Missolonghi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Missolonghi Μεσολόγγι
From top left: view of the west part of the town, statue to Lord Byron in the Garden of Heroes, a street and square in the town, aerial view of Aitoliko, statue in the Garden of Heroes, a stilt house on the Missolonghi Lagoon, view of the port.
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Missolonghi Location in Greece
Country	Greece
Administrative region	West Greece
Regional unit	Aetolia-Acarnania
Area
• Municipality	680.4 km2 (262.7 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	280.2 km2 (108.2 sq mi)
Elevation	8 m (26 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Municipality	32,048
• Municipality density	47.102/km2 (121.993/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	17,440
• Municipal unit density	62.241/km2 (161.20/sq mi)
Community
• Population	13,965 (2021)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	302 00
Area code(s)	26310
Vehicle registration	ΜΕ

Missolonghi or Mesolongi (pronounced Meso-LON-ghee) is a town in western Greece. About 32,000 people live there. It is the main city of the Aetolia-Acarnania region. Missolonghi is also called the "Sacred Town" because of its important role in the Greek War of Independence. The famous poet Lord Byron died here during that war.

Geography and Climate

Missolonghi is located between two rivers, the Achelous and the Evinos. It has a port on the Gulf of Patras, which is great for trading fish, wine, and tobacco. The Arakynthos mountains are to the northeast.

The town is built near a large area of water and wetlands called the Missolonghi–Aitoliko Lagoons. In ancient times, this whole area was part of a gulf.

Weather in Missolonghi

Summers in Missolonghi are long, hot, and humid. Temperatures can sometimes reach over 40 °C (104 °F). Even at night, it can stay warm, above 25 °C (77 °F). Winters are short, mild, and wet, with a lot of rain.

Getting Around Missolonghi

Roads and Buses

The A5 Ionia Odos motorway passes just north of Missolonghi. This makes it easy to travel by car.

Intercity buses also connect Missolonghi to many other cities. You can take a bus to places like Agrinio, Thessaloniki, Patras, and the capital city, Athens.

Air and Sea Travel

Missolonghi has a small airport, but it does not have regular flights. The closest airport with scheduled services is Aktion National Airport, which is about an hour and a half away.

New ferry connections were planned to start in 2019-2020. These ferries would connect Missolonghi to nearby islands like Zakynthos, Cephalonia, and Ithaca.

Education

Missolonghi is home to three departments of the University of Patras. This means students can study different subjects right in the city.

City Administration

The municipality of Missolonghi was formed in 2011. It brought together three smaller areas: Aitoliko, Missolonghi, and Oiniades.

The Missolonghi area itself is divided into 8 smaller communities. These include places like Agios Georgios, Evinochori, and Missolonghi. The total area of the municipality is about 680 square kilometers (262 square miles).

History of Missolonghi

Ancient Times

Northwest of Missolonghi, you can find the remains of an ancient town called Pleuron. This town was even mentioned in the famous stories of Homer. It took part in the Trojan War and was later destroyed in 234 BC.

A new town was built on the same spot. It became a very important town in the Aetolia region. It had strong walls with thirty towers and seven gates. You can still see parts of its old theater and a large water tank today.

The modern town of Missolonghi was first mentioned by a Venetian explorer named Paolo Paruta. He wrote about it when describing the naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571, which happened nearby. The name "Missolonghi" likely comes from Italian words meaning "in the middle of lakes" or "a place surrounded by lakes."

The town grew as a place for fishing and trading. It was taken by the Venetians in 1684 but returned to the Ottoman Empire in 1699. Missolonghi also joined a revolt in 1770, but it was quickly put down.

The Greek War of Independence

Title page of Ellinika Chronika (1824), an early Greek newspaper published in Missolonghi.

The Attack of Ibrahim Pasha against Messolonghi by Giuseppe Mazzola

The Sortie of Missolonghi by Theodoros Vryzakis (1855)

When the Greek War of Independence began in 1821, Missolonghi was one of the first places in western Greece to join the fight. This happened on May 20, 1821. Many Turkish families left the town as the uprising spread.

