Veria Βέροια | |
|---|---|
 Panoramic view | |
 Seal | |
 | |
  Veria | |
| Coordinates:40°31′N22°12′E / 40.517°N 22.200°E /40.517; 22.200 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Central Macedonia |
| Regional unit | Imathia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Konstantinos Vorgiazidis[1] (since 2014) |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 796.5 km2 (307.5 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 359.1 km2 (138.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 128 m (420 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Municipality | 62,655 |
| • Density | 78.66/km2 (203.7/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 46,976 |
| • Municipal unit density | 130.8/km2 (338.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 591 31, 591 32 |
| Area code | 2331 |
| Vehicle registration | ΗΜ |
| Website | www.veria.gr |
 Interactive map of Veria | |
| Official name | Archaeological Site ofAigai (modern name Vergina) |
| Includes |
|
| Criteria | Cultural: (i)(iii) |
| Reference | 780 |
| Inscription | 1996 (20thSession) |
| Area | 1,420.81 ha (3,510.9 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 4,811.73 ha (11,890.0 acres) |
Veria (Greek:Βέροια or Βέρροια,romanized: Véroia or Vérroia;Aromanian:Veria[3]), officially transliteratedVeroia, historically also spelledBeroea orBerea,[4] is a city inCentral Macedonia, in thegeographic region ofMacedonia, northernGreece, capital of the regional unit ofImathia. It is located 511 kilometres (318 miles) north-northwest of the capitalAthens and 73 km (45 mi) west-southwest ofThessaloniki.
Even by the standards of Greece, Veria is an old city; first mentioned in the writings ofThucydides in 432 BC, there is evidence that it was populated as early as 1000 BC.[5] Veria was an important possession forPhilip II of Macedon (father ofAlexander the Great) and later for theRomans.Apostle Paul famously preached in the city, and its inhabitants were among the first Christians in the Empire. Later, under theByzantine andOttoman empires, Veria was a center of Greek culture and learning. Today Veria is a commercial center ofCentral Macedonia, the capital of theregional unit ofImathia and the seat of aChurch of Greece Metropolitan bishop in theEcumenical Patriarchate, as well as a Latin Catholictitular see.
The extensive archaeological site ofVergina (ancientAegae, the first capital ofMacedon), aUNESCO World Heritage Site containing the tomb ofPhilip II of Macedon, lies 12 km (7.5 mi) south-east of the city center of Veria.
The city is reputed to have been named by itsmythical creator Beres (also spelled Pheres) or from the daughter of the king of Berroia who was thought to be the son ofMacedon. Veria enjoyed great prosperity under the kings of theArgead Dynasty (whose most famous member wasAlexander the Great) as an important city near the capitalAigai and thenPella; the city reached the height of its glory and influence in theHellenistic period, during the reign of theAntigonid Dynasty. During this time, Veria became the seat of theKoinon of Macedonians (Κοινόν Μακεδόνων), minted its owncoinage and held sports games namedAlexandreia, in honor of Alexander the Great, withathletes from all overGreece competing in them.[6]
Veria surrendered toRome in 168 BC. During theRoman Empire, Veria became a place of worship for the Romans.Diocletian made the large and populous city one of two capitals of theRoman province ofMacedonia, eponymous in the civilDiocese of Macedonia. Within the city there was aJewish settlement wherethe Apostle Paul,[7] after leavingThessalonica, and his companionSilas preached to the Jewish and Greek communities of the city in AD 50/51 or 54/55. TheBible records:
As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
— Acts 17:10–15
In December 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of an unfinished Roman-era statue of a young athletic man at Agios Patapios. The headlessmarble statue is about three feet tall. According to the Greece's Culture Ministry, the sculpture has similarities to statues of the Greek godsApollo andHermes.[8][9][10]
Under theByzantine Empire Berrhoea continued to grow and prosper, developing a large and well-educated commercial class (Greek and Jewish) and becoming a center of medieval Greek learning; signs of this prosperity are reflected in the many Byzantine churches that were built at this time, during which it was aChristianbishopric (see below).
