Karditsa

Karditsa
Καρδίτσα
Municipality
Location of Karditsa
Karditsa is located in Greece
Karditsa
Karditsa
Location within Greece
Coordinates: 39°22′N 21°55′E / 39.367°N 21.917°E / 39.367; 21.917
CountryGreece
Administrative regionThessaly
Regional unitKarditsa
Government
 • MayorVasileios Tsiakos (since 2019)
Area
 • Municipality
647.4 km2 (250.0 sq mi)
 • Municipal unit110.1 km2 (42.5 sq mi)
Elevation
108 m (354 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • Municipality
55,979
 • Density86.47/km2 (223.9/sq mi)
 • Municipal unit
44,700
 • Municipal unit density406/km2 (1,050/sq mi)
 • Community
40,272
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
431 00
Area code24410
Vehicle registrationΚΑ
Websitedimoskarditsas.gov.gr

Karditsa (Greek: Καρδίτσα, romanized: Kardítsa [karˈðitsa]) is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. It is the largest city and the capital of the Karditsa regional unit. According to the 2021 census, the municipality of Karditsa has a population of 55,979, of whom 40,272 live within the city limits of Karditsa.

History

During the period of Ottoman rule in Thessaly, the main settlement in the location of modern Karditsa was called Sotira. In 1810, the English traveler William Martin Leake mentioned a sprawling village named Kardhítza, consisting of between 500-600 houses, of which the majority of the inhabitants were Turkish.

Karditsa was incorporated as a new city in 1882, the year after its liberation from the Ottoman Empire (1881).

During World War II, the resistance in Thessaly was fought primarily by the ELAS. On March 12, 1943 Karditsa was liberated temporarily by ELAS after the Italian capitulation.

In September 2020, the city was badly hit from catastrophic floods that resulted in 4 deaths.

Municipality

The municipality Karditsa was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units:

The municipality has an area of 647.3878 km2, the municipal unit 110.086 km2. Formerly, Karditsa had a neighbourhood known as Vlachomachalas, which was populated by Vlachs (Aromanians).

Subdivisions

The municipal unit of Karditsa is divided into six parts (communities):

Historical population

YearCommunityMunicipal unitMunicipality
200135,97141,411-
201139,11944,00256,747
202140,27244,70055,979

Climate

Karditsa has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), and typically experiences hot, dry summers and cool winters with substantial precipitation.

Climate data for Karditsa
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10.25
(50.45)		 13.54
(56.37)		 11.76
(53.17)		 20.28
(68.50)		 25.29
(77.52)		 30.73
(87.31)		 32.31
(90.16)		 31.39
(88.50)		 27.78
(82.00)		 21.85
(71.33)		 15.33
(59.59)		 10.36
(50.65)		 20.91
(69.63)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.36
(41.65)		 6.83
(44.29)		 10.49
(50.88)		 14.86
(58.75)		 19.85
(67.73)		 25.59
(78.06)		 26.68
(80.02)		 25.38
(77.68)		 21.73
(71.11)		 15.95
(60.71)		 10.38
(50.68)		 6.47
(43.65)		 15.80
(60.43)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.94
(35.49)		 2.81
(37.06)		 5.28
(41.50)		 8.65
(47.57)		 13.08
(55.54)		 16.28
(61.30)		 17.75
(63.95)		 17.29
(63.12)		 13.91
(57.04)		 10.50
(50.90)		 5.49
(41.88)		 2.46
(36.43)		 9.62
(49.32)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 82.64
(3.25)		 77.22
(3.04)		 59.32
(2.34)		 62.20
(2.45)		 45.88
(1.81)		 19.50
(0.77)		 14.01
(0.55)		 16.78
(0.66)		 26.91
(1.06)		 91.44
(3.60)		 90.18
(3.55)		 91.01
(3.58)		 677.09
(26.66)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 113.51 122.05 165.50 206.01 267.05 330.90 333.92 310.91 237.76 170.41 121.35 102.84 2,482.21
Source: Hellenic National Meteorological Service
View of the cathedral church of Saints Constantine and Helen.
Statue of Nikolaos Plastiras (1883-1953) in Karditsa.

Education

The Department of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Thessaly -one of two Veterinary departments in Greece- and three other university departments of the University of Thessaly are based in the city.

Transport

Karditsa is served by trains on the Palaiofarsalos-Kalambaka line, with connections to both Athens and Thessaloniki.

Sports

Football clubs include Anagennisi Karditsa, AO Karditsa, Asteras Karditsa and Elpides Karditsas. ASK Karditsa is a basketball club and SPA Karditsa (el) is a volleyball club.

Sport clubs based in Karditsa
Club Founded Sports Achievements
Anagennisi Karditsas1904FootballPresence in Super League 2
AO Karditsa1966FootballEarlier presence in Beta Ethniki
Asteras Karditsa1980FootballEarlier presence in Gamma Ethniki
ASK Karditsa2006BasketballPresence in Alpha Ethniki
SPA Karditsa1987VolleyballPresence in A2 Ethniki volleyball
Elpides Karditsas1994FootballEarlier presence in A Ethniki women

Notable people

Seal of Bartholomew, Latin Bishop of Karditsa and Velestino in the early 13th century

The two most prominent personalities of Greek history, who came from Karditsa, were the marshals–fighters:

Τhe Greek archbishop, Seraphim of Athens was also born and raised in Karditsa.

Other notable people associated with Karditsa are the following ones:

Politics

Arts and music

Sports

Sciences

See also

References

  1. ↑ Municipality of Karditsa, Municipal elections – October 2023, Ministry of Interior
  2. ↑ "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
  3. ↑ Arrowsmith, John. "Turkey in Europe, 1832".
  4. ↑ Leake, William Martin. Travels in Northern Greece. (1835).
  5. 1 2 "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
  6. ↑ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-21.
  7. ↑ Rousiakis, Sotirios (2021). THE MODERN GREEK DIALECT OF THE KARAGOUNS IN WEST THESSALY. p. 19.
  8. ↑ "Karditsa Climatic Data". Hellenic National Meteorological Service. Retrieved 16 March 2021.