Patras (ancient Greek: Πάτραι) is the largest city in the
Peloponnese and the third largest in Greece with a population of
167,446 inhabitants, while the population of the Kallikrat
Municipality of Patras amounts to 213,984 inhabitants according to
the official census of 2011. Patras is capital of the Regional Unit
of Achaia, of the Region of Western Greece, as well as seat of the
homonymous municipality, while it has also been designated seat of
the Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and
the Ionian.
It is an important urban center and has one of
the largest ports in Greece which is a very important channel of
communication with Italy and the western Europe, important both in
terms of transport and trade. Through it, mainland Greece is
connected both with Ionian islands (eg Cephalonia, Ithaca, Corfu and
less often with Zakynthos) as well as with Italian ports, such as
Bari, Brindisi, Ancona, Venice and Trieste.
General elements
Patras is the largest economic, commercial
and cultural center of the Peloponnese and western Greece.
During the Roman period, when the city flourished, Patras was a
cosmopolitan center of the Mediterranean.
According to
Christian tradition, it is the site of the martyrdom of St. Andrew,
who is also the patron saint of the city. Also in Patras dominates
the imposing Holy Temple of Agios Andreas which is the largest
church in Greece and one of the largest in the Balkans, where there
are also preserved relics of the saint and small parts of the cross
he martyred and together with the older neighboring and homonymous
smaller church compose an important place of worship for Orthodox
Christians from Greece and around the world.
It is called the
Gateway of Greece to the West, as it is an international trade
center, a major port and a hub for trade and communication with
Italy and the European West in general.
The Rio-Antirrio
Bridge "Charilaos Trikoupis", which was inaugurated and put into
operation in 2004, connects the suburb of Patras Rio with the
village of Antirrio in Etoloakarnania, thus connecting the
Peloponnese with western Central Greece. The bridge is also part of
the Ionian Road (A5) and the European Road 55 (E55).
The city
boasts and is famous for one of the biggest European carnivals, the
Patras Carnival, with a multitude of events and the main features of
which are the spectacular dances, the big parades and the impressive
chariots, many of which often have a satirical character.
The
city of Patras was also the European Capital of Culture for 2006.
Patras and the wider region have a long tradition in the
political affairs of the country, having highlighted a large number
of Prime Ministers in Greek history: the Papandreou family (three
Prime Ministers, George, Andreas, George), Dimitrios Gounaris,
Panagiotis Kanellopoulos are some well-known examples. The former
President of the Hellenic Republic, Kostis Stefanopoulos, was also
from Patras.
Name
The most common explanation given for
the name of the city is based on mythology and according to it comes
from Patreas, the mythical inhabitant of the city, an Achaean from
Sparta. According to the legend, Patreas, after coming as the head
of settlers in the area of Aroi, expelled the Ionian inhabitants
and enlarged the city through the union of the prehistoric
settlements of Aroi, Antheia and Messatida and gave the settlement
the name Patrai (plural) .