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Altomira (Greek: Αλτομιρά) accented forms: Altomirá is a mountainous village in the municipality of Avia, Messinia prefecture, Greece. As of 2001, it had a population of 288 for the village and the municipal district and sits at 860 m above sea level. Many of its residents live during the summer months.

[edit] Nearest places

• Pigadia, northeast
• Anatoliko, southeast
• Voreio, south
• Sotiranika, west

[edit] Population

It had about 30 inhabitants in 1829, its population boomed from 216 in 1835 to 403 in 1907. Its population loss by early immigration mostly to the cities and the United States and later other parts of the world. It had 169 inhabitants in 1951, 18 in 1961 and only one in 1971. It recovered slowly to 72 by city inhabitants in 2001.

[edit] Location and transportation

The Kalamata-Areopoli Road (uncertainly GR-7) is 6 km to the west. Altomira is located southwest of Sparta, north of Areopoli and SSE of Kalamata..

The village has about 4 km of paved road, 6 km of gravel road and has about 5 km of hydro and phone lines.

[edit] The village today

Altomira hasa church, a post office, and a square (plateia). Its nearest school, lyceum (middle school) and gymnasium (secondary school) are in Avia.

[edit] Geography and history

Altomira was mentioned for the first time in 1618 with 20 families. Later, it mentioned along with all the census and wirtings of the villages in Outer Mani.

During the Greek War of Independence in 1821, its residents had a large number of shooters. It was administratively part of the municipality of Gerinia (Γερηνία) and since 1841 Avia with the exception of 1914 until 1998 as it was a community.

Altomira features a cobblestone sidewalk Biliovo (Μπίλιοβο) which was made in the late 19th century and connected the field village of the area. It is only used for residents.

It had a low-level summer school between 1875 and 1940. Its students begin in March and ends on October due in the winter, its residents which attend from the plain area. The school ran again from 1955 until 1960 and became winter school. It closed due to a declining population and its students presently attend in Avia.

After World War II and the Greek Civil War, most of its inhabiants moved into the field villages of Avia, Kambos, Megali Mantineia and Sotirianika as well as Kalamata and other cities. No one ever forgotten the village. Festivals occur every summer and brings in a large number of crowds.

[edit] Sources

• Theodoros Belitsos Ta Altomira tis Exo Manis (Τα Αλτομιρά της Έξω Μάνης (Ιστορία-Οικογένειες-Τοπωνύμια) = Altomira in Outer Mani (History-Family-Toponyms), 1999

[edit] See also

• List of places in the Messinia prefecture
• Administrative divisions in the Messinia prefecture

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Altomira at the GTP Travel Pages
• Map and aerial photos:
  • Street map information from: Mapquest, LiveLocal or Google or Yahoo! Maps
  • Satellite images: Google or Microsoft Virtual Earth - image now available
• Coordinates: 36°58′19″N 22°13′50″E / 36.97194, 22.23056

Coordinates: 37°58′19″N 22°13′50″E / 37.97194, 22.23056