Sparta, Laconia Explained

Sparta
Name Local:Σπάρτη
Type:municipality
Caption Skyline:Clockwise from top: Ancient Theatre of Sparta, Gkortsologou Street, Archaeological Museum of Sparta, Koumantareios gallery on Balasaki House, Olive and Greek Olive Oil Museum, Statue of Leonidas, Spartathlon monument
Mayor:Michail Vakalopoulos[1]
Since:2023
Demonym:Spartan(s)
Elevation Min:200
Periph:Peloponnese
Periphunit:Laconia
Pop Municipality:32786
Area Municipality:1181.8
Pop Municunit:19865
Area Municunit:84.5
Pop Community:17773
Population As Of:2021
Coordinates:37.0739°N 22.4294°W
Postal Code:231 00
Area Code:27310
Licence:ΑΚ

Sparta (el|Σπάρτη, pronounced as /el/) is a city and municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta within the Evrotas Valley. The municipality was merged with six nearby municipalities in 2011, for a total population (as of 2021) of 32,786, of whom 17,773 lived in the city.

History

Beginning in the 13th century, the political and cultural center of Laconia shifted to Mystras, some 4 km to the west. The settlement at ancient Sparta, named Lacedaemonia, continued to exist, although greatly depopulated, until modern times as a town of a few thousand people who lived among the ruins, in the shadow of Mystras.[2] The Palaiologos family (the last Byzantine Greek imperial dynasty) also lived in Mystras. The Despotate of the Morea was captured by the Ottomans under Mehmed II in 1460.

In 1834, after the Greek War of Independence, King Otto of Greece decreed the town should be expanded into a city. Modern-day Sparta, the capital of the prefecture of Lakonia, lies on the eastern foothills of Mount Taygetos in the Evrotas River valley. The city has been built upon the site of ancient Sparta, whose Acropolis lies north of the modern city.[3] To the southwest stands Mt. Taygetos. To the east of the city stands the Parnonas mountain range, which is forested predominantly with Greek fir trees and other conifers.

The municipality was formed on 21 March 1835, and officially declared the Municipality of Sparta in 1845. It was transferred from Laconia to Lacedaemon Province in 1899, but this was reversed in 1909. The city hall was constructed in 1872 during the tenure of Mayor Emmanuel Meletopoulos.

Today Sparta maintains its good design, boasting large squares and wide streets lined with trees, while many of the older buildings remain in excellent condition. The city of Sparta is the economic, administrative and cultural center of Lakonia. A key factor in the advancement of the city's development is the operation of two departments of the University of Peloponnese and a department of the Technological Educational Institute.

The centrally located main square is dominated by the most imposing neo-classical building in Sparta, the City Hall. Built in 1909, City Hall bears the signature of the Greek architect G. Katsaros.[4] During the monarchy (which was abolished by referendum in 1973), the title of Duke of Sparta was used for the Greek crown prince, the διάδοχος (diádokhos).

Municipality

The municipality of Sparta was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following seven former municipalities, that became municipal units:[5]

The municipality has an area of 1,181.780 km2, the municipal unit 84.453 km2.[6] The municipal unit consists of the local communities Sparta, Afisi, Amykles, Kalyvia Sochas and Kladas.[5]

Politics

Petros Doukas, who served from 2019 to 2023, was affilated with New Democracy.[7] Michalis Vakalopoulos was elected mayor of Sparta in 2023 as a member of the Sparta Together coalition.[8]

PartyMayor Term startTerm endNotesReference
1Emmanuel Meletopoulos18371879Longest serving mayor[9]
2Adamantios Roussopoulos18791895
3Pericles Salvaras18951903
4Elias Kopanitsas19071914
5Lymberopoulos19141925
6Dimitrios Mylonakos19251926Died in office
7Elias Gortsologos19261941
8Gr. Petrakos19411945
9Ioannis Kontoulakos19461948
10Petros Xanthakos19481950
11George Minakakis19501951
12Ioannis Kontoulakos19511955
13Venizelos Zerveas19551964
14George Sainopoulos19641967
15Georgios Linardakis19671974Appointed by Greek junta
16Andreas Markakis19741975Appointed by government of Konstantinos Karamanlis
17George Sainopoulos19751978
18Nikolaos Sahamis19781986
19Paraskevas-Demosthenis Matala19871998
20Paraskevas-Demosthenis Matala19982002
21Sarantos Antonakos20032010Resigned due to health issues and died the same year
22Christos Patsilivas20102010
23Stavros Argeitakos20112014
24Evangelos Valiotis20142019
25Petros Doukas20192023
26Michalis Vakalopoulos2023