Missolonghi became a very important stronghold for the Greeks. It was protected by small islands and a lagoon from the sea. On land, a wall and marshy ground made it hard to attack. The town was also close to the Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands, which was a good strategic spot.

In 1822, an Ottoman army of 7,000-8,000 soldiers tried to capture the city. This was called the First Siege of Missolonghi. The small Greek army of 500 men managed to hold them off. Greek ships brought more soldiers, and the Ottomans eventually gave up the siege in December 1822.

A second attack happened in 1823, but the Ottomans again failed to take the city.

The most famous event was the third siege, which started in April 1825. A huge army of 30,000 Ottoman soldiers, later joined by 10,000 more, surrounded the city. After a year of constant attacks and facing starvation, the people of Missolonghi made a brave decision. On the night of April 10, 1826, about 10,500 people, including 3,500 armed fighters, tried to break out of the city. This event is known as the "Exodus of its Guards." Sadly, very few survived.

Because of the incredible bravery of its people, Missolonghi was given the special title of Hiera Polis (the Sacred City). This title is unique among Greek cities. The famous British poet Lord Byron, who supported the Greek fight for freedom, died in Missolonghi in 1824. There is a memorial for him in the town, and his heart is buried there.

Missolonghi Today

The beautiful lagoon of Missolonghi.

Missolonghi is a very charming and modern town. It has a clear, organized layout. You can still see many interesting buildings that show traditional Greek architecture. Some of these buildings were once home to important figures in Greek history.

The mansion of the Trikoupis family, Palamas' House, and the Valvios Library are examples of the town's rich past. The Christos and Sophia Moschandreou Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of History and Art show that Missolonghi has always been a center for culture and art.

The Messolonghi Byron Society, founded in 1991, helps people learn about Lord Byron and other people who supported Greece's independence in the 1800s.

Today, the original Entrance Gate to the city is still standing. Part of the old city walls, rebuilt by King Otto, can also be seen. Beyond the gate is the Garden of Heroes. This is a special place where many famous and unknown heroes of the "Exodus" are buried. It's like a sacred garden for modern Greece. Every year, on Palm Sunday, a Memorial Day is held to honor the Exodus. Important officials from Greece and other countries attend this event.

Landmarks to Visit

A view of the Garden of Heroes.

The old railway station building.

• Museum of the History and the Art of the Sacred City of Messolonghi
• Centre of Culture and Art, Diexodos
• Christos and Sophia Mosxandreou Gallery of Modern Art
• The Messolonghi Byron Society-International Research Center for Lord Byron and Philhellenism

Famous People from Missolonghi

The tomb of Markos Botsaris (a copy by Georgios Bonanos).

Many notable people have connections to Missolonghi:

• Lord Byron (1788–1824) – A famous British poet who died here.
• Epameinontas Deligeorgis (1829–1879) – A former Prime Minister of Greece.
• John Lykoudis (1910–1980) – A doctor known for treating stomach ulcers.
• Miltiadis Malakasis (1869–1943) – A Greek poet.
• Kostis Palamas (1859–1943) – A Greek poet who helped write the Olympic Hymn.
• Anastasios Papoulas (1859–1935) – A Greek general.
• Charilaos Trikoupis (1832–1896) – A former Prime Minister of Greece.
• Spyridon Trikoupis (1788–1873) – Also a former Prime Minister of Greece and father of Charilaos Trikoupis.
• Zinovios Valvis (1800–1872) – A former Prime Minister of Greece.

Population Over Time

Avgotaracho (Botargo) of Missolonghi, a local delicacy.

Here's how the population of Missolonghi has changed over the years:

Sister Cities

Missolonghi has "twin towns" or "sister cities" around the world. This means they have special friendly relationships.

See also

In Spanish: Mesolongi para niños