IGOUMENITSA
The largest in population - 13.680
residents - Municipality of the Prefecture of Thesprotia, covers an
area of 80.808.000 m2, occupying the region around the big bay of the
capital city of the Prefecture, Igoumenitsa, and up to the old mouth of
Kalamas river. The plain was a result of the silts of Kalamas, while it
has been claimed that the Lygia Peninsula, the Pyrgos of Ragio, etc.,
and small hills in the area of the river's sources, used to be islands
(the Syvota, islands of Thucydides) during the historic period.
The cape of Drepano - where the homonymous municipal camping is today -
which partly blocks the entrance of the bay, and the shallowness of the
sea, had probably made, from the ancient times, the use of the bay as a
port, problematic. (Thucydides: "Limin Erimos" (Deserted Port)) Very
few stone tools of the Mid-Paleolithic era (±40.000-9.000 B.C.),
comprise the only indication of appearance of the prehistoric man, at
the limits of the Municipality. The excavations at the hill of the
Pyrgos of Ragio showed that the area had already been inhabited since
the 2nd millennium B.C. At the Lygia Peninsula, north of the bay of
Igoumenitsa, during the Classic era, probably also during the period of
the Peloponnise war, colonists from Kerkyra created Toroni, a colony of
the people of Kerkyra on the coastline of the mainland. Fortified with
strong evenly-structured walls, The Kerkyraiki Peraia was protected,
from the mainland, by the small, clearly of military nature, castle of
the Pyrgos of Ragio. An indication of the early roman presence is the
homestead at the position "Troube" of N.Selefkeia, on the way to
Drepano. A quite extensive settlement of the first after-Christian
centuries, with lime-built walls of the houses and paved roads and
small squares, which was created at the cove of the bay of Igoumenitsa,
in the region of Ladochori east of the new harbor, which also seems to
have survived during the Palaeo-Christian period, comprises the distant
ancestor of today's capital of the Prefecture. The wealthy necropolis
of this settlement was located at the exit of the city towards
Ioannina, in the region of the stadium and on the grounds of the Museum
of Igoumenitsa. On the small island of Prasoudi - according to a
tradition a rock which was thrown by the Cyclops Polyphimos to Odysseas
- at the entrance of the bay of Igoumenitsa, the ruins of a
Palaeo-Christian temple survive at an adequate height. The region of
Igoumenitsa emerges anew to the fore during the Middle Ages, as its
castle [which survives in a quite good condition] on the hill on the
east side of the building of the Prefecture, kept the Enetians busy
since 1204. This castle was blown up by Morozini in 1685, after having
moved its twelve canons to Kerkyra. During the period of the Turkish
domination, its port was used - possibly after the deepening of its
entrance - as anchorage by the Turkish fleet. The tower, which dates
back to the last period of the Turkish domination (19th century), was
built by the Aga of the region on a tower which protected one of the
gates of the ancient castle at the Pyrgos of Ragio, so that he could
supervise the extensive plain at the mouth of Kalamas. The economy of
the region is based on agriculture, stock-breeding, fish-culture,
trade, craft industry, tourism and lastly, more and more, on
transportation. Today, Igoumenitsa, capital city of the homonymous
Municipality and of the Prefecture of Thesprotia, comprises a quite
important sea-gate of entry to the Greek territory, while this
preferential position of the city is being upgraded by the "Big Works":
the new modern port, "Gateway of Europe", the Egnatia highway, the
Western Ionion axis, the connecting of the port with the Border Station
of Mavromati of Sagiada. A modern Technical Educational Institute
functions, which is related with the production and the economical
position of the Prefecture (tourism, trade, primary sector).
Peninsula of Lygia: walls of the three fortified walls of the classic period of the Kerkyraiki Peraia.
Pyrgos of Ragio: small, clearly of military nature,ancient castle and after-Byzantine tower, in the center of the plain.
Ladochori ("Petrelaia"): roman villa with a burialchamber with embossed sarcophaguses(2nd-3rd centuries A.C.)
Prasoudi: ruins of a small Palaeo-Christian temple.
Castle of Igoumenitsa: castle of the Byzantine times on the hill east of the building of the Prefecture.
Delta of the old mouth of Kalamas:protected marshland.
Drepano - Makrygiali: sandy beaches near Igoumenitsa.