Sparta, Laconia

{{Further|Sparta|History of Sparta|Mystras|Despotate of the Morea}}

File:Eurotas.JPG outside Sparta|left]]

File:View of modern Sparta, Mount Taygetus and the Eurotas from the Menelaion on 15 May 2019.jpg from the Menelaion|left]]

Beginning in the 13th century, the political and cultural center of Laconia shifted to Mystras, some 4 km to the west. The settlement at ancient Sparta, named Lacedaemonia, continued to exist, although greatly depopulated, until modern times as a town of a few thousand people who lived among the ruins, in the shadow of Mystras.Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition The Palaiologos family (the last Byzantine Greek imperial dynasty) also lived in Mystras. The Despotate of the Morea was captured by the Ottomans under Mehmed II in 1460.

In 1834, after the Greek War of Independence, King Otto of Greece decreed the town should be expanded into a city. Modern-day Sparta, the capital of the prefecture of Lakonia, lies on the eastern foothills of Mount Taygetos in the Evrotas River valley. The city has been built upon the site of ancient Sparta, whose Acropolis lies north of the modern city.{{Cite web|url=https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/archaeological_site/%ce%b1%cf%81%cf%87%ce%b1%ce%af%ce%b1-%cf%83%cf%80%ce%ac%cf%81%cf%84%ce%b7/|title=Αρχαία Σπάρτη|website=Αρχαιολογία Online|language=el|access-date=2019-07-17}} To the southwest stands Mt. Taygetos. To the east of the city stands the Parnonas mountain range, which is forested predominantly with Greek fir trees and other conifers.

The municipality was formed on 21 March 1835, and officially declared the Municipality of Sparta in 1845. It was transferred from Laconia to Lacedaemon Province in 1899, but this was reversed in 1909. The city hall was constructed in 1872 during the tenure of Mayor Emmanuel Meletopoulos.

Today Sparta maintains its good design, boasting large squares and wide streets lined with trees, while many of the older buildings remain in excellent condition. The city of Sparta is the economic, administrative and cultural center of Lakonia. A key factor in the advancement of the city's development is the operation of two departments of the University of Peloponnese and a department of the Technological Educational Institute.

The centrally located main square is dominated by the most imposing neo-classical building in Sparta, the City Hall. Built in 1909, City Hall bears the signature of the Greek architect G. Katsaros.{{cite web|title=Modern day Sparta|url=http://www.exploresparta.gr/tourism/en/sparta/|access-date=2014-09-06}} During the monarchy (which was abolished by referendum in 1973), the title of Duke of Sparta was used for the Greek crown prince, the διάδοχος (diádokhos).

File:Sparta - panoramio - macrolepis (1).jpg

File:ModernSparta.jpg

The municipality of Sparta was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following seven former municipalities, that became municipal units:{{Cite web|url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL8-SrPzKAEPjjtIl9LGdkF53UIxsx942CdyqxSQYNuqAGCF0IfB9HI6hq6ZkZV96FIukI0UzcPsWCK0LpLhpa7rhiWB4R5ntTnoWw7U8E1Amg.|title=ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text|language=el|publisher=Government Gazette}}

• Faris
• Karyes
• Mystras
• Oinountas
• Pellana
• Sparta
• Therapnes

The municipality has an area of 1,181.780 km², the municipal unit 84.453 km².{{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}} The municipal unit consists of the local communities Sparta, Afisi, Amykles, Kalyvia Sochas and Kladas.

Petros Doukas, who served from 2019 to 2023, was affilated with New Democracy.{{Cite news |date=9 October 2023 |title=Petros Doukas: From mayor... fifth in Sparta – The video that "burned" him |work=News 24/7 |url=https://www.news247.gr/ekloges/petros-doukas-apo-dimarxos-pemptos-sti-sparti-to-vinteo-pou-ton-ekapse/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104071857/https://www.news247.gr/ekloges/petros-doukas-apo-dimarxos-pemptos-sti-sparti-to-vinteo-pou-ton-ekapse/ |archive-date=4 January 2025}} Michalis Vakalopoulos was elected mayor of Sparta in 2023 as a member of the Sparta Together coalition.{{Cite news |date=15 October 2023 |title=Michalis Vakalopoulos, the new mayor of Sparta - He beat Dia Tzanetea with 54% |work=Notos Press |url=https://www.notospress.gr/peloponnisos/story/96627/mixalis-vakalopoulos-o-neos-dimarxos-tis-spartis-kerdise-me-54-tin-dia-tzanetea |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250104062617/https://www.notospress.gr/peloponnisos/story/96627/mixalis-vakalopoulos-o-neos-dimarxos-tis-spartis-kerdise-me-54-tin-dia-tzanetea |archive-date=4 January 2025}}

