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Klenia

COUNTY: Corinthia MUNICIPALITY: Corinth

Clouds
9.98ºC

Population

500 - 1,000

Infrastracture

Gas Station

Distance from nearest city

10-35km

TL;DR

A picturesque village with many churches and sights.

The village of Klenia is located near the Corinth-Argos freeway, at an altitude of 380m above sea level. It has about 780 residents, who are mainly occupied with animal husbandry and agriculture. The village is built on the foothills of Nifitsa mountain (meaning “weasel” in Greek), and to the southeast of it, the ruins of Pano Klenia (“Upper Klenia”) can be found. Pano Klenia was inhabited since the start of the 19th century. It is there that the church of “Panagia Mouskoufitsa” is preserved, a church built before the Greek Revolution of 1821. The origins of the village's name are unknown. The Byzantine church of Agios Nikolaos ('Saint Nikolaos'), which was built in the late 12th century and contains important murals, the church of Agios Panteleimon (built in 1593), as well as an impressive cave with stalagmites and stalactites, are all distinguished areas to visit while in the area. There are also many chapels in the village, such as those of Agios Dimitrios, Agia Sotira, and Agios Konstantinos. Most chapels of the area have been demolished, though, and new churches have been built on top of the original ones. One of these is the church of Profitis Ilias on the south peak of Nifitsa mountain, very likely built on top of some ancient ruins. Every year, the village holds a grand festival dedicated to Agios Ioannis Theologos ('Saint John Theologos'), the graveyard's church. Another important festival is held on the second day of Easter, dedicated to Agios Panteleimon (unless it happens to be on the same day as the celebration of Agios Georgios, "Saint Georgios"). The village has been inhabited since ancient times, and during the times of the Greek Revolution, it was the site of many skirmishes. Many potsherds from the Byzantine era have been discovered in the village. During those times, the village was flourishing greatly. Pano Klenia is no longer inhabited today, as its former residents abandoned it so they could settle someplace lower, at the current position of Klenia.