Elassona ( Greek : Ελασσόνα , romanized : Ellassóna ; Katharevousa : Greek : Ἐλασσών , romanized : Elasson ) is a town and a municipality in the Larissa regional unit in Greece . During antiquity Elassona was called Oloosson (Ὀλοοσσών) and was a town of the Perrhaebi tribe. It is situated at the foot of Mount Olympus . Elassona is bypassed by the GR-3 ( Larissa - Kozani - Florina ).
17-670: Due to its location on the passes leading from the Thessalian plain to Macedonia , the site of Elassona was always of some strategic importance. Elassona was known as Oloosson ( Ὀλοοσσών ) in antiquity. In the Iliad it was mentioned in Homer's Catalogue of Ships , providing armed contingents that supported the Greek side in the Trojan War. In the early Byzantine period it was known as Lossonos , and
34-554: A campaign against the Despotate of Epirus . Following the death of Stephen Gabrielopoulos in 1333, Elassona was one of the Thessalian towns (along with Stagoi , Trikala , Damasis , and Fanari ) that for a short while fell under the rule of the Epirote ruler John II Orsini ( r. 1323–1335 ). Under Andronikos III Palaiologos ( r. 1328–1341 ), privileges were granted to
51-548: Is 205 km. Its drainage basin is 9,500 km (3,700 sq mi). Its source is near the village Malakasi , on the eastern slope of the Pindus main range, east of Metsovo . The Meteora region and the city of Larissa lie along the Pineios. Trikala lies on its tributary, the Lithaios . In the 1960s, a freeway connecting Athens and Thessaloniki was constructed in much of
68-732: Is a river in Thessaly , Greece . The river is named after the god Peneus . During the later Middle Ages , it was also known as the Salamvrias or Salavrias (Σαλα[μ]βριάς). It flows from the Pindus mountains through the Thessalian plain and empties into the Aegean Sea , northeast of the Vale of Tempe , near Stomio . It creates a large delta, well known for its beauty and for many animal species, protected by international environmental treaties. Its total length
85-483: Is also Varosi or Varossi (Βαρόσι), and the new city on the right bank of the river. These two parts of the city are connected by four bridges, one of which is an ancient stone arch bridge. The other part is near the Kefalovrysi Lake. Melissotrypa Cave near Kefalovryso is one of just a handful of caves identified worldwide whose ecosystems support life based on chemosynthesis , rather than photosynthesis . Elassona
102-473: Is linked with the old GR-3 and is bypassed to the east. Elassona is located 70 km southwest of Katerini , 38 km NNW of Larissa (old: about 50 km), 22 km NW of Tyrnavos (old: 30 km), east of Deskati and Grevena and 78 km ESE of Kozani . Thessalian plain The Thessalian plain ( Greek : Θεσσαλική πεδιάδα, Θεσσαλικός κάμπος ) is the dominant geographical feature of
119-520: The Ottoman Empire until 1912, when it joined Greece (along with Crete, Macedonia and Epirus) following its victory in the Balkan Wars . The municipality Elassona was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 9 former municipalities, that became municipal units: The municipal unit of Elassona is divided into the following communities: Until March 15, 2006, Tsaritsani
136-597: The Greek region of Thessaly . The plain is formed by the Pineios River and its tributaries and is surrounded by mountains: the Pindus mountain range to the west, which separates Thessaly from Epirus ; Mount Othrys and its outliers in the south; Mount Pelion to the east; Mount Ossa and Mount Olympus to the northeast, with the pass of the Tempe Valley leading to Macedonia ; and the Chasia and Kamvounia mountains to
153-647: The Olympiotissa monastery, and the town became the seat of an archbishopric , a status it retained into the Ottoman period . The Ottoman tax registry of 1521 counted 311 Christian and 35 Muslim households in Elassona. In the Ottoman tahrir defter of 1544, the town included Selanik Yörüks , who had military obligations that required them to give five soldiers ( eşküncü ) and 20 assistants ( yamaks ) per household ( ocak ). During
170-611: The Ottoman period devshirme was practiced in the area and janissaries were recruited from Elassona ( Alasonya in Ottoman Turkish) as shown in an Ottoman register of 1603–1604. Some Christians of Elassona also rebelled in 1821 under the armatole captain of Elassona. However, in less than a year they asked for amnesty under the same captain and stated that the reaya of some other localities are about to follow suit and were granted amnesty. The Ottomans declared in February 1822 that if
187-548: The Vale of Tempe. Three ships of the Hellenic Navy have been named after the river. Pineios major tributaries are: Malakassiótiko réma (stream), Mourgkánis (stream), Portaikós, Lithaíos, Pámissos, Enipeas and Titarisios . The Pineios flows along the following places, from the source downstream: Malakasi , Kalampaka , Megarchi , Megala Kalyvia , Farkadona , Larissa , Evangelismos , Omolio . This article related to
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#1732847594350204-775: The north. The plain was extremely fertile, and up until the early 20th century the area was a breadbasket for Greece. The existence of the plain also made Thessaly one of the few areas in ancient Greece that could field large numbers of cavalry; the Thessalian cavalry was an important component in the Ancient Macedonian army of Philip II and Alexander the Great . Pineios River (Thessaly) The Pineios ( Greek : Πηνειός , romanized : Pineiós , Modern Greek : [pi.ni.ˈos] , Ancient Greek : [pɛːnei̯ós] , referred to in Latin sources as Peneus )
221-482: The rebellious reaya beg for pardon, their appeal were to be accepted, so long as they meet the specified conditions. In the 1881–1893 census of the Ottoman Empire , the kaza of Elassona had a total population of 26,855; consisting of 24,631 Greek Orthodox , 2,188 Muslims, 15 Jews , one Armenian , and 20 foreign citizens. Unlike the rest of Thessaly, which was annexed by Greece in 1881, Elassona remained part of
238-460: The west and east and forests in the west and east as well as grasslands, ledges are to be founded in some areas and barren area in the higher elevations. The rivers Elassonitis (or Elassonitikos ) and Titarisio flow through Elassona and they both flow into the Pineios River , Thessaly's longest river. The river divides the town into two parts, the older city built on the Olympiotissa hill and
255-469: Was one of the provinces of the Larissa Prefecture. It had the same territory as the present municipality. It was abolished in 2006. The municipality Elassona has an area of 1565.2 km, the municipal unit Elassona has an area of 291.097 km (excluding Tsaritsani), and the community Elassona has an area of 102.515 km. Its geography includes farmlands in the valley areas, the mountains to
272-475: Was one of the sites refortified under Justinian I ( r. 527–565 ). the modern name first appears in the writings of the 12th-century scholar and archbishop Eustathius of Thessalonica , who considered it "barbaric". At the turn of the 14th century, the Panagia Olympiotissa Monastery was founded on the hilltop citadel. In 1304, Guy II de la Roche , Duke of Athens , passed through during
289-417: Was part of the municipality (now municipal unit) of Elassona and functioned as a municipal district. Under the law 3448/15-3-2006, Tsaritsani got separated from the municipality and declared a commune. The loss of its population and land leaves the remaining municipality with an adjusted 2001 census population of 12,056 and a land area of 291.097 km². The province of Elassona ( Greek : Επαρχία Ελασσόνας )
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