Pelion

 

(pē'lēən) , Gr. Pílion, mountain, 5,252 ft (1,601 m) high, N Greece, E Thessaly, on the Aegean coast. In ancient legend, the centaur Chiron lived on the mountain and the Aloadae piled Pelion on Mt. Óssa.

Pelion Πήλιο Pilio
Satellite view of the Pilio mountain and its peninsula
Elevation	1,651 m at Ossa (official)
Location	eastern Magnesia, Greece
Range	Pilio
Prominence	50 km, north to south approx. from 5 to 20 km from east to west
Coordinates	39.433 or 39°26' N 23.05 or 23°3' W
Easiest route	road, climb
Listing	Parkland
Pronunciation	[Pe•li•o]

Pelion or Pelium (Greek: Πήλιο Pilio, Ancient/Katharevousa: Πήλιον, Lat: 39°26′N, 023°03′E) is a mountain at the southeastern part of Thessaly in central Greece, forming a hook-like peninsula between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. The GR-38 runs in the southern portion of the peninsula and the GR-38A runs in the middle.

In Greek mythology, Mount Pelion (which took its name from the mythical king Peleus, father of Achilles) was the homeland of Chiron the Centaur, tutor of many ancient Greek heroes, such as Jason, Achilles, Theseus and Heracles. It was in Mount Pelion, near Chiron's cave, that the marriage of Thetis and Peleus took place. The uninvited goddess Eris, to take revenge for having been kept outside the party, brought a golden apple with the inscription "To the Fairest". The dispute that then arose between the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athene resulted in events leading to the Trojan War. When the giants Otus and Ephialtes attempted to storm Olympus, they piled Mount Pelion upon Mount Ossa, which became a proverbial allusion for any huge but fruitless attempt.

Geography

Today, Mt. Pelion is part of the prefecture of Magnesia (capital city: Volos) and embraces twenty-four villages including:

Most significant:

• Agios Georgios Nileas
• Agios Lavrentios
• Portaria
• Makrinitsa
• Milies
• Mouresi
• Tsangarada
• Zagora
• Argalasti

More:

• Agios Dimitrios
• Anilio
• Artemida
• Drakeia
• Kanalia,
• Kissos
• Neochori
• Pinakates
• Vlasios
• Xinovryssi

The mountains are entirely forested, with beech, oak, maple and chestnut trees. Pelion is a tourist attraction throughout the year: the mountain includes trails and sidewalks, giving access to numerous beaches (with sand or pebbles) of varying size. Modern Pelio's twenty-four villages all retain traditional Pelian architecture and construction.

History

The Pelion train, dating back to 1881, was the first serious public investment in the area. Electricity, radio and automobiles were first introduced in the 1950s except for Volos, which had those utilities from earlier times. Television arrived in the 1970s and the 1980s and computers and Internet in the late-1990s. The northern part of the Pelion mountains was struck by a forest fire (see Summer 2007 Wildfires in Greece) on Wednesday June 26,2007 which started in Siki and damaged its forests, mostly at the middle part of the mountain. The fire lasted for several days and stopped on July 1. Several villages were damaged. As of late August however, a natural rebirth of the forest was already being noticed, with several trees gradually turning green again, as well as bushes appearing on the ground.

Communications

The mountain has a telecommunications tower that broadcasts radio and television including ANT1, Mega, ERT, Star Channel, Alter, TRT and more and radio including ERA, ANT1 FM and many more.

Panorama

Its panorama offers a views of the valley, the mountains of western Magnesia, the plain of Thessaly and its nearby mountains, Mavrovouni, Euboea, Central Greece and the northern Sporades.

External links

• Pelion Mouresi: official municipal website
• Prefecture of Magnesia, capital city of Volos, and Mt. Pelion
• Portaria: Official municipal website
• The Pilion Railway, which played a big role in the economic development of the Pelion region
• Map and Aerial Photos:
  • Street Map Information: Mapquest, LiveLocal, Google orYahoo! Maps
  • Satellite Images: Google or Microsoft Virtual Earth
• Coordinates: 37°21′46″N, 21°59′39″E

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