In the 7th century, theSlavic tribe of theDrougoubitai raided the lowlands below the city, while in the late 8th century EmpressIrene of Athens is said to have rebuilt and expanded the city and named itIrenopolis (Ειρηνούπολις) after herself, although some sources place this Berrhoea-Irenopolis further east, towardsThrace.[11]
The city was apparently held by theBulgarian Empire at some point in the late 9th century. The 11th-century Greek bishopTheophylact of Ohrid wrote that during the brief period of Bulgarian dominance, TsarBoris I built there one of the sevencathedral churches built by him and refers to it as "one of the beautiful Bulgarian churches".[12] In theEscorial Taktikon ofc. 975, the city is mentioned as the seat of astrategos, and it apparently was the capital of atheme in the 11th century.[11] The city briefly fell to TsarSamuel of Bulgaria at the end of the 10th century, but theByzantine emperorBasil II quickly regained it in 1001 since its Bulgarian governor, Dobromir, surrendered the city without a fight.[11] The city is not mentioned again until the late 12th century, when it was briefly held by theNormans (1185) during their invasion of the Byzantine Empire.[11]
After theFourth Crusade (1204), it briefly became part ofBoniface of Montferrat'sKingdom of Thessalonica, and a Latin bishop took up residence in the city.[13] Inc. 1206, the city was taken by the Bulgarian ruler,Kalojan. Many inhabitants were killed while others, including the Latin bishop, fled. Kalojan installed Bulgarians as commandant and bishop, and resettled some of the leading families to Bulgaria.[13] After Kalojan's death in 1207, the city may have reverted to Latin rule, but there is no evidence of this; at any rate, by 1220 it had been occupied by the ruler ofEpirus,Theodore Komnenos Doukas, for in that year thedoux Constantine Pegonites is attested as governing the city in his name.[13] It changed hands again in 1246, being taken by theEmperor of NicaeaJohn III Doukas Vatatzes, and formed part of the restored Byzantine Empire after 1261.[11]
The 14th century was tumultuous: the area was pillaged byKarasid Turks in 1331,[14] and captured by theSerbian rulerStephen Dushan in 1343/4, when it became part of hisSerbian Empire. It was recovered for Byzantium byJohn VI Kantakouzenos in 1350, but lost again to the Serbians soon after, becoming the domain ofRadoslav Hlapen after 1358.[11] With thedisintegration of the Serbian Empire, it passed once more to Byzantium by ca. 1375, but was henceforth menaced by the rising power of theOttoman Turks.[11]
According to a tradition preserved byYazıcıoğlu Ali, the two younger sons of theSeljuk sultanKaykaus II were settled by EmperorMichael VIII Palaiologos in Veria, and made its governors. One of their descendants converted to Christianity, and one of his progeny, a certain Lyzikos, in turn surrendered the city to the Ottoman Sultan (perhapsBayezid I). After the Ottoman conquest he and his relatives were settled atZichna. This story explains the presence ofGagauz people in Veria and its environs.[14] The Ottoman chroniclers report that the town was first captured in 1385, while the Byzantine short chronicles record the date as 8 May 1387.[14] The city changed hands several times over the next decades, until the final Turkish conquest around 1430.[11]
The Ottomans called VeriaKaraferye ("black Veria"), because of its characteristic morning mist during the humid winter seasons.[15][14] In 1519 (Hijri 925) the town had 231 Muslim and 578 Christian households.[16] Under Ottoman rule, Veria was the seat of akaza within theSanjak of Salonica; by 1885, the kaza, along withNaoussa, included 46 villages andchiftliks.[14] The 17th-century travellerEvliya Çelebi reports that the city was peaceful, without walls or garrison; it had 4000 houses, 16 Muslim quarters, 15 Christian quarters, and 2 Jewish congregations. The city was a prosperous center of rice production.[14]
According to the 1881/82-1893 Ottoman General Census, thekaza of Veria (Karaferiye) had a total population of 25,034, consisting of 15,103Greeks, 7,325 Muslims, 2,174Bulgarians, 393Jews, and 39 foreign citizens.[17] Veria was an important regional center of Greek commerce and learning, and counted many important Greek scholars as its natives (e.g.Ioannis Kottounios)
The presence of a large, prosperous and educatedbourgeoisie made Veria one of the centers of Greek nationalism in the region of Macedonia, and the city's inhabitants had an active part in theGreek War of Independence; important military leaders during the uprising included Athanasios Syropoulos, Georgios Syropoulos, Dimitrios Kolemis and Georgios Kolemis, among others;[18] however, as was the case with the rest of Northern Greece, eventually the uprising was defeated, and Veria only became part of modern Greece in 1912 during theBalkan Wars, when it was taken by theHellenic Army on October 16, 1912 (October 16 is an official holiday in Veria, commemorating the city's incorporation to Greece), and was officially annexed to Greece following the signing of theTreaty of Athens in November 1913.[14]
DuringWorld War II, Veria was under Nazi occupation between 1941 and 1944. An important resistance movement developed in the city, with the left-wingEAM gaining the sympathy of the inhabitants; the people of Veria took part in resistance activities, such as sabotaging the railway, assassinatingSS members, and burning Nazi war material. The town asked Prokopis Kambitoglou to become the Mayor of Veria during the occupation.[citation needed] His role in attempting to mitigate the oppression of the Germans was rewarded after the war by the award of the Order of the Phoenix in recognition of his efforts.[citation needed]
During the Occupation almost all of the Jewish community of the city was deported and exterminated by the Nazis.[19]
Postwar Veria saw a significant rise in population, and a greatly improved standard of living. The 1980s and 1990s in particular were a period of prosperity, with the agricultural businesses and cooperatives in the fertile plains around Veria successfully exporting their products in Europe, the US and Asia. The discovery of the tomb ofPhilip II of Macedon in the nearby archaeological site ofVergina (ancient Aegae, the summer capital of theArgead Dynasty ofMacedon, now aUNESCO World Heritage Site), also made Veria a tourist destination.
