A short guide of our area
Kranidi is the capital of the Municipality of Ermionida. The municipality extends across the province of Ermionida and includes Ermioni, Portoheli, Koiladha, Dhidhima, Fournoi, Loukaiti, Ranto, Hiliokastro and Thermisi. The area of ??the municipality is 417.59 square kilometers and the population is 12,446 inhabitants (census in 2011). Apart from the main settlements many resorts, more than 3,000, have been built, mostly in areas near the beaches. The terrain includes small hilly plains and highlands. The climate is temperate Mediterranean. Olive trees thrive in this area which are cultivated by the traditional way, along with the pomegranate, citrus trees (the well known mandarins) vineyards and vegetables while livestock is developed as well.
Kranidi, Hermioni, Hydra and Spetses have become an indivisibly geographical, historical, social, cultural and economic cluster. Many years ago, especially during the 19th century the inhabitants of Ermionida along with their rural and farming activities they also dealt with the maritime professions and fishing. In the region remarkable hotels have been built and nowadays the tourism development dominates in the development of the place.
History
Archaeological investigations which were done during 60s and 70s in Franchthi Cave opposite Koiladha, proved that the Cave was inhabited since 40.000 B.C. and since then it was inhabited almost continuously since prehistoric times up to the late Neolithic Period (4.000 B.C.).
In Homer’s time the cities that were flourished were Hermioni and Masis, a name that remains up to now only in the titles of certain Services in Kranidi, like Masis Land Registry and Masis County Court. Homer mentions that Hermioni took part in the Trojan War on the side of the Argives. During the Persian Wars Hermione took part with three ships in the naval battle of Salamis and with three hundred soldiers in the battle of Plataea. The ancient Hermioni which had its own currency it also had laboratories processing porphyry which produced dye from porphyry (purple). The financial strength of Hermioni during that time is justified by the trade of that dye made from porhyry . Also in Porto Heli ruins of the ancient city of Halieis exist. Notable findings from the ancient cities of the Municipality of Ermionida are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Nafplion.
In Byzantine times Kranidi is mentioned in historical documents since 1288.
Important dates for Ermionida:
- Frank domination: 1212-1394
- First Venetian domination: 1394-1537
- First Turkish domination: 1537-1686
- Second Venetian domination: 1686-1715
- Second Turkish domination: 1715-1821
During the Turkish domination Kranidi was an upscale village in the Turkish-occupied Greece. In 1824 it hosted the provisional government of Greece. Being an area with strong naval power as it had a large number of merchant ships during the Turkish domination Kranidi was partly independent. The commanders and fighters of Ermionida (Lower Nahyan) along with the priest Arseni Kresta were the protagonists during the fight for the independence of the nation. From 18th January 1827 to 18th March 1827 the procedures of the Third National Assembly were held in Hermioni and Troizina and were completed in May of the same year.
Kranidi is the birthplace of the politician Emmanouil Repouli (1863-1924) who served as vice president and minister of the government of Eleftherios Venizelos.
This text is only a summary. More information about the area can be found in the following bibliography:
- Βουτσίνος Γεώργιος (2010) “Μητρώον Κρανιδιωτών Αγωνιστών”, Έκδοση Δημοτικής Βιβλιοθήκης Δήμου Κρανιδίου.
- Βαν Άντελ Τιέρντ και Ράνελς Κέρτις (2002) “Αρχαιολογία χωρίς σκαπάνη. Η περίπτωση της Νότιας Αργολίδας”, Εκδόσεις Καλειδοσκόπιο, Αθήνα.
- Γκάτσος Α. Βασίλειος (1996) “Η των Ερμιονέων πόλις”, Έκδοση Β.Α. Γκάτσου, Πειραιάς.
- Γκάτσος Α. Βασίλειος (2001) “Η ανασυγκρότηση της Ερμιονίδας. 7ος-20ος μ.Χ. αιώνας. Κρανιδιωτών Πολιτεία”, Εκδόσεις Αρχιπέλαγος, Αθήνα.
- Ησαΐας Αγγ. Ιωάννης (1996) “Οδοιπορικό στην Ιστορία και Χωρογραφία του Δήμου Ερμιόνης (από την αρχαιότητα μέχρι σήμερα)”, Έκδοση Δήμου Ερμιόνης.
- Ησαΐας Αγγ. Ιωάννης (2010) “Η νομισματοκοπία της Αρχαίας Ερμιόνης”, Έκδοση Δήμου Ερμιόνης.
- Ησαϊας Αγγ. Ιωάννης (2013) “Τα νομίσματα της Αρχαίας Ερμιόνης και της Αρχαίας Πόλης των Αλιέων”, Βιβλίο Β΄, Έκδοση του Δήμου Ερμιονίδας.
- Ησαϊας Αγγ. Ιωάννης (2013) “Ιστορία του Κρανιδίου και των κοινοτήτων Πορτοχελίου, Διδύμων, Φούρνων και Κοιλάδας”, Έκδοση Δήμου Ερμιονίδας.
- Κύρου Κ. Άδωνις (1990) “Στο σταυροδρόμι του Αργολικού”, Έκδοση Α.Κ. Κύρου, Αθήνα.
- Μάλλωσης Ηρ. Ιωάννης (1930) “Η εν Ερμιόνη Γ΄ Εθνοσυνέλευσις”, Β΄ Έκδοση του Δήμου Ερμιόνης 2007.
- Παϊδούση-Παπαντωνίου Γιόνα Μικέ (1996) “Η Ερμιονίδα ανά τους αιώνες” Έκδοση Πελοποννησιακού Λαογραφικού Ιδρύματος, Αθήνα.
- Ρέπουλης Εμμανουήλ, “ΚΕΙΜΕΝΑ (Επιστολές, Άρθρα, Ομιλίες)” Έκδοση Δήμου Κρανιδίου 2001.
- Jacobsen T.W. (1987) ?Excavations at Franchthi Cave? Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis.
- Jameson Michael (1969) ?Excavations at Porto Cheli and Vicinity. Preliminary Report I: Halieis, 1962-1968.? Hesperia vol. 38 (p. 311-342)
- Jameson Michael, Runnels Curtis, van Andel Tjeerd (1994) “A Greek Countryside. The Southern Argolid from the Prehistory to the Present Day.” Stanford University Press. Stanford, California.
- Sutton Susan (2000) “Contingent Countryside. Settlement, Economy, and Land Use in the Southern Argolid Since 1700.” Stanford University Press. Stanford, California.
The following books are about the research work carried out by the team of archaeologists of the Indiana University (USA) for Franchthi Cave and the ancient town of Halieis and they can be found in the school library.
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