Messini Μεσσήνη
Municipality
The old railway station.
Messini
Coordinates:37°3′N22°0′E / 37.050°N 22.000°E /37.050; 22.000
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Peloponnese
Regional unit	Messenia
Area
• Municipality	562.1 km2 (217.0 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	84.6 km2 (32.7 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Municipality	19,170
• Density	34.10/km2 (88.33/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	8,937
• Municipal unit density	106/km2 (274/sq mi)
• Community	5,958
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	242 00
Area code	27220
Vehicle registration	ΚΜ

Messini (Greek:Μεσσήνη, before 1867: ΝησίNisi)^[2] is a municipal unit (dimotiki enotita) and the seat town (edra) of themunicipality (dimos) of Messini within the regional unit (perifereiaki enotita) ofMessenia in the region (perifereia) ofPeloponnese, one of 13 regions into whichGreece has been divided.^[3] Before 2011 the same hierarchy prevailed, according to Law 2539 of 1997, the Kapodistrias Plan, except that Messenia was anomos and the Municipal unit was a locality (topiko diamerisma). Thedimos existed under both laws, but not with the same constituents.

Messini (modern pronunciation) is not to be confused with its ancient namesake,Messene, located 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) to the north in the shadow of MountIthome. Ancient Messene is an equally large but abandoned site of ruins partially occupied by the small village of Mavrommati.

The modern town has some 6,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest municipality of Messinia regional unit. The town centre is 3 km (1.9 mi) from theMessinian Gulf coast, near the right bank of the riverPamisos. The major city of Messinia,Kalamata, is 10 km (6.2 mi) to the east of Messini and has almost 9 times its population. The town is accessed byGreek National Road 82 (Pylos - Kalamata - Sparta). TheKalamata International Airport is two kilometers to the east. Since 1892, Messini had a railway station on a branch line from theCorinth–Kalamata railway known asMessinian Suburban Railway. It was closed in 1976, reopened in 2007.Regular operations on the line ceased in 2011 however, until 2016, when it was rendered unusable due to severe weather damage, it operated seasonally from 20 to 28 September for the Messini fair, as well as during the holiday period from 24 December to 10 January.

Before the reorganization, the municipality of Messini contained 14 local divisions (topika diamerismata) for a total population of 11041.^[4] Since 2010 Messini has still been a municipality, one of the six of Messenia. However, it has absorbed seven other former municipalities. These, and the former municipality of Messini, have become municipal units (dimotikes enotites) of the municipality Messini, with a total population of 19,170 (2021 census). These are as follows:^[3]

The municipality has an area of 562.06 km² (217.01 sq mi), the municipal unit 84.60 km² (32.66 sq mi).^[5] The municipal unit of Messini contains the same subdivisions and populations as did the previous municipality of Messini but the subdivisions are now local communities.^[3] These are as follows:

In summary, Messini is a town, a municipal unit and a municipality.

The province of Messini (Greek:Επαρχία Μεσσήνης) was one of theprovinces of the Messenia Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Messini (except the municipal unitsAipeia,Petalidi andVoufrades) and the municipal unitsAndania,Meligalas andOichalia.^[6] It was abolished in 2006.

Messini began its communal existence as Nisi, a settlement placed on an island (nēsos, from which Nisi) in the extensive marshland at the mouth of the Pamisos River.^[7] It was placed in Frankish territory, the Principality of Achaia, dated 1205-1432, consisting of 40 villages in Messenia and Elis. The ethnic content of the population in the vicinity at that time was Greek. After 1432, when the Byzantine Empire fell and was commandeered by the Ottoman Empire, some Turks entered the region. Except for the names, these distinctions have more or less disappeared in modern Greece.

The government of Greece changed the official name to Messini in 1867.^[2]Baedeker's for the later 19th century and early 20th centuries referred to Nisi as "now officially Messini," a phrase that was widely used in travelogues of the period. The earliest Baedeker's to do so is the German edition of 1888. Prior to 1887 Nisi is not treated as Messini. Subsequent references to the place often refer to Nisi as "the popular name".

The populations of the town for the last few census' are given below.

• Ioannis Alevras (1912–1995), politician
• Stefanos Linaios (1928-), actor

• Hellenic Interior Ministry (18 March 2001).Δείτε τη Διοικητική Διαίρεση (in Greek). Hellenic Interior Ministry.. The previous Kapodistrias organization of all the communities in Greece. The populations are from the Census of 2001.

Media related toMessene at Wikimedia Commons

• "Hellenic Interior Ministry" (in Greek).
• "Municipality of Messini"(PDF) (in Greek and English). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 27 January 2012. Retrieved9 October 2011.
• "Messini". World Places. 2008–2009. Archived fromthe original on 2011-12-18.

• Municipalities of Peloponnese (region)
• Populated places in Messenia
• Messini
• Provinces of Greece

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