Veria has a significant immigrant population, mainly from countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Berrhoea was asuffragan diocese of theArchbishopric of Thessalonica, in the sway of thePatriarchate of Constantinople.
The names of five of itsbishops appear in extant contemporary documents:
The Byzantine emperorMichael VIII Palaiologos promoted the local see to anarchbishopric after 1261, and it advanced further to the rank of ametropolitan see by 1300.[11]
The diocese of Berrhoea was nominally restored in 1933 by theCatholic Church as thetitular bishopric ofBerrhœa (Latin) /Berrea (Curiate Italian).[22]
It has been vacant for decades, having the following incumbents:
The municipality Veria was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[23]
The municipality has an area of 796.494 km2, the municipal unit 359.146 km2.[24]
Veria is located at 40º31' North, 22º12' East, at the eastern foot of theVermio Mountains. It lies on a plateau at the western edge of theCentral Macedonia plain, north of theHaliacmon River. The town straddles the Tripotamos (river), a Haliacmon tributary that provides hydroelectric power to the national electric power transmission network and irrigation water to agricultural customers of the Veria plain.
 | This section includes alist of references,related reading, orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations. Please helpimprove this section byintroducing more precise citations.(February 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Veria has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsa) that borders on a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationBSk). Since the city lies in a transitional climatic zone, its climate displays characteristics of continental, semi-arid and subtropical/Mediterranean climates. Summers (from April to October) are hot (often exceptionally hot) and dry (or mildly humid, with rainfalls that occur during thunderstorms), and winters (from mid-October to March) are wet and cool, but temperatures remain above or well above freezing (meteorological phenomenon ofAlkyonides). Snow typically falls once or twice a season. Major temperature swings between day and night are seldom.
| Climate data for Veria | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 21.0 (69.8) | 24.0 (75.2) | 25.4 (77.7) | 31.0 (87.8) | 35.0 (95.0) | 39.0 (102.2) | 41.0 (105.8) | 42.1 (107.8) | 35.9 (96.6) | 33.5 (92.3) | 27.0 (80.6) | 25.6 (78.1) | 42.1 (107.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 14.5 (58.1) | 19.4 (66.9) | 25.1 (77.2) | 29.5 (85.1) | 31.3 (88.3) | 30.9 (87.6) | 27.8 (82.0) | 21.6 (70.9) | 14.3 (57.7) | 10.1 (50.2) | 20.4 (68.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.6 (40.3) | 5.9 (42.6) | 9.4 (48.9) | 14.1 (57.4) | 19.6 (67.3) | 24.1 (75.4) | 25.7 (78.3) | 24.7 (76.5) | 21.1 (70.0) | 15.6 (60.1) | 9.5 (49.1) | 5.7 (42.3) | 15.0 (59.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) | 1.4 (34.5) | 4.4 (39.9) | 8.2 (46.8) | 12.8 (55.0) | 16.3 (61.3) | 18.0 (64.4) | 17.3 (63.1) | 14.1 (57.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 5.3 (41.5) | 1.8 (35.2) | 9.2 (48.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.0 (10.4) | −11.0 (12.2) | −4.0 (24.8) | 4.0 (39.2) | 7.7 (45.9) | 14.6 (58.3) | 14.3 (57.7) | 13.5 (56.3) | 7.1 (44.8) | 1.1 (34.0) | −3 (27) | −5 (23) | −12.0 (10.4) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 44.5 (1.75) | 49.0 (1.93) | 56.4 (2.22) | 45.0 (1.77) | 42.0 (1.65) | 29.7 (1.17) | 14.1 (0.56) | 16.2 (0.64) | 16.1 (0.63) | 55.7 (2.19) | 68.1 (2.68) | 69.1 (2.72) | 505.9 (19.91) |
| Average precipitation days | 8.2 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 7.5 | 9.9 | 9.2 | 86.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 76.4 | 73.0 | 73.2 | 68.3 | 64.2 | 57.9 | 57.5 | 62.8 | 66.8 | 73.1 | 77.1 | 78.2 | 69.0 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 117.1 | 120.4 | 143.8 | 190.4 | 234.9 | 295.3 | 309.6 | 290.6 | 224.9 | 162.1 | 118.3 | 109.1 | 2,316.5 |
| Source: Hellenic National Meteorological Service,National Observatory of Athens | |||||||||||||
The modern town has cotton and woolen mills and trades in wheat, fruit and vegetables. Lignite mines operate in the area. The largest wind farm in Greece is to be constructed in theVermio Mountains byAcciona, S.A. It will consist of 174wind turbines, which will be connected to the national electric power transmission network, generating 614 MW.
