Lepreo

Lepreo (Greek, Modern: Λέπρεο, Ancient/Katharevoussa: , Ancient times: Λέπρεος "Lepreos"), older form: -n, accented form: Lépreo, ancient name: Lepreus, is a village in the municipality of Zacharo, Ilia Prefecture, Greece. Its 2001 population was 388 for the village and 532 for the municipal district.

ettlements

*Agrapidia
*Drakos
*Panagies
*Reveleika or Revelaiika
*Skoupa

Nearest places

*Taxiarches, north (distance: 5 km)
*Faskomilia, east (distance: 8 km)
*Kato Taxiarches, west (distance: 4 km)

Population

Location and transportation

Lepreo is located south of Olympia, west of Andritsaina and Megalopoli, northwest of Kalamata, northeast of Kyparissia and southeast of Pyrgos. It is 8 km east of the old GR-8 (Patras - Pyrgos - Methoni) and is connected with the road linking Neochori and Andritsaina.

The village has about 3 km of paved road and about 4 km of gravel road. It has about 4 km of hydro lines, phone lines are around 3 km.

Geography

Its geography compromises of groves and almost the whole crop, farmlands that covers the western portions including some hills, forests are to the west near the municipal district boundary and the remains of a swamp area that once covered the flat part of northern Elis. They are made up of grasses, marshes and bushes lie to the northeast.

History

Lepreo was an ancient city during that time. It was settled during the prehistoric era and became one of the safest Elean cities. Founded in Triphyllia near Samiko built in the foot of the Minthe mountains, it is named after the founder [http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Lepreus.html Lepreus] , the son of Pyrgeus. The next and the ruler of the city was the Achaean League during the Peloponnesian War. It was also affected by the Second Messenian War. In 146 BC, it was sacked by the Romans in Ilia [ [http://www.zacharo.gr/1/8546.html Municipality of Zacharo] ] [Thucydides "Histories" V]

200 Lepreans fought in Plataeae and their names were honoured in the statue of Zeus in Olympia and in the oracle of Delphi. [XXIII Pausanias "Eleaka" I]

It also had the temple of Demeter built with sided edges, Pausanias visited the temole and it did not had a holy statue inside. [Pausanias "Eleaka" I"] [Pausanias "Eleaka I"]

The ancient city was excavated in 1982 by Konstantinos Zahos. Located near the modern village, it features the ancient acropolis and ruins of buildings.

After World War II and the Greek Civil War, most of its buildings were rebuilt. Electricity, radio and automobiles were introduced in the mid-20th century, television in the late-20th century and computer and internet at the turn of the millennium. During the creation and recreation of the municipalities under the Capodistrian Plan in 1997, it became a part of the municipality of Zacharo and its commune or community was transformed into a municipal district. Lepreo was affected by the furious forest fire, and occurred on Saturday August 15 and Sunday August 26 2007, firefighters battled the blazed along with hydroplanes and choppers. Most of the area were affected. The affected areas are uncertain and a portions including the southwest escaped that furiosity.

Economy

Its main economy is agriculture, its main production includes olives, citrus and cattle.

Other

Lepreo has a school, a church, a post office, and a square ("plateia"). Its nearest lyceum (middle school) and gymnasium (secondary school) are in Zacharo.

ee also

*List of places in the Ilia prefecture
*Administrative divisions of the Ilia prefecture

References

External links

* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=4646 Lepreo at the GTP Travel Pages]
*Map and aerial photos:
**Street map information from: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=37.441&longitude=21.823&zoom=6 Mapquest] , [http://local.live.com/mapz.aspx?&lats1=37.441&longs=21.823&alts1=35 LiveLocal] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=37.44,21.823 Google] or [http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?lat=37.441&lon=21.823&mag=2 Yahoo! Maps]
**Satellite
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.441,21.823&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] or [http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=37.441|21.823&5style=h&lvl=15&v=1 Microsoft Virtual Earth] - image now available
*Lepreo's coordinates is at: coord|37|26|34|N|21|43|19|E|type:city(388)_region:GR