Home Page

Destination		Thessalia
Thessalia Karditsa Larisa Magnesia Trikala		Thessaly (Greek: Θεσσαλία, Thessalía — Thessalian: Πετθαλία Petthalia) is one of the 13 peripheries of Greece, and is further sub-divided into 4 prefectures. The capital of the periphery and traditional geographical region (and until 1987 official) is Larissa. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Thrace, it is often referred to unofficially as Northern Greece. The periphery lies in central Greece and borders Macedonia on the north, Epirus on the west, Sterea Hellas or Central Greece on the south and the Aegean Sea on the east; it covers the same area as the Greek region of Thessaly from before the 1987 administrative reform. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey. Thessaly was home to an extensive Neolithic culture around 2500 BC. Mycenaean settlements have also been discovered, for example at the sites of Iolcos, Dimini and Sesklo (near Volos). Later, in ancient Greek times, the lowlands of Thessaly became the home of baronial families, such as the Aleuadae of Larissa or the Scopads of Crannon. These baronial families organized a federation across the Thessaly region, later went on to control the Amphictyonic League in northern Greece. The Thessalians were renowned for their cavalry. In the summer of 480 BC , the Persians invaded Thessaly. The Greek army that guarded the Vale of Tempe , evacuated the road before the enemy arrived. Not much later, Thessaly surrendered. The Thessalian family of Aleuadae joined the Persians. In the Peloponnesian War the Thessalians tended to side with Athens and usually prevented Spartan troops from crossing through their territory with the exception of the army of Brasidas. Jason of Pherae briefly transformed the country into a significant military power, though he was assassinated before any lasting achievements were made. In the 4th century BC Thessaly became dependent on Macedon and many served as vassals. In 148 BC the Romans formally incorporated Thessaly into the province of Macedonia, though in 300 AD Thessaly was made a separate province with its capital at Larissa. It was part of the Byzantine Empire and suffered many invasions. In 977 it was occupied by the Bulgarians, who remained there until 1014. In 1204 he was assigned to Boniface of Montferrat and in 1225 to Theodore Komnenos Doukas, despot of Epirus. From 1271 to 1318 he was an independent despotate that extended to Acarnania and Aetolia, run by John III Angelos Komneno. In 1309 settled there the Almogavars or Catalan Company of the East (Societas Catalanorum Magna), which in 1310, after lifting the siege of Thessalonica, withdrew as mercenaries in the pay of the sebastocrátor John II, and took over the country organized in a democracy. From there went to the Duchy of Athens called by the duke Walter I. In 1318, with the extinction of the dynasty of Angelos, the Almogavars occupied Siderocastron and southern Thessaly (1319) and formed the duchy of Neopatria. Later it was occupied by the Serbs until 1393, after being dominated by the Ottomans. In 1821 participated in the Greek War of Independence, but was not recognized as part of Greece until 1881.

	Source: Wikipedia.org / Photo: Panoramio.com
Last added hotels		Thessalia Google Map
Alexiou hotel Larisa		View Ionian Islands Greece - by Hotelsinweb.com in a larger map

Suggested hotels
Alexiou hotel Larisa

External Links				YouTube Video
Yahotels TravelSites Findhotels Alexandros Skopelos Pension Dafni Guesthouse Lila Ikaros Star Kokkino Spiti Veria Glaronisia Milos Aloni Villas Xifoupolis hotel Pelican Bay Hotel Olympia hotel Matoula Skiathos Mykonos hotels		9Musses Elafonisos Aetoma Amaryllis Chloe hotel Kastoria Delmar Milos
Travel in Greece - HotelsinWeb.com © 2009 All Rights Reserved