Demographics

Year Town Municipal unit Municipality
1961 10,412
1981 12,975
1991 13,011 16,322
2001 14,817 19,567
2011 17,408 19,854 35,259
2021 17,773 19,865 32,786

Climate

The city of Sparta enjoys a sunny and warm Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa). January highs are around 14°C while July and August highs are around 36°C in the city proper. Sparta records the highest summer average maximum temperatures in Greece.[10] The highest temperature ever recorded in Sparta is 45.7°C in August 2021.[11] On average, Sparta records 6 days per year with temperatures of over 40°C.[12] In June 2024, Sparta recorded an astonishing mean max temperature of 37.6°C.[13] In July 2024 the HNMS station in Sparta registered a record average maximum temperature of 38.6°C while the NOA station registered a record of 38.5°C [14]

Tourism

Main sites

In the center of the city is the Archaeological Museum. Built by architect G. Katsaros, in 1874 - 76 to house the collection of local archaeological finds by Panagiotis Stamatakis, it was the first Greek museum in a provincial city.

The city's cathedral is at the southwest end.

The ruins of ancient Sparta lie north of the city. Entering by the South Gate of the Acropolis, known as Lakedaemonia, there is the Rotunda, the Theatre and the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos to the West. Exiting the Acropolis by the North Gate there are the remains of the earliest ancient walls, the Heroon and the Altar of Lycourgos, whereas to the East there is the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia. To the North is the Monastic Church of Osios Nikonas (10th century).

The "Tomb of Leonidas", or Leonidaion (37.0767°N 22.4254°W), is a limestone structure of the late 5th century BC, likely a temple, but named for Leonidas I in the 19th century, being the only ancient monument indicated within the limits of the newly planned town in 1834.[15]

Museums

Sports

The Spartathlon has taken place every September since 1983. It is an ultramarathon starting in Athens and finishing in Sparta at the statue of Leonidas, with many international participants.

The local football club of Sparta, Laconia was Sparta F.C. The club dissolved in 2019.

People

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Greece. Sparta is twinned with:[16]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://ekloges.ypes.gr/current/d/home/en/municipalities/9252/ Municipality of Sparti, Municipal elections – October 2023
  2. Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
  3. Web site: Αρχαία Σπάρτη. Αρχαιολογία Online. el. 2019-07-17.
  4. Web site: Modern day Sparta. 2014-09-06.
  5. Web site: ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text. el. Government Gazette.
  6. Web site: Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation). National Statistical Service of Greece. el.
  7. News: 9 October 2023 . Petros Doukas: From mayor... fifth in Sparta – The video that "burned" him . News 24/7 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20250104071857/https://www.news247.gr/ekloges/petros-doukas-apo-dimarxos-pemptos-sti-sparti-to-vinteo-pou-ton-ekapse/ . 4 January 2025.
  8. News: 15 October 2023 . Michalis Vakalopoulos, the new mayor of Sparta - He beat Dia Tzanetea with 54% . Notos Press . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20250104062617/https://www.notospress.gr/peloponnisos/story/96627/mixalis-vakalopoulos-o-neos-dimarxos-tis-spartis-kerdise-me-54-tin-dia-tzanetea . 4 January 2025.
  9. News: 14 October 2023 . Municipality of Sparta: 25 mayors from 1837 to the present - See who shaped modern Sparta . Notos Press . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20250104114206/https://www.notospress.gr/peloponnisos/story/96580/dimos-spartis-25-dimarxoi-apo-to-1837-eos-simera-deite-poioi-diamorfosan-tin-neoteri-sparti#goog_rewarded . 4 January 2025.
  10. Web site: Meteoclub.gr. 2014-09-05.
  11. http://stratus.meteo.noa.gr/data/bulletins/deltio_noa082021.pdf?CFID=b2058680-727c-4a51-97e0-9d555c66de14&CFTOKEN=0 Deltio data
  12. Web site: Meteo.gr - Προγνώσεις καιρού για όλη την Ελλάδα .
  13. Web site: Sparta NOA June 2024 mean max 37.6C . https://web.archive.org/web/20240701113858/https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/sparti/NOAAYR.TXT . 1 July 2024. 1 July 2024 .
  14. Web site: Sparta mean max records . https://web.archive.org/web/20240731203711/https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/sparti/NOAAYR.TXT . 1 August 2024. 31 July 2024 .
  15. Sofia Voutsaki, Paul Cartledge, Ancient Monuments and Modern Identities: A Critical History of Archaeology in 19th and 20th Century Greece (2017), p. 50f.
  16. Web site: Αδελφοποιημένες Πόλεις. sparti.gov.gr. Sparta. el. 2020-01-09.