (PDF 39 MB). National Statistical Service of Greece. 2003.
- ↑ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
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