ROMIT - Roman Itineraries

Rimini, 15 June 2006

Patras Municipal Enterprise for planning and development

Takis Triantafyllou
planner

ROMAN - ANCIENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

IN ACHAIA AND ILIA PREFECTURES
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

CITY OF PATRAS:
City population: 200.000 inh.
Larger Urban Zone: 320.000 inh. THESSALONIKI

PATRAS
ATHENS
MORE THAN 3.000 YEARS OF HISTORY
CAPITAL OF WESTERN GREECE REGION
CAPITAL OF ACHAIA PREFECTURE
THE THIRD URBAN AREA IN GREECE
 MAJOR GATEWAY TO WESTERN EUROPE
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

FROM ACHAIA TO OLYMPIA THESSALONIKI

DELPHI

PATRAS
ATHENS

OLYMPIA
OLYMPIA
EPIDAVROS
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006
CATALOGUE ENTRIES
ENTRY AIGEIRA AIGEIO PATRAS DYMI ILIDA OLYMPIA EPITALIO

HISTORICAL
2 2 9 3 3 3
PERSONAGE

HISTORICAL EVENTS 2 1* 1* 1

MONUMENTS/ SITES 4 5 14 1 6 13 6

ANCIENT/ MODERN
4/5 4/5 8/6 5/6 3/6 5/2 3/1
LITERACY SOURCES
BIBLIOGRAPHIC
7 13 17 8 10 16 4
REFER.
EPIGRAPHIC
3 2 2 1
SOURCES

MUSEUMS 1 3 1

* 2 entries for historical events which, however, were recurrent

The material is focusing mainly in the Roman period and the every 4 years from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D. (the Olympic Games and
fields of the database will be enriched. the preparation month before them)
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA
ANCIENT 21ST
TIMES CENTURY

The ancient city of Patras was originally formed

by the unification of three Mycenaean villages:
Aroe, Antheia and Mesatis.
After the Dorian invasion a group of Achaeans
from Laconia, led by Patreas, established a
colony and the city took its name from their
leader.
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA
During the ancient years, Patras remained a
farming region but during the Roman invasion it
became an important port.
At some time during the reign of Emperor Nero,
St.Andrew came to Patras to preach Christianity
Here he met a martyrs death by crucifixion.
From then on he was considered the protector of
Patras and nowadays there is a magnificent big
church, built in his honour, on the exact place of
his crucification.
During the Byzantine period Patras continued to be
an important port as well as an industrial center.
Patras was invaded by the Turks in 1460. The first
period of Turkish rule (1460 -1687) was a
miserable one but from 1715 and on there was a
revival of trade and so in the 18th century it
became a prosperous town again economically
based on agriculture and trade.
Later Patras played an active part in the
Independence struggle against Turks (1821).
31 B.C.
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA
ROMAN ODEUM
The most interesting ancient
monument in Patras is the Roman
Odeum, found in 1899, now
reconstructed and used as an open-
air theatre for performances and
concerts during the summer period.
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA
THE ROMAN BRIDGE

The Roman Bridge at Patras was discovered in

the early 1980s.
It is the best preserved two-arched bridge in
Greece and was part of the public Roman road
that connected Patras with Aegion and Corinth.
The bridge was constructed during the 2nd or
3rd century AD over the river Kallinaos and
was in use up to the 6th century AD when a
flood buried it along with the road.
Its length is 21m, its height is over 4m and its
width 4,25m. The bridge was built with bricks
but the pillars on which it stands were made of
stone. The bridge’s road was paved with slabs.
For the protection from floods the bridge is
elevated in its middle.
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA

THE ROMAN STADIUM

The Roman Stadium is situated in the

north of the roman Odeion at an inclined
area. It was built either during emperor’s
Domitianus times at 86 AD on the
anniversary of 100 years from the
foundation of a roman colony in Patras or
later at 2nd century AD during emperor’s
Adrianus times.
The stadium occupies a wide area in the
centre of Patras. Its length is 200m and
its width is 90m. The excavations for the
revelation of the monument still continue.
It is designed to be an archaeologikal
park in the centre of the city.
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA

THE ROMAN AQUEDUCT

The Roman Aqueduct at Patras is

situated in the NE of the Castle.
This construction along with the wells
and natural springs was responsible
to provide the city with water.
It is not known during whose
emperor’s times it was constructed.
Its beginning was at the river
Diakoniaris, at Romanos area, in the
foothills of the mountain Panachaikos
and its length was 7 km. The water
was conveyed to the city through
conduits..
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA
The Castle

Patras’ castle was constructed in the second

half of the 6th century AD, during the years
of big defensive elevation of the Byzantine
Empire in the place where the ancient
acropolis was.
It consists of an external enclosure with
towers and an internal one in the NE corner.
In 805 the citizens defended themselves
against the Slavs and the Saracens in the
castle. They finally won and they considered
this to be a miracle by St.Andrew, the patron
saint of Patras.
The castle was captured by many
conquerors: Franks, Venetians, and Turks
who made further extensions in castle’s
defensive mechanism (bastions, moats) and
added new buildings (mosques, baths).
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Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA
MOSAIC
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Rimini, 15 June 2006

PATRA
ROMAN ROAD NYMPHEUM
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Rimini, 15 June 2006

• The New Archaeological Museum is under

construction and will be ready at the end of 2006
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

OLYMPIA
 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

OLYMPIA
GYMNASIUM
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Rimini, 15 June 2006

OLYMPIA
PHILIPPEION & PALAESTRA
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Rimini, 15 June 2006

OLYMPIA
TEMPLES OF HERA, ZEUS I, ZEUS II
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Rimini, 15 June 2006

MAJOR EVENT – MILESTONE:

PATRAS EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE for 2006

 ROMIT - Roman Itineraries
Rimini, 15 June 2006

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION