Drapanias
{{Infobox Greek Dimos
|name =
|name_local={{Lang|el|Δραπανιάς}}
|type = community
| image_skyline = Δραπανιάς 1337.jpg
|caption_skyline=Aerial view of Drapanias
| coordinates = {{Coord|35.492|23.705|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|periph=Crete
|periphunit=Chania
|municipality=Kissamos
|municunit=Mythimna
|postal_code=73400
|elevation=38
|population_as_of=2021
|population=409
}}
Drapanias ({{Langx|el|Δραπανιάς}}) is a small village in northwestern Crete, in the regional unit of Chania. It was the principal town in the Cretan municipality of Kissamos. It was built in the ruins of the ancient town of Methymna.
The nearby village of Ano Drapanias ("Upper Drapanias") is sometimes considered to be part of Drapanias, with the northern beachside areas being referred to as Kato Drapanias ("Lower Drapanias").{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}
Frequent KTEL buses connect the village with various locations, such as Kissamos and Chania.{{Cite web |url=http://bus-service-crete-ktel.com/timetabledet.php?line=3&lg=2 |title=KTEL bus schedules |access-date=2012-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216133633/http://www.bus-service-crete-ktel.com/timetabledet.php?line=3&lg=2 |archive-date=2007-12-16 |url-status=dead }}
The village and its people are memorialized in several works by the Cretan author Kimon Faradakis.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}
Population
{{Historical populations
|align = none
|source = Population censuses{{Cite web |title=Drapanias Chania {{!}} Greece.com |url=http://www.greece.com/destinations/Crete/Chania/Village/Drapanias.html |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=www.greece.com}}{{cite web|url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |publisher=National Statistical Service of Greece |title=Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) |language=el |url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |archivedate=2015-09-21 }}{{cite web | url = http://www.statistics.gr/documents/20181/1210503/resident_population_census2011rev.xls | title = Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός | publisher = Hellenic Statistical Authority | language = el }}
|1981|515
|1991|348
|2001|462
|2011|427
|2021|409
}}
History
Evidence of settlements at Drapanias dates back to circa 1600 BCE during the Greek Bronze Age, at the Minoan archaeological site of Nopigeia-Drapanias.{{Cite book |last=England) |first=Food and Drink in Archaeology (Conference) (1st : 2007 : Nottingham |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/843309266 |title=Food and Dink in Archaeology 1 : University of Nottingham postgraduate conference 2007 |date=2008 |publisher=Prospect Books |isbn=978-1-903018-60-6 |pages=162–164 |oclc=843309266}}
Drapanias is also considered to be a possible site{{Cite web |title=Παραλία του Δραπανιά - Χανιά |url=https://greece.terrabook.com/el/chania/page/paralia-tou-drapania/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Terrabook |language=el-GR}} of the Cretan city of Methymna,{{Citation |title=Atlas of the Christian monuments of the Aegean : from the early Christian years to the fall of Constantinople |date=2014 |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1059464233 |access-date=2023-03-10 |others=Nikolaos Gkioles, Giōrgos Pallēs |place=Athens |isbn=978-618-80577-5-3 |oclc=1059464233}} a settlement that survived into Roman times as well.{{Cite web |title=Mithymna (Crete) 1 Nopigeia - Μήθυμνα |url=https://topostext.org/place/355237UMit |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=topostext.org}}{{Cite book |last=G. |first=Sēmantōnē-Bournia, Eva. Mendōnē, Lina |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1000873502 |title=Archaeological atlas of the Aegean : from prehistoric times to late antiquity |date=1999 |publisher=Ministry of the Aegean |oclc=1000873502}} A Roman bath on the site subsequently had a church dedicated to Saint George built into it, which has wall paintings dating to the early 15th century CE.
Along with the rest of Crete, from 1205 to 1669, Drapanias was under the control of Venice under the Kingdom of Candia.{{Cite book |last=Detorakis |first=Theocharis E. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/715204595 |title=Ιστορία της Κρήτης |publisher= |year=1986 |language=el |trans-title=History of Crete |oclc=715204595}} During this period, the Villa Trevisan was constructed {{Convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on}} outside the village limits.{{Cite web |title=Villa Trevisian in Drapanias - Hotels, Car Rental - Crete Greece |url=https://www.crete.tournet.gr/en/crete-guide/sights-crete/2-venetian-sights/983-venetian-villa-in-drapanias |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=www.crete.tournet.gr}}
Other surviving sites in the village include a tower and well dating to the Ottoman Greek period.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}
During the 1821 Greek War of Independence, the ship Terpsichore landed at Drapanias in order to besiege the Venetian fortress at Kissamos, which was ultimately successful in restoring Crete to Greek rule.{{Cite web |last=Papathanassiou |first=Manolis |title=Kasteli of Kissamos |url=https://www.kastra.eu/castleen.php?kastro=kisamos |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Καστρολόγος |language=en}}
After the 2011 local government reform, Drapanias, which had been the seat of municipality of Mythimna, became part of the municipality of Kissamos as the Mythimna municipality was absorbed into it.{{Cite web |title=ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities |url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL81-32jgAMSfbnMRVjyfnPUeJInJ48_97uHrMts-zFzeyCiBSQOpYnT00MHhcXFRTsb2fGphpq4MKX2ZkaHobySNnvZCNHXvYVvlf80XevW0Q. |publisher=Government Gazette |language=el}}
On January 25, 2022, the Egyptian freighter Manassa Rose M ran aground on the beach in the village and subsequently broke into two pieces.{{Cite web |title=Aging Freighter Runs Aground and Breaks Up Off Crete |url=https://maritime-executive.com/article/aging-freighter-runs-aground-and-breaks-up-off-crete |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=The Maritime Executive |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=ΛΕΩΝΙΔΑΣ |date=2022-04-27 |title=Χανιά {{!}} Ακίνητο στη θέση του το Manassa Rose - Θα γίνει σαν το ναυάγιο της Γραμβούσας; {{!}} Video |url=https://www.zarpanews.gr/chania-akinito-sti-thesi-toy-to-manassa-rose-tha-ginei-san-to-nayagio-tis-gramvoysas-video/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=zarpanews.gr |language=el}}
File:Island of Crete, Greece.JPG|Crete from Satellite
File:2339 kissamos-kastelli.jpg|Kissamos