Livadeia

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Livadeia (Greek: Λιβαδειά - Livadeiá or Λεβάδεια - Levádeia) is a city in Central Greece. It is the capital of the Boeotia prefecture and Livadeia province as well as the seat of Livadeia municipality. The city is built 200m above sea level, at the edge of Kopaida plain, roughly 130km NE of Athens. Livadeia is linked with GR-48 and several kilometres west of GR-3.

History

According to tradition, Livadeia existed in antiquity as a settlement name Midia. It was renamed after the Athenian, Levados, who colonised it. During the classical ancient Greek period - 4th - 5th Centuries BC - it was the site of an ancient oracle.

Livadeia was sacked in 395 BC by Lysander and in 86 BC by Mithridates. It reached its pinnacle in the 2nd Century AD but by the Byzantine period was once again a secondary town. It fell to the Crusaders in 1204 and the Ottoman Turks in 1458.

At the time of the declaration of the Greek War of Independence (1821), Livadeia had eclipsed Thebes becoming the chief city in Boeotia. Its population had reached 10,000 inhabitants with a flourishing economy. On March 31, 1821, the Turkish garrison of the city surrendered to Athanasios Diakos, however, Livadeia was recovered by the Turks later in the war. Finally, on February 8, 1829, the Turkish army withdrew and Livadeia became part of the newly-independent Greek state.

Population

The population of the city of Livadeia was 20,061 inhabitants, while that of the entire municipality 21,492.

Livadeia Municipality

Besides the city of Livadeia, the municipality encompasses:

Persons

Sports

External links