Laconia
Laconia (
Λακωνία; see also
List of traditional Greek place names), also known as
Lacedaemonia, was in ancient
Greece the portion of the
Peloponnese of which the most important city was
Sparta. Throughout classical antiquity the Spartans held
Messenia, whose inhabitants (the
helots) were permanently enslaved. In medieval times it was part of the
Byzantine Empire and following the
Crusades it was the home of the Byzantine
Despotate of Morea, held by the penultimate Byzantine ruling dynasty, the
Palaeologi. In modern times, Laconia has the legal status of a
prefecture, with
Sparta its administrative capital. Its main towns and cities are
Amyclae,
Areopolis,
Gytheion,
Molaoi,
Monemvasia,
Mystras,
Neapoli and
Sellasia. It encompasses
Cape Malea and
Cape Tainaron and a large part of the
Mani Peninsula.
The
Evrotas is the longest river in the prefecture. The valley of the Evrotas is predominantly an agricultural region that contains many citrus groves, olive groves and pasture lands and most of all, oranges. It is the location of the largest orange production in the Peloponnese and probably all of Greece. The brand of orange juice named after this prefecture Lakonia is based in Amyclae and sells fresh orange juice entirely from this region.
Taygetus (2,407 m), known as Pentadaktylos (
five-fingers) throughout the middle ages, is west of
Sparta and the Evrotas valley. It is the highest mountain in Laconia and the Peloponnese, and mostly covered with pine trees. Two roads connect the adjoining prefectures of
Messinia and Laconia: one is a tortuous mountain pass through Taygetus and the other bypasses the mountain via the
Mani district to the south. The other major mountain is
Parnon (1,961 m) to the east.
A
stalactite cave in the southwest of the prefecture is located south of Areopolis. This famous cave is called
Dirou and is a major tourist attraction.
It is bounded by the Taygetus mountains to the west with
Messenia,
Arcadia to the north and with the
Parnon mountains to the northeast, the
Myrtoan Sea to the east and the
Gulf of Laconia and the
Mediterranean Sea to the south. The islands of
Cythera and
Antikythera lie to the south, but they administratively belong to the
prefecture of
Piraeus.
The word "
laconic" is derived from the name of the region by analogy - to speak in a concise way, as the Spartans were reputed by the
Athenians to do.
The area has hot summers and mild winters in most of the prefecture while in the mountains, especially Taygetus, snow is very common throughout the winter.
*
Greece Interstate 37, N, Cen., S
*Molaoi to Leonidi Road, E, NE
*
Greece Interstate 82, W
*
Greece Interstate 86, S, E, SE, Gytheio -
Monemvasia*
FLY FM 89,7 (Sparta). This is a popular radio station of Lakonia. Its website is www.flyradio.gr
*
Lakonia FM - 91.1 FM (Sparta)
*
Politeia FM - 90.7 FM & 91.5 FM
*
Radiofonias Notias Lakonias (Southern Laconia Radio) - 93.5 (Gytheio)
*
Radio Sparti - 92.7 FM (Sparta)
*
Star FM - 94.7
*
Ellada TV - UHF 43, Sparta
*
TV Notias Lakonias - Molaoi
*
1907: 87,106
*
1991: 95,696
*
2001: 94,918
*
Province of Epidavros Limiras -
Molai*
Province of Gytheio -
Gytheio*
Province of Lacedaemonia -
Sparta*
Province of Oitylo -
AreopiliSee also:
List of settlements in the Laconia prefecture*http://lakonia.net
*http://www.laconia.org
*
Map of Laconia*
GTP - Lagkadia*
GTP - Lagkadia municipality*In German:
**http://www.hochschulstellenmarkt.de/info/l/la/lakonien.html
**http://www.leonidion.de/lakonien.htm
*in Greek:
**
Municipalities of Laconia with communities and settlements
