Administrative Region : Peloponnese
Regional unit : Korinthia
Xylokastro (Ξυλόκαστρον) Korinthia
Xylokastro is a seaside town in Corinth and is the seat of the Municipality of Xylokastro - Evrostina. According to the 2021 census, it has 5,378 permanent residents. It receives thousands of visitors every summer and is one of the most important tourist destinations in the Peloponnese.[1] Points of interest are the pine forest of Pefkias, the beaches and the small port with the marina of the area. It is 120 kilometers from Athens and 95 kilometers from Patras.
Name
Xylokastro took its name from a wooden barracks in the area where it functioned as an observatory during the years of Venetian rule. The barracks were located on the west side of the hill "Kati ton Pefkos", above the current city, near the Sytha River. From there the garrison could control traffic in the Corinthian Gulf and supervise the port of Aristonauti. It also had visual contact with the castles of Zemenos and Pellini and could inform their administration with smoke signals. The barracks were called by the locals the wooden castle, and from it the area which includes the settlements of Ypsila Alonia, Mertikeika, Georganteika and Riza, was named Xylokastro. During the 18th century it was called Oxokampos.[2]
History
Initially there was a large pine forest in the area. During the pre-revolutionary years Xylokastro consisted of a few houses and some warehouses and functioned as a port of Trikala Corinth[3]. The forest was later deforested to cultivate the land and of the original forest only Pefkias remains because it is located on sandy soil. Xylokastro was a place where raisins were grown, with production reaching 1,300,000 Venetian liters, which brought Xylokastro an income of 500,000 drachmas. The raisins were transported to Patras by boat, from where they were mainly exported to England.[2]
Xylokastro Beach
Xylokastro became known to foreigners, who began visiting it in the early 20th century, and called it "Anthoupolis" because of its many flowers. In 1906, the first nudists in Greece appeared in the Xylokastro area. Xylokastro was officially declared a summer residence for foreigners in 1919 and various famous people (e.g. kings, prime ministers and actors) visited it. Xylokastro became a spa town. In 1923, the Krokides Elementary School was founded with a donation from Sotiris Krokidas. At the same time, Greek refugees from the Nikomideia region settled in Xylokastro.[4] In Pefkias, a camp operated by the Typaldou brothers. The camp was mainly used by foreigners. Tourism led to Xylokastro's economic development and improved living conditions.[2]
In the 1970s, the water supply problem was solved by transporting water from Gellini (a small village near Trikala and Karya in Corinth). The Typaldou camp was closed. In the 1970s, the neoclassical houses with rich decoration began to be replaced by apartment buildings. These houses were built in an attempt to provide residents with a home more beautifully decorated than their neighbors. The apartment buildings were built on the coastal road.[2]
At the end of the 20th century, the regeneration of Xylokastro began. The open-air theatre "Vassilis Georgiadis", the indoor theatre "Angelos Sikelianos", the general and technical Lyceum of Xylokastro, the 2nd Gymnasium of Xylokastro, the 3rd Primary School "Vardavion", the 1st Kindergarten "Lilian Voudouri" and the 2nd Kindergarten in the settlement of Aristonautes were built. Tennis courts and a marina were also built on the banks of the Sytha River and the 1st Primary School was renovated. Xylokastro also experienced cultural and sporting development, as beach volleyball matches and concerts were organized.[2]
Administrative history
Xylokastro was annexed to the Municipality of Trikala in 1845. In 1876 it was designated as the winter seat of the municipality. In 1912 it was separated from the municipality and designated as the seat of the Community of Xylokastro. In 1961 it absorbed the settlements of Zevgolatio and Ypsila Alonia. With the Kapodistrias Program it was designated as the seat of the Municipality of Xylokastro and in 2010 with the Kallikratis Program it was designated as the seat of Xylokastro-Evrostina.[5]
Twinning
Since September 2006 the city of Xylokastro has been twinned with the German city of Fürth ("Fürth"[6]) in the Bavaria region. An important role in the circle of friendship between the two cities is played, among other things, by the twinning since 1997 of the 2nd Gymnasium of Xylokastro with the German gymnasium "Heinrich Schliemann" of Fürth (Heinrich Schliemann Gymnasium Fürth).[7]
Since then, there has been an ongoing cooperation between the municipalities of the two cities, which includes, among other things, mutual trips of municipal authorities and citizens, agreements on solar energy, waste sorting, the availability of Greek agricultural products at the annual agricultural fair of Fürth, as well as cultural programs such as culinary projects, musical events and artistic exhibitions of painting, iconography, photography, etc.
