Greek Map

Arta



Prefecture of Artas




Contemporary city with 23.863  residents,built on seven hills around the river Arachtho.It’s an area planted all over with orange trees and olive trees.Her name which was for first time related in 1081,came from either the Latin expression Artus Arum innermost ,inland-or because during the 10th century she was providing cereals-bread- to the villages all around.

It is the capital of the Prefecture and of the province of Arta,center homonym municipality.Built in the rich plain of Arta or Ambrakia,Arta is the only commercial center of agrarian products of the Prefecture. She has got  factories of juices,rice mills ,weaving factory and different handicrafts.The mental activity of the city condenses at the music-literary association O Skoufas.This association maintain a library and organizes cultural lectures and amateurish theatrical performances.At the city of Arta  is preserved  the grave of the poet Costa Kristalli.His bust is raised left to the street Agrinio-Ioannina as you get in to the city. Besides in the entrance of the Byzantine Castle exists and the bust of Gianni Makrigiani.

The big flourishing of Arta it was marked in the 13th century,when the despots of Ipiros Aggeloi Komninoi made her the capital of the hegemony and they were endowed her with large palaces and with exceptional art churches,where they placed her next to the Mistra and the Thessaloniki.Remarkable where also and the buildings which where created after the posterior Byzantine period,just like the castle and the well-known Gefyri of Artas(bridge of Artas) on the river Arachtho.

In 1346 the Serbs occupied the city.Since then Arta have changed many conquerors and in 1449 she was occupied by the Turks. The Venetian have took her for a few years.During the Turkish slavery Arta had developed and she became an important commercial center.In 1662,in order of patriarch of Jerusalem, was established in the city school in which were taught educated Greeks.In 1796 Arta conquered by Ali Pasha and he kept her until 1820.Arta was from the first cities that took place in the Revolution,but liberated in 1881 with the signature of Berlin’s Contract.

Sights:

  • The castle,built in the highest point of the city in north-east, next to the river Arachtho.It is one of the most well-maintained and considerate castle of Greece,with the Xenia inside,filled  with pine trees and garden leaves a pleasant taste to the visitor.A large part of it leans on quadrate block of stone,which they were constituted the base of the wall from the ancient Ambrakia.It was built by the Komninous(13th century) and it is preserved today with very few posterior annexation.Inside the castle,there used to be Makrigiannis as a prisoner-this place used as a prison until 1955-today it is the Municipal Theatre and every summer take place there festivals.
  • The ancient theatre of Ambrakia inside the city.
  • Foundations of a temple(end of Archaic Age)in Pyrrou Street.
  • Holy Street of Ambrakias,in Kommenou Street,width 12m,with rare archaic description of 6th century BC, which certifies the name of the ancient town.There is a tombstone with the names of the people who have been fallen in the battle and the name Ambrakia in the Doric dialect.
  • Holly Mother the Parigoritisa(1295)it is one of the most brightest Byzantine Greek churches. She is two-storied, built on the foundations of an ancient temple and at A are still there the cells from the time that she was still a monastery.She is very special for her architecture and she posses remarkable wall paintings and sculptures.In her small museum have been saved findings of the ancient city,with more important a copper ash-battle, coins of all times,Archaic and Byzantine sculptures and pictures.There is also findings from the classic cemetery of Koutsomytas.

  • The churches: Of  St. Basileiou (14th century) with rich ceramic-plastic art decoration-at the buildings around during the suzerainty of Turkey it has been there the school of Manolaki. St.Nikolaus,13th century. St.Theodoras in Basilica order with tree narthex.It was completed at the first half of the13th century,at the same time with other buildings(which the only still saved is the gate-arch and the local people call her Faith)constituted the Monastery of St.Georgiou.St.Theodora changed the name after the death of Theodora,which was the wife of despot of Ipirou Michael II,and she beautified her,she became a nun,she buried here and she nominated righteous and patron Saint of Arta.      
  • The legendary bridge,one kilometer away from the center of the city, in the highway to Prebeza and Giannena.Famous for his architecture and the legend of the head-workman who had built his wife to consolidate it,(and if you don’t haunt a human being, bridge does not consolidates and don’t haunt an orphan, not a stranger, not a passer-by, but only the head-workman’s the beautiful wife),it was first built in the age of Pyrrou,something that showing us from his foundation.His construction completed in the years of the despots of Ipirou and in his long lived life have became many repairs and annexation.The last repair,in which is reported by the municipal song,became in the big arch in 1612 with costs who spend Artinos Thiakogiagis.

  • The folklore Museum Artas,which belongs to the Music-Literature Association Skoufas,operates in two-storied new-classic building next to the bridge.There are exhibited objects of daily life,domestic utensils,handiwork tools,accessories from carnival disguises,stuff relative with the bridge.
  • The Platanos of Artas(plane tree),on the left end of the bridge,where according to the tradition Ali Pashas was hanging the Greek people who did not conformed with his orders.
  • On suburbs,Panagia of Blachernon,in the village Blacherna,8 km NE from Arta,beyond the Arachtho,monastery of the 13th century,with remarkable sculptures,intresting wall-paintings and inscriptions and the graves of despots of Ipirou.
  • On the place called Kato Panagia,2km S from Arta,at the east bank of Arachthos,monastery of the 13th century with rich ceramic-plastic decoration,that it was founded by the despot Michael II Douka.Today the monastery is female and the nuns are occupied with the carpet making.
  • At the place Ammotopos,23 km N,on Kastri hill,remains buildings of an ancient city of the 4th century that destroyed by the Romanians in 167 BC.
  • The forest above the town, at St.Ilia, with the tourist kiosk
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