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Patras is a city of great tradition and history, spanning at least 4000 years. Today it is the capital of the Peloponnese Region, the second most important port in Greece and the main gateway from Italy. With its 300,000 inhabitants, it is also the third most populated city in the country after Athens and Thessaloniki.
Useful information
Patras is a city of great tradition and history, spanning at least 4000 years. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times and later became an important center of the Mycenaean civilization. The port of Patras is located in the ancient place where the secret altar of the Goddess Artemis was located. The myth tells that Iphigenia, the daughter of the valiant Achaean commander Agamemnon, should have been sacrificed right there. She was saved from the brink of death by the Goddess herself, who made her his first priestess. The city reached its maximum splendor in Roman times when the Emperor Augustus declared it an imperial colony. Patras continued to be a thriving commercial center even in the Byzantine era. At the beginning of the thirteenth century, following the events of the Fourth Crusade, it became a fief under the control of Goffredo I of Villehardouin. The city was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1458. It remained under Ottoman rule until 25 March 1821, the date on which the revolution broke out led by members of the Filiki Eteria secret society, of which the city's Orthodox metropolitan Germanòs was a member. After the proclamation of the Kingdom of Greece with the Treaty of London in 1832, the city developed quickly thanks to the trade of typical local products, such as sultanas. At the beginning of the 20th century it was the first city in Greece to acquire electric lighting and trams. During the Second World War the city was subjected to repeated air attacks by the Italian military aviation. Today Patras is the capital of the Peloponnese Region, the second most important port in Greece and the main gateway from Italy. With its 300,000 inhabitants, it is also the third most populated city in the country after Athens and Thessaloniki.
What to see and what to do: our suggestions
Patras is often just considered the port of arrival for ferries from Italy, a city in transit awaiting boarding. Instead, it is a rich and interesting centre. The Basilica of Sant'Andrea Apostolo preserves the official relics of the saint, patron saint of the city. It is here where he preached Christianity and was martyred and crucified, according to tradition, on an "X"-shaped cross, called the decussate cross or St. Andrew's cross. The current church, built in the 19th century, is from the modern era. The plan is compact, octagon-shaped and each facade is preceded by porticoes with single-lancet windows. The interior is decorated with a large variety of polychrome marbles and the altar is located under the dome, typical of the Greek cross shape.
The Byzantine Fortress is located near the old Greek acropolis, built in the 6th century. The garrison was owned first by the Franks and then by the Normans. It passed to the Turks in the 12th century until 1828. Equipped with an irregular rectangular plan, it consists of a fortified staircase that leads to the actual garrison and the body of the building. The wall surrounding the citadel was built by the Venetians in the 16th century. Part of the old wall is also located near the sea, and is characterized by a circular tower and a small church. The Roman Odeon Amphitheater was built by the Romans in the 1st century AD on a pre-existing Greek structure. The theatre, perfectly preserved, hosts Greek cultural festivals and has a capacity of around 3000 people.
Where it is located and how to reach Patras
Where it is located: Patras (Pátra in Greek) is the capital of the Peloponnese region.
How big it is: about 340 square kilometres.
It can be reached by ship from the main ports.
Main distances: Athens 230km, Pyrgos 91km, Olympia 100km, Rio Bridge 7km, Corinth Canal 134km, Methoni-Costa Navarino 200km.
More information, useful advice and curiosities in the travel documents that will be sent before departure.
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Patras is a city of great tradition and history, spanning at least 4000 years. Today it is the capital of the Peloponnese Region, the second most important port in Greece and the main gateway from Italy. With its 300,000 inhabitants, it is also the third most populated city in the country after Athens and Thessaloniki.
Useful information
Patras is a city of great tradition and history, spanning at least 4000 years. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times and later became an important center of the Mycenaean civilization. The port of Patras is located in the ancient place where the secret altar of the Goddess Artemis was located. The myth tells that Iphigenia, the daughter of the valiant Achaean commander Agamemnon, should have been sacrificed right there. She was saved from the brink of death by the Goddess herself, who made her his first priestess. The city reached its maximum splendor in Roman times when the Emperor Augustus declared it an imperial colony. Patras continued to be a thriving commercial center even in the Byzantine era. At the beginning of the thirteenth century, following the events of the Fourth Crusade, it became a fief under the control of Goffredo I of Villehardouin. The city was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1458. It remained under Ottoman rule until 25 March 1821, the date on which the revolution broke out led by members of the Filiki Eteria secret society, of which the city's Orthodox metropolitan Germanòs was a member. After the proclamation of the Kingdom of Greece with the Treaty of London in 1832, the city developed quickly thanks to the trade of typical local products, such as sultanas. At the beginning of the 20th century it was the first city in Greece to acquire electric lighting and trams. During the Second World War the city was subjected to repeated air attacks by the Italian military aviation. Today Patras is the capital of the Peloponnese Region, the second most important port in Greece and the main gateway from Italy. With its 300,000 inhabitants, it is also the third most populated city in the country after Athens and Thessaloniki.
What to see and what to do: our suggestions
Patras is often just considered the port of arrival for ferries from Italy, a city in transit awaiting boarding. Instead, it is a rich and interesting centre. The Basilica of Sant'Andrea Apostolo preserves the official relics of the saint, patron saint of the city. It is here where he preached Christianity and was martyred and crucified, according to tradition, on an "X"-shaped cross, called the decussate cross or St. Andrew's cross. The current church, built in the 19th century, is from the modern era. The plan is compact, octagon-shaped and each facade is preceded by porticoes with single-lancet windows. The interior is decorated with a large variety of polychrome marbles and the altar is located under the dome, typical of the Greek cross shape.
The Byzantine Fortress is located near the old Greek acropolis, built in the 6th century. The garrison was owned first by the Franks and then by the Normans. It passed to the Turks in the 12th century until 1828. Equipped with an irregular rectangular plan, it consists of a fortified staircase that leads to the actual garrison and the body of the building. The wall surrounding the citadel was built by the Venetians in the 16th century. Part of the old wall is also located near the sea, and is characterized by a circular tower and a small church. The Roman Odeon Amphitheater was built by the Romans in the 1st century AD on a pre-existing Greek structure. The theatre, perfectly preserved, hosts Greek cultural festivals and has a capacity of around 3000 people.
Where it is located and how to reach Patras
Where it is located: Patras (Pátra in Greek) is the capital of the Peloponnese region.
How big it is: about 340 square kilometres.
It can be reached by ship from the main ports.
Main distances: Athens 230km, Pyrgos 91km, Olympia 100km, Rio Bridge 7km, Corinth Canal 134km, Methoni-Costa Navarino 200km.
More information, useful advice and curiosities in the travel documents that will be sent before departure.
Subscribe to the newsletter