The city of Sparta enjoys a sunny and warm Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa). January highs are around {{convert|14|°C|0|abbr=on}} while July and August highs are around {{convert|36|°C|0|abbr=on}} in the city proper. Sparta records the highest summer average maximum temperatures in Greece.{{cite web|title= Meteoclub.gr|url=http://www.meteoclub.gr/themata/egkyklopaideia/6125-sparti-h-yperdynami-ths-kalokairinhs-zesths-stin-ellada|access-date=2014-09-05}} The highest temperature ever recorded in Sparta is {{convert|45.7|°C|1|abbr=on}} in August 2021.[http://stratus.meteo.noa.gr/data/bulletins/deltio_noa082021.pdf?CFID=b2058680-727c-4a51-97e0-9d555c66de14&CFTOKEN=0 Deltio data] On average, Sparta records 6 days per year with temperatures of over {{convert|40.0|°C|1|abbr=on}}.{{cite web | url=https://www.meteo.gr/Monthly_Bulletins.cfm | title=Meteo.gr - Προγνώσεις καιρού για όλη την Ελλάδα }} In June 2024, Sparta recorded an astonishing mean max temperature of {{convert|37.6|°C|1|abbr=on}}.{{cite web | url=https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/sparti/NOAAYR.TXT | title=Sparta NOA June 2024 mean max 37.6C | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701113858/https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/sparti/NOAAYR.TXT | accessdate=1 July 2024| archive-date=1 July 2024 }} In July 2024 the HNMS station in Sparta registered a record average maximum temperature of {{convert|38.6|°C|1|abbr=on}} while the NOA station registered a record of {{convert|38.5|°C|1|abbr=on}} {{cite web | url=https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/sparti/NOAAYR.TXT | title=Sparta mean max records | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731203711/https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/sparti/NOAAYR.TXT | accessdate=1 August 2024| archive-date=31 July 2024 }}

{{Weather box

|location= Sparta 180 m a.s.l

|metric first=yes

|single line=yes

|Jan high C=14.4

|Feb high C=16.1

|Mar high C=18.5

|Apr high C=23.0

|May high C=27.8

|Jun high C=32.8

|Jul high C=36.1

|Aug high C=36.0

|Sep high C=31.3

|Oct high C=25.3

|Nov high C=20.2

|Dec high C=16.1

|Jan mean C= 8.8

|Feb mean C=10.0

|Mar mean C=12.0

|Apr mean C=15.6

|May mean C=20.0

|Jun mean C=24.8

|Jul mean C=27.9

|Aug mean C=27.7

|Sep mean C=23.8

|Oct mean C=18.5

|Nov mean C=14.1

|Dec mean C=10.2

|Jan low C= 3.1

|Feb low C= 4.0

|Mar low C= 5.6

|Apr low C= 8.1

|May low C=12.2

|Jun low C=16.8

|Jul low C=19.6

|Aug low C=19.7

|Sep low C=16.4

|Oct low C=11.8

|Nov low C=7.9

|Dec low C= 4.4

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm=122.6

|Feb rain mm=82.3

|Mar rain mm=62.1

|Apr rain mm=31.4

|May rain mm=24.7

|Jun rain mm=33.1

|Jul rain mm= 11.6

|Aug rain mm= 19.4

|Sep rain mm=52.2

|Oct rain mm=61.5

|Nov rain mm=88.1

|Dec rain mm=92.0

| Jan record high C = 23.5

| Feb record high C = 26.4

| Mar record high C = 27.2

| Apr record high C = 34.1

| May record high C = 40.7

| Jun record high C = 44.4

| Jul record high C = 44.2

| Aug record high C = 45.7

| Sep record high C = 40.3

| Oct record high C = 36.4

| Nov record high C = 30.8

| Dec record high C = 23.5

| Jan record low C = -5.3

| Feb record low C = -4.2

| Mar record low C = -4.6

| Apr record low C = -0.7

| May record low C = 6.2

| Jun record low C = 9.4

| Jul record low C = 14.2

| Aug record low C = 13.1

| Sep record low C = 9.1

| Oct record low C = 1.5

| Nov record low C = -1.7

| Dec record low C = -5.2

|source = National Observatory of Athens (Feb 2009 - Aug 2024),{{cite web|url =https://www.meteo.gr/climate/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927081043/https://meteo.gr/climate/|archive-date=27 September 2022|title= Climate |publisher = National Observatory of Athens|language = el}}{{cite web | url=https://www.meteo.gr/Monthly_Bulletins.cfm | title=N.O.A Monthly Bulletins }}
Sparta N.O.A station,{{cite web | url=https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/sparti/ | title=Latest Conditions in Sparta }} }}