Population
Historical evolution of population
Year Pop. ±%
1879 467 —
1889 836 +79.0%
1896 1,083 +29.5%
1907 1,760 +62.5%
1920 2,059 +17.0%
1928 2,632 +27.8%
1940 3,510 +33.4%
1951 3,731 +6.3%
1961 4,266 +14.3%
1971 4,606 +8.0%
1981 4,937 +7.2%
1991 5,633 +14.1%
2001 5,173 −8.2%
2011 5,500 +6.3%
2021 5,378 −2.2%
The population of Xylokastro has shown a significant increase in all censuses since 1879 (with the exception of 2001, which recorded a decrease). Particularly great growth occurred after the war, when it changed from a port and winter resort of Trikala to a town due to the cultivation of raisins.
Pefkia Forest
The Pefkia Forest
The Pefkia Forest is a natural pine forest between Xylokastro and Sykia. It extends along the coast of the Gulf of Corinth and has been designated an aesthetic forest. 83 species of plants have grown in the brackish soil, among which the Aleppo pine, the Scots pine, the scythe, the ramnos, the myrtle, the willow, the cedar, the phoenician holly, the tamarisk, the bear's-foot trefoil, the wild reed, the rabbit, the thyme and the aphana stand out. There is also the ephedra shrub. It is mentioned by Kostas Karyotakis as the "green shore of the homeland", while it was a source of inspiration for Angelos Sikelianos.[8]
References
"Xylokastro". Municipality of Xylokastro-Eurostini. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
"History of Xylokastro". Municipality of Xylokastro-Evrostina. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
Christos G. Karagiannis (ed.), Paul's "seal". The Church of Corinth in Time, Holy Metropolis of Corinth, Sikyon, Zemenos, Tarsus and Polyphegus, Corinth 2011, p. 172.
Scientific Symposium, Uprooting and the Other Homeland. Refugee Camps in Greece (11 and 12 April 1997), Society for the Study of Modern Greek Culture and General Education, 1999, p. 174.
"Xylokastro". Administrative Changes of Local Authorities. EETAA. Retrieved August 23, 2013.[dead link]
«Das offizielle Internetportal der Stadt Fürth - Xylokastro, Griechenland». www.fuerth.de. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
Notara 34, 2nd Gymnasium of Xylokastro; Korinthias, Xylokastro. «Twinning». Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
«Pefkias». Municipality of Xylokastro-Evrostina. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
| Municipal unit Xylokastro |
|---|
| Municipal Community Xylokastro |
| Mertikaiika (Μερτικαίικα) |
| Xylokastro (Ξυλόκαστρον, το) |
| Community Ano Trikala |
| Ano Trikala (Άνω Τρίκαλα) |
| Zireia (Ζήρεια, η) |
| Community Geliniatika |
| Geliniatika (Γελινιάτικα) |
| Spartinaiika (Σπαρτιναίικα) |
| Community Dendro |
| Dendro (Δένδρον, το) |
| Community Zemeno |
| Zemeno (Ζεμενόν, το) |
| Community Thalero |
| Thalero (Θαλερόν, το) |
| Community Throfari |
| Throfari (Θροφάρι, το) |
| Community Kamari |
| Kamari (Καμάρι, το) |
| Καριώτικα, τα (Τ.Κ.Καμαρίου) |
| Community Karya |
| Καριώτικα, τα (Τ.Κ.Καρυάς) |
| Karya (Καρυά, η) |
| Community Kato Loutro |
| Ano Loutro (Άνω Λουτρόν, το) |
| Kato Loutro (Κάτω Λουτρόν, το) |
| Community Kato Synoikia Trikalon |
| Kato Synoikia Trikalon (Κάτω Συνοικία Τρικάλων, η) |
| Community Korfiotissa |
| Korfiotissa (Κορφιώτισσα, η) |
| Community Lagkadaiika |
| Αμφιθέα, η |
| Lagkadaiika (Λαγκαδαίικα) |
| Community Manna |
| Manna (Μάννα, η) |
| Community Melissi |
| Melissi (Μελίσσι, το) |
| Οικοδομικός Συνεταιρισμός Υπαλλήλων ΔΕΗ, ο |
| Community Mesi Synoikia Trikalon |
| Mesi Synoikia Trikalon (Μέση Συνοικία Τρικάλων, η) |
| Community Nees Vrysoules |
| Nees Vrysoules (Νέες Βρυσούλες, οι) |
| Community Xanthochori |
| Xanthochori (Ξανθοχώρι, το) |
| Community Panariti |
| Panariti (Παναρίτι, το) |
| Community Pellini |
| Pellini (Πελλήνη, η) |
| Community Pitsa |
| Ano Pitsa (Άνω Πιτσά) |
| Kato Pitsa (Κάτω Πιτσά) |
| Community Rethi |
| Rethi (Ρέθι, το) |
| Community Riza |
| Valtos (Βάλτος, ο) |
| Georganatiika (Γεωργανταίικα) |
| Riza (Ρίζα, η) |
| Sigeritsa (Σιγερίτσα, η) |
| Chartsianika (Χαρτσιάνικα) |
| Community Sofiana |
| Sofiana (Σοφιανά) |
| Community Stylia |
| Stylia (Στύλια) |
| Community Sykea |
| Συκέα, η |
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