Veria is connected to the motorway system of Greece and Europe throughA2 Egnatia Odos, the Greek part of theEuropean route E90. It is also connected to more than 500 local and national destinations via the national coach network (KTEL).
Veria is linked toThessaloniki by the Thessaloniki-Edessarailway, with connections toAthens andAlexandroupoli.
Thessaloniki International Airport "Macedonia" is the closest international airport, located 88 km (55 mi) east-northeast of Veria.
The city has a number of Byzantine monuments, as well as post-Byzantine churches built on Byzantine foundations.[11] The most significant Byzantine monument is theAnastasis Church (Church of the Resurrection) with its "spectacular frescoes" from 1315, bearing comparison with some of the finest works ofPalaiologan art in the main Byzantine centres ofThessaloniki andConstantinople.[11] Of the city's thirteen mosques, eight survive, including theOld Metropolis, which had been converted into the Hünkar Mosque, as well as theOrta Mosque,Mendrese Mosque, and theMahmud Çelebi Mosque. Four other mosques, the Subashi, Bayir, Yola Geldi, and Barbuta mosques, are now used as private residences. TheTwin Hamam also survives, as well as a number of Ottoman public buildings of the late 19th century. The city's famousbezesten, however, burned down in the great fire of 1864.[25]
Museums in Veria include theArchaeological Museum of Veroia, theByzantine Museum of Veroia, theFolklore Museum of Veroia, a museum of modern Greek history and theAromanian cultural museum.[26] There is also a 19th-century Jewish synagogue in the protected former Jewish neighbourhood in Barbuta.
The archaeological site ofAegae (Αἰγαί; modern nameVergina), aUNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 12 km (7 mi) south-east of the city centre of Veria.
Every summer (August 15 to September 15) the "Imathiotika" festivities take place with a cultural program deriving mainly from Veria's tradition. The site of Elia has an extensive view of the Imathia plain. NeighboringSeli is a well-known ski resort and a few kilometers outside the city is the Aliakmonas river dam.
Veria has one of the largest public libraries in Greece. Originally a small single-room library with limited funds and material, it expanded into a four-story building offering multimedia, and special and rare editions. Veria's public library collaborates with many international organizations and hosts several cultural events. In 2010, it won theAccess to Learning Award (ATLA) prize nominated by theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the amount of $1.000.000. Since then, the library became a role model for other libraries in Greece.[27]
The Department ofSpatial Planning and DevelopmentEngineering ofAristotle University of Thessaloniki was located in Veria since 2004, but in 2013 it was relocated to Thessaloniki.[28]
Veria istwinned with:
Strovolos, Cyprus (1993)[29]
Kazanlak, Bulgaria
Rognac, France[29]
Užice, Serbia
Cava de' Tirreni, Italy (2024)Massafra, Italy (2025)Veria is home to many sports clubs. Most prominent is the handball team of Filippos Veria, competing in the first national division and which has won many championships (both national and international) over the last 40 years. The most famous isVeria NFC which competes inGamma Ethniki (Greece's 3rd division). Veria also has two basketball teams, AOK Veria and Filippos Veria, which compete in the local and third national division respectively.
| Sport clubs based in Veria | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Founded | Sports | Achievements |
| Veria F.C. | 1960 | Football | Presence in A Ethniki (First division) |
| Veria NFC | 2019 | Football | Presence in Super League 2 (Second division) |
| Filippos Verias | 1962 | Handball,Basketball | Panhellenic titles in Greek Handball, one of the most successful Handball teams in Greece |
| GE Veria | Handball | Panhellenic titles in Greek Handball | |
| Pontioi Verias F.C. | 1984 | Football | Earlier presence in Beta Ethniki |
| AOK Veria | 1998 | Basketball | Earlier presence in A2 Ethniki women |
Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Berœa".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)KOTTOUNIOS, IOANNES (1577–1658) Born at Beroia (Macedonia)
Ecclesiastical history
Synagogue and Jewish history
Veria travel guide from WikivoyageAdministrative division of theCentral Macedonia Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Regional unit ofChalkidiki |  | |
| Regional unit ofImathia | ||
| Regional unit ofKilkis | ||
| Regional unit ofPella | ||
| Regional unit ofPieria | ||
| Regional unit ofSerres | ||
| Regional unit ofThessaloniki | ||
| ||
