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Karditsa

Coordinates: 39°22′N 21°55′E / 39.367°N 21.917°E / 39.367; 21.917
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Karditsa is also the old name of Akraifnio in Boeotia.
Karditsa
Καρδίτσα
Municipality
Karditsa is located in Greece
Karditsa
Karditsa
Location within the region
Coordinates: 39°22′N 21°55′E / 39.367°N 21.917°E / 39.367; 21.917
CountryGreece
Administrative regionThessaly
Regional unitKarditsa
Government
 • MayorVasileios Tsiakos[1] (since 2019)
Area
 • Municipality
647.4 km2 (250.0 sq mi)
 • Municipal unit110.1 km2 (42.5 sq mi)
Elevation
108 m (354 ft)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Municipality
55,979
 • Density86/km2 (220/sq mi)
 • Municipal unit
44,700
 • Municipal unit density410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
 • Community
40,272
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
431 00
Area code(s)24410
Vehicle registrationΚΑ
Websitedimoskarditsas.gov.gr

Karditsa (Greek: Καρδίτσα, romanized: Kardítsa [karˈðitsa]) is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa regional unit of region of Thessaly.

Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BC. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the road to Karpenisi, and the road to Palamas and Larissa. Karditsa is south-west of Palamas and Larissa, west of Farsala and the Volos area, north-west of Athens, Lamia, Domokos and Sofades, north of Karpenisi, north-east of Arta, and east-south-east of Trikala, Grevena, Ioannina, and Kalampaka.

Karditsa has elementary schools, high schools, junior high schools, the Veterinary Medicine Department of the University of Thessaly which is one of only two Veterinary departments in Greece, three other university departments of the University of Thessaly, churches, banks, a post office, a railway station, a sports ground, a water tower, and squares. Karditsa is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Greece with an extensive network of bicycle paths. Approximately 30% of all the city transportation, according to the National Technical University of Athens, is done by bicycles.

Climate

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Karditsa has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). Karditsa experiences hot, dry summers and cool winters with substantial precipitation.

Climate data for Karditsa
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10.25
(50.45) 		13.54
(56.37) 		11.76
(53.17) 		20.28
(68.50) 		25.29
(77.52) 		30.73
(87.31) 		32.31
(90.16) 		31.39
(88.50) 		27.78
(82.00) 		21.85
(71.33) 		15.33
(59.59) 		10.36
(50.65) 		20.91
(69.63)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.36
(41.65) 		6.83
(44.29) 		10.49
(50.88) 		14.86
(58.75) 		19.85
(67.73) 		25.59
(78.06) 		26.68
(80.02) 		25.38
(77.68) 		21.73
(71.11) 		15.95
(60.71) 		10.38
(50.68) 		6.47
(43.65) 		15.80
(60.43)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.94
(35.49) 		2.81
(37.06) 		5.28
(41.50) 		8.65
(47.57) 		13.08
(55.54) 		16.28
(61.30) 		17.75
(63.95) 		17.29
(63.12) 		13.91
(57.04) 		10.50
(50.90) 		5.49
(41.88) 		2.46
(36.43) 		9.62
(49.32)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 82.64
(3.25) 		77.22
(3.04) 		59.32
(2.34) 		62.20
(2.45) 		45.88
(1.81) 		19.50
(0.77) 		14.01
(0.55) 		16.78
(0.66) 		26.91
(1.06) 		91.44
(3.60) 		90.18
(3.55) 		91.01
(3.58) 		677.09
(26.66)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 113.51 122.05 165.50 206.01 267.05 330.90 333.92 310.91 237.76 170.41 121.35 102.84 2,482.21
Source: Hellenic National Meteorological Service[3]

History

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View of the cathedral church of Saints Constantine and Helena.

The origin of the name Karditsa is unclear. According to some sources, it may be a corruption of the Slavic word Gradista meaning "fortified place" while other sources suggest it derives from the word Karyditsa, which means "little walnuts" in the local Greek dialect.

During the period of Ottoman rule in Thessaly, the main settlement in the location of modern Karditsa was called Sotira.[4] In 1810, the English traveler William Martin Leake mentioned a sprawling village named Kardhítza, consisting of between 500-600 houses, of which the majority of the inhabitants were Turkish.[5]

Karditsa was incorporated as a new city in 1882, the year after its liberation from the Ottoman Empire (1881).

During World War II, the resistance in Thessaly was fought primarily by the ELAS. On March 12, 1943 Karditsa was liberated temporarily by ELAS after the Italian capitulation.

In September 2020, the city was badly hit from catastrophic floods that resulted in 4 deaths.

Municipality

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The municipality Karditsa was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[6]

The municipality has an area of 647.3878 km2, the municipal unit 110.086 km2.[7] Formerly, Karditsa had a neighbourhood known as Vlachomachalas, which was populated by Vlachs (Aromanians).[8]

Subdivisions

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The municipal unit of Karditsa is divided into six parts (communities):[6]

Historical population

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Statue of Nikolaos Plastiras (1883-1953) in Karditsa.
Year Community Municipal unit Municipality
2001 35,971 41,411 -
2011 39,119 44,002 56,747
2021 40,272 44,700 55,979

Education

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Veterinary Medicine Department of the University of Thessaly which is one of only two Veterinary departments in Greece and three other university departments of the University of Thessaly based in the city.

Transport

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Karditsa is served by trains on the Palaiofarsalos-Kalambaka line, with connections to both Athens and Thessaloniki.

Sports

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Karditsa has many clubs in various sport. The most of them are active in football such as Anagennisi Karditsa F.C. 1904, A.S.Karditsa, AO Karditsa, Asteras Karditsas and Elpides Karditsas. The club SPA Karditsa is active in volleyball.

Sport clubs based in Karditsa
Club Founded Sports Achievements
Anagennisi Karditsas 1904 Football Presence in Beta Ethniki
AO Karditsa 1966 Football Earlier presence in Beta Ethniki
ASK Karditsa 2006 Basketball Presence in Alpha Ethniki
SPA Karditsa 1987 Volleyball Presence in A2 Ethniki volleyball
Elpides Karditsas 1994 Football Presence in A Ethniki women

Famous Personalities from Karditsa

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Seal of Bartholomew, Latin Bishop of Karditsa and Velestino in the early 13th century

Plastiras Lake

[edit]

The municipy of Karditsa has also the famous Lake Plastiras.

See also

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[edit]
  • Lake Plastiras, near the city
    Lake Plastiras, near the city
  • Monument to Greco-Russian friendship at Lake Plastira
    Monument to Greco-Russian friendship at Lake Plastira
  • Dam of Sykia
    Dam of Sykia
  • View to Argithea
    View to Argithea
  • Stefaniada lake
    Stefaniada lake

References

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  1. ^ Municipality of Karditsa, Municipal elections – October 2023, Ministry of Interior
  2. ^ "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Karditsa Climatic Data". Hellenic National Meteorological Service. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  4. ^ Arrowsmith, John. "Turkey in Europe, 1832".
  5. ^ Leake, William Martin. Travels in Northern Greece. (1835).
  6. ^ a b "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
  7. ^ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-21.
  8. ^ Rousiakis, Sotirios (2021). THE MODERN GREEK DIALECT OF THE KARAGOUNS IN WEST THESSALY. p. 19.
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