Aeghion
(or Aegium, Aeigio, Aigio, Egio)

History

The city is built upon the exact spot of the ancient city of Aigio. According to the findings of the excavations, the area was first inhabited during the Paleolithic era and it has been under continuous habitation since 2000 B.C. During the invasion of Dorians (1100 B.C.) in the greek peninsula, Achaeans from several areas (especially Argolida) migrated to the area and founded important cities such as Aigio and Patras. Aigio itself has been the religious and political headquarters of the Achaeans, as well as the capital of the Achaean Sympoliteia (an archaic community between cities) around 276 B.C. After an extensive period of occupation from several cultures (Franks for approximately 200 years and Ottomans for another 400) and the peaceful migration of Albanian and Slavic population seeking for a better future, Aigio has been the first greek city to liberate from the Ottoman occupation (26th of March 1821) during the Greek Revolution.

Today

Aigio nowadays is the second biggest in population city of the prefecture of Achaia. It is built by the sea. Areas of special tourist interest are the old section of the city (where one can still see elements of the typical architecture of the early 1900s) and the beach from the Railway Station (which in itself provides an example of Railway Architecture of the 1900s) to the church of Panayia Trypiti (Holy Mother of the Cave in a free translation, due to where the icon of the Holy Mother was discovered), the old storages of raisins (all now been internally transformed to luxurious cafés) and the old paper factory (providing a typical example of industrial architecture from the onset of the last century, now gradually being transformed into an academic institution). The findings from antiquity are not much and are rather scarce around the city. Towards the water storage of the city excavations revealed two rectangular buildings of 500 B.C and 400 B.C. respectively. The same excavation confirmed also the existence of a cemetery of the Classical era northwest of the same spot, while in the square of Psila Alonia (the central square of the city) tombs from the Mycenaean era were discovered. Towards the sea two more cemeteries (an Hellenistic and a Roman one) were also brought to light.

Not to miss

  1. The old Open Market, designed by the 1900s architect Ziller now serves as the City's Archaeological Museum and its collection is rather interesting.
  2. The plane-tree by the beach that Paysanias describes in one of his wonderings around ancient Greece.
  3. The ruins of ancient Eliki located about 9kms southeast. The excavations are well under work still. This is the city where Elikonios Posidonas (Elikean Poseidon) was worshipped and his temple has been noted as one of the finest of antiquity. Unfortunately much of the city was destroyed on the 373 B.C tsunami, following a severe earthquake and is now under sea.
  4. The Psila Alonia square and the city's jewel which is its small Park in the heart of the square.
  5. The village of Rododafni 3kms west in a rural green setting and especially the beach of Acoli with tourism activities and well hidden virgin sites.
  6. The Cathedral of Panayia Faneromeni (the revealed Holy mother) and the Church of Isodia (devoted to the public official first appearance of the Holy Mother as a young girl, as cited in the bible) both also designed by the architect Ziller in the early 1900s.

Weather

http://www.meteo.gr/cf_print.asp?city_id=110

Photos

http://aigio-home.tripod.com/id5.html

Links

Here are a few links to websites that may interest you, about Aigio in particular and Greece in general.

Multimedia