{{Weather box

|collapsed =y

|width = auto

|location= Sparta Air Base (HNMS ,1974–2004)

|metric first=yes

|single line=yes

|Jan high C=14.4

|Feb high C=15.1

|Mar high C=17.7

|Apr high C=21.3

|May high C=27.0

|Jun high C=32.2

|Jul high C=34.8

|Aug high C=34.3

|Sep high C=30.5

|Oct high C=25.7

|Nov high C=19.4

|Dec high C=15.2

|Jan mean C= 9.6

|Feb mean C=10.2

|Mar mean C=12.4

|Apr mean C=15.8

|May mean C=21.2

|Jun mean C=26.2

|Jul mean C=28.5

|Aug mean C=27.8

|Sep mean C=24.2

|Oct mean C=19.6

|Nov mean C=14.2

|Dec mean C=10.8

|Jan low C= 3.5

|Feb low C= 3.8

|Mar low C= 5.5

|Apr low C=7.6

|May low C=11.8

|Jun low C=15.9

|Jul low C=18.7

|Aug low C=18.0

|Sep low C=15.3

|Oct low C=12.3

|Nov low C=8.2

|Dec low C= 5.1

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm=90.7

|Feb rain mm=84.6

|Mar rain mm=73.3

|Apr rain mm=66.0

|May rain mm=47.4

|Jun rain mm=14.6

|Jul rain mm= 18.8

|Aug rain mm= 26.4

|Sep rain mm=30.8

|Oct rain mm=54.6

|Nov rain mm=90.0

|Dec rain mm=107.9

|source 1=Meteoclub.gr{{cite web

|url = http://www.meteoclub.gr/themata/egkyklopaideia/6125-sparti-h-yperdynami-ths-kalokairinhs-zesths-stin-ellada

|script-title= el:Σπάρτη : H υπερδύναμη της καλοκαιρινής ζέστης στην Ελλάδα

|publisher = Meteoclub

|language = el

|access-date = 7 June 2016}}

}}

File:The ruins of the ancient Theatre of Sparta on May 15, 2019.jpg with Parnon in the background]]

File:The entrance to the Archaeological Museum of Sparta.jpg]]

In the center of the city is the Archaeological Museum. Built by architect G. Katsaros,

in 1874–76 to house the collection of local archaeological finds by Panagiotis Stamatakis, it was the first Greek museum in a provincial city.

The city's cathedral is at the southwest end.

The ruins of ancient Sparta lie north of the city. Entering by the South Gate of the Acropolis, known as Lakedaemonia, there is the Rotunda, the Theatre and the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos to the West. Exiting the Acropolis by the North Gate there are the remains of the earliest ancient walls, the Heroon and the Altar of Lycourgos, whereas to the East there is the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia. To the North is the Monastic Church of Osios Nikonas (10th century).

{{anchor|Tomb of Leonidas}}

The "Tomb of Leonidas", or Leonidaion ({{coord|37.0767|N|22.4254|E|}}), is a limestone structure of the late 5th century BC, likely a temple, but named for Leonidas I in the 19th century, being the only ancient monument indicated within the limits of the newly planned town in 1834.Sofia Voutsaki, Paul Cartledge, Ancient Monuments and Modern Identities: A Critical History of Archaeology in 19th and 20th Century Greece (2017), [https://books.google.com/books?id=Az8lDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA50 p. 50f.]

• Archaeological Museum of Sparta
• The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in the South West end highlights the culture of the olive and the technology of olive production, 129 Othonos–Amalias Street [http://www.oliveoilmuseums.gr/ecportal.asp?id=55&nt=18&lang=2]
• Archaeological Museum of Mystras, founded by Gabriel Lilianthal in the late 19th century
• The Manousakeio Museum of urban and folk life [http://www.exploresparta.gr/tourism/en/manousakeion-museum/]
• Koumantareios Art Gallery of Sparta [http://www.exploresparta.gr/tourism/en/koumantareios-art-gallery-of-sparta/]
• Angakis Art Gallery [https://angakisgallery.com/]

The Spartathlon has taken place every September since 1983. It is an ultramarathon starting in Athens and finishing in Sparta at the statue of Leonidas, with many international participants.

The local football club of Sparta, Laconia was Sparta F.C. The club dissolved in 2019.

• Babis Petrakos, footballer
• Nikiforos Vrettakos, writer

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Greece}}

Sparta is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Αδελφοποιημένες Πόλεις|url=https://sparti.gov.gr/index.php/adelfopoiimenes-poleis|website=sparti.gov.gr|publisher=Sparta|language=el|access-date=2020-01-09}}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• {{flagicon|AUS}} Brunswick (Melbourne), Australia
• {{flagicon|CYP}} Lapithos, Cyprus
• {{flagicon|CYP}} Morphou, Cyprus
• {{flagicon|FRA}} Le Plessis-Trévise, France
• {{flagicon|HUN}} Sopron, Hungary
• {{flagicon|USA}} Stamford, United States
• {{flagicon|JPN}} Tanagura, Japan
• {{flagicon|ITA}} Taranto, Italy
• {{flagicon|ESP}} Salamanca, Spain

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Sparti}}

• [http://www.laconia.org/Sparti_introduction.htm Laconia.org]
• [http://www.sparti.gr/ Official website Sparta municipality] {{in lang|el}}

{{Kallikratis-Peloponnese}}

{{Sparti div}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparta, Laconia}}

Category:Municipalities of Peloponnese (region)

Category:Populated places in Laconia

Category:Greek prefectural capitals

Category:1834 establishments in Greece

Category:Planned communities in Greece

Category:Populated